Residential, commercial, and construction and demolition waste collection services are provided by Waste Management Collection and Recycling, Inc. (“Waste Management”), under a franchise agreement with the City. For more information, please click here to contact the City’s Planning & Environmental Services Department.
Programs
The commercial sector generates nearly three-quarters of California’s waste, much of which is recyclable. The State of California’s Mandatory Commercial Recycling Law (Chesbro, Assembly Bill 341) requires businesses that generate four cubic yards or more of solid waste per week, and multi-family residential dwellings of five units or more, to arrange for recycling services. To make arrangements for recycling services, please call Waste Management at (949) 642‐1191.
Recyclable organic waste accounts for approximately 40 percent of the material Californians dispose of in landfills annually. The State of California’s Mandatory Organics Recycling Law (Chesbro, Assembly Bill 1826) requires businesses to arrange for recycling services for the following types of organic waste: food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, non-hazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper. Multi-family residential dwellings must also arrange for recycling services for the same types of organic waste as businesses, with the exception of food waste and food-soiled paper. To make arrangements for orange waste recycling services, please call Waste Management at (949) 642‐1191.
Deadlines for businesses and multi-family residential dwellings to make arrangements for organic waste recycling services vary by the amount and type of waste generated, as shown in the table below.
| Deadline | Subject Businesses/Multi-Family Residential Dwellings |
| April 1, 2016 | Generators of eight of more cubic yards of organic waste per week |
| January 1, 2017 | Generators of four or more cubic yards of organic waste per week |
| January 1, 2019 | Generators of four or more cubic yards of solid waste per week |
| January 1, 20201 | Generators of two or more cubic yards of solid waste per week |
1 This deadline will only apply if the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (“CalRecycle”) determines that the statewide disposal of organic waste has not been reduced by 50 percent from 2014.
Both monthly and in-home bulky item collection services are offered free of charge to residents.
Bulky items include appliances, clothing, electronic waste, furniture, and certain types of residential waste, but do not include construction and demolition waste, hazardous waste, car bodies, or items that cannot reasonably and safely be loaded and unloaded into a vehicle by two people. For more information on acceptable bulky items, please click here or call Waste Management at (949) 642‐1191. Residents of Laguna Woods Village should contact Laguna Woods Village Resident Services at (949) 597-4600.
Free bulky item collection occurs on the third Saturday of each month. Simply place your bulky items near your trash enclosure or in the same location that you place your trash carts. Bulky items may be set out the night prior and no later than 7 a.m. on the day of collection. Residents of Laguna Woods Village must notify Laguna Woods Village Resident Services at (949) 597-4600 prior to setting out bulky items.
Free in-home bulky item collection is available on an on call basis. Residents may schedule up to two in-home bulky item collections per calendar year, with a maximum of five bulky items per collection. To schedule an in-home bulky item collection, please call Laguna Woods Village Resident Services at (949) 597-4600 if you are a resident of Laguna Woods Village, or Waste Management at (949) 642-1191 if you reside elsewhere in Laguna Woods.
Frequently Asked Questions
To locate a certified collection center for motor oil or oil filters, please call 1-800-CLEANUP (1-800-253-2687) or click here to visit the Earth911 website.
Waste collection does not occur on the holidays listed below. When a holiday falls on a weekday, collections will be delayed by one day each for the remainder of the week. If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, there will be no delay in service and collection days will remain unchanged.
Beverage containers with a California Refund Value (“CRV”) can be redeemed at certified recycling centers or certain retailers with a legal obligation to do so. The CRV redemption program is administered by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (“CalRecyle”).
Home-generated sharps waste disposal, household hazardous waste collection, and medicine waste disposal services are provided by WM Curbside, Inc., under contract with the City. For more information, please click here to contact the City’s Planning & Environmental Services Department.
Programs
Did you know? State law makes it illegal to dispose of home-generated sharps waste in trash or recycling containers. Improperly disposed of sharps waste can also pollute the environment and harm those who sort and handle trash.
Laguna Woods residents are able to drop-off needles, lancets, and other home-generated sharps waste at City Hall during regular business hours. There is no charge for doing so. For everyone’s safety, residents must place sharps waste in a rigid and needle puncture-resistant container (e.g., laundry detergent bottles, soda bottles, or medical sharps containers) before leaving home. Loose materials cannot be accepted. For more information, please call City Hall at (949) 639-0500.
“Home-generated sharps waste” includes needles, lancets, and syringes used to deliver insulin or subcutaneous (“subQ”) fluids to your pets.
Laguna Woods residents are able to drop-off batteries used at home at City Hall during regular business hours. There is no charge for doing so. For more information, please call City Hall at (949) 639-0500.
Please note that the City is unable to accept vehicle batteries.
Laguna Woods residents are able to schedule door-to-door collections of household hazardous waste on an as-needed basis. There is no charge for doing so. WM Curbside, the City’s contract service provider, will collect materials that residents assemble from outside of their homes. To make arrangements for household hazardous waste collection, please call WM Curbside at (800) 449-7587
Laguna Woods residents are able to drop-off medications at City Hall during regular business hours. There is no charge for doing so. For everyone’s safety, residents must place medications in a sealed container or bag before leaving home. For more information, please call City Hall at (949) 639-0500.
Please note that the City is unable to accept “trace chemotherapy waste” (as that term is defined in California Health & Safety Code Section 117690(b)(5)) or any substance that is illegal under federal or state law including, but not limited to, medical marijuana.
