• How can I reduce the amount of junkmail that I receive?
• How do I recycle my Christmas tree?
• How do I report the theft of my recyclables by people in trucks?
• What do I do if I need to replace a cart or need extra carts?
• What else can I do to help?
• What Goes Where?
• What if I have extra trash sometimes?
• What Size Carts Should I Get?
• Where can I dispose of household hazardous materials such as partially filled paint cans, antifreeze, gasoline, pesticides , aerosol cans, and sharps?
• Where can I recycle bottles and cans?
• Where can I recycle old tires?
• Where can I recycle styrofoam packaging?
• Where can I recycle used motor oil and filters?

How can I reduce the amount of junkmail that I receive?
Write a letter to the following address to remove your name from their mailing lists:

Mail Preference Service Direct Marketing Association PO Box 9008 Farmington, NY 11735-9008

How do I recycle my Christmas tree?
Waste Management will collect and recycle Christmas trees for the first three weeks following Christmas on your collection day.  Trees four feet or taller must be cut in half.  Remove all decorations, metal ornaments, tinsel, and metal stands from trees.  Flocked trees will be collected but cannot be recycled.  You can also recycle your tree by cutting it up and placing it in the green waste cart.  Christmas tree drop off at the Forest/Laguna Canyon lot is no longer available. 

How do I report the theft of my recyclables by people in trucks?
Only Waste Management of Orange County has the legal right to take recyclables placed in your recycling cart. Here is what you can do to help:

• Put your recyclables out on the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the day of collection rather than the night before.
• If the incident is in progress, call the police department at 497-0701.

What do I do if I need to replace a cart or need extra carts?
If you need  to replace a lost or stolen cart or need to exchange the size of your cart, call Waste Management's Customer Service Center at (949) 642-1191.   Please have your current cart size available.  The size can be found in the first two digits of the imprinted serial number.  You can obtain one additional recycling cart and/a green wast cart at no charge.  There is a charge for each additional trash cart or the the third recycling and green waste cart.

What else can I do to help?
Reduce - Buy only what you need. Buy in bulk. Avoid unnecessary packaging.

Reuse - Reuse what you can. Use mugs instead of plastic or paper cups; bring your own canvas bag to the grocery store; recharge your batteries; use cloth instead of paper napkins; use both sides of paper.

Recycle - For recycling to succeed, we all need to check the labels and buy products made with recycled content. Everything from clothes to carpet, cans to comic books are made from recycled materials. You are doing your part when you help close the recycling loop!

What Goes Where?
The gray-lidded cart is for recyclables, the green-lidded cart is for green waste, and the blue-lidded cart is for trash - household waste that cannot be recycled. Generally, only items that are placed in the carts will be collected.

Recyclables include glass, plastics containers, aluminum, metals and clean paper such as junk mail, envelopes, cereal and food boxes, cardboard, magazines - just about anything that tears!

Green waste includes all yard trimmings, grass, tree branches, sawdust, green plants, weeds, etc. - basically, all organic materials generated from your yard work.

• Do not place green waste in plastic bags.
• Ice plant and palm branches cannot be placed in the green waste cart
• Do not place animal and food waste in the green waste cart.

What if I have extra trash sometimes?
Excess trash or overage may be placed out next to your solid waste carts up to six times a year in trash bags or your own containers (up to eight bags or cans per overage collection.) Bulky pickups for large items such as furniture or appliances can be scheduled twice a year by calling (949) 642-1191 or (949) 497-0323.

What Size Carts Should I Get?
Each residential unit can request up to five carts per unit: two for recycling, two for green waste and one for trash. Cart sizes come in small (35 gallons), medium (64 gallons) and large (96 gallons.) Typically, one cart for each commodity in the medium size is sufficient for most families.

Where can I dispose of household hazardous materials such as partially filled paint cans, antifreeze, gasoline, pesticides , aerosol cans, and sharps?
Orange County residents may dispose of household hazardous waste, at no charge, by taking it to any one of four facilities located throughout the County. For more information on household hazardous waste, click here.

Where can I recycle bottles and cans?
You can redeem empty California Redemption Value (CRV) beverage containers at any market or liquor store in Laguna Beach.  The beverage containers must be clean.  The refund value for each beverage container with a capacity of less than 24 fluid ounces is five cents ($0.05), and the refund value for each container with a capacity of 24 fluid ounces or more is ten cents ($0.10).  To locate a recycling center, go to

Click to View

Where can I recycle old tires?
You can recycle your old tires at the following location Monday - Friday 8-5 p.m. for a nominal fee:

Wheel & Tune 1925 Laguna Canyon Road Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Tel: (949) 497-1650

Where can I recycle styrofoam packaging?
You can recycle your "peanut" packaging and "bubble" packaging at the following locations. Please call them for operating hours:

Mail Boxes Etc.
219 Broadway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Tel: (949) 494-4420

Canyon Box and Packaging
Tel: (949) 494-3523

Where can I recycle used motor oil and filters?
You can recycle used motor oil and filters, at no charge, at the following Certified Collection Center locations:

Auto Repair of Laguna Beach
890 South Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA  92651
(949) 494-7408

USA Express Tire & Service, Inc.
350 Broadway
Laguna Beach, CA  92651
(949) 494-7111

Service stations will often take used motor oil, car batteries and antifreeze for a nominal charge.