Waste & Recycling in Placentia 

Republic Services (Placentia’s waste hauler) observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.  If your pickup day falls on one of these holidays, it will be delayed by one day. 

For example: Labor Day falls on Monday, September 7, so your collection day that week will be delayed by one day, with Friday collections being collected on Saturday. Please see Republic Services' 2021-22 Holiday Schedule for detailed information. Visit Republic Services' website for more information.

Weekly pick-ups are scheduled throughout Placentia neighborhoods using a three-bin system. 

  • Green bin
    • Clean recyclables such as paper, cardboard, aluminum, and glass 
    • Make sure they are clean and dry
    • Keep recyclables loose - do not bag them
  • Brown bin
    • "Organic" materials - yard waste and plant materials 
    • SB1383 requires food waste diversion - more updates will be provided when service goes into effect
  • Black bin
    • All other regular waste materials 
    • No Household Hazardous Waste (batteries, e-waste, wet paint, chemicals, etc.)
    • Single family residents get 3 bulky item pick-ups (limit 10 items per pickup) per calendar year

Three-Bin System

Organics

Defined as any material that is biodegradable coming from an animal or plant. SB 1383 will soon require residents to divert food waste from the landfill. 

Currently, there is no change to waste disposal. Continue to place your food waste in your BLACK bin. In the future, you will put food waste in your BROWN bin with your yard waste. More information will come at a later date. In the meantime, you can divert food waste through composting!

Why should we compost? It ... 

  • Enriches the soil by aiding it in retaining moisture and essential nutrients for plant growth
  • Reduces the amount of methane emissions and can eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers
  • Is a safe way to reduce landfill waste and can be utilized in home gardens or agriculture

Materials that can be composted: food scraps (no meats & bones), napkins & tissues, yard waste, tea bags (with paper lining)

COMPOSTING

Interested in composting? Here are some tips on how to start your own at home composting system.

How to compost

To learn more about composting, visit UCCE Master Gardeners of Orange County's webpage.

Hazardous Waste 

Hazardous waste materials contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients and need to be handled with care. Do not dispose of them in the recycling, To learn more about the County's Household Hazardous Waste Facilities, visit their website.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Waste reduction/prevention is the most preferred approach to waste management. Waste has associated management costs; therefore, reducing waste will reduce total costs. View tips on reducing the amount of waste you produce.

Reduce

By mitigating the amount of materials we buy and use, we automatically lessen the amount of materials being sent to the landfill and reduce the waste of unnecessary energy. 

Reduction can be seen in many forms, for instance, lessening your use of single use plastics, or by turning your lights off when you aren’t using them. These small actions make a difference and can create positive changes that are bigger than what you would expect.

Reuse

Reusing items is a simple idea that "one person's trash is another person's treasure" and prevents materials from entering the waste stream. 

There are several ways to reuse items including:

  • Donating gently used items to organizations that can use them - and shopping at second-hand/thrift stores to reduce waste
    • Visit the nearest Goodwill location: 1101 E Imperial Hwy, Placentia, CA 92870
  • Organizing a toy or book exchange with friends
  • Opting for reusable items (grocery bags, water bottles, utensils, etc.) instead of disposable ones 

Reusing items is a simple act that saves money, energy, resources, and landfill space. View more information about reusing items.

Recycle

Did you ever wonder what happens to recyclables once they are picked up? Take a virtual Recycling Center Tour here. What about trash that goes to the landfill? Take a glimpse of the County landfills here. 

Recycling is the practice of recovering used materials from the waste stream and incorporating those materials into the manufacturing process. View more information about recycling and explore CalRecycle's new I Recycle Smart website. 

Check out the Recycle Page to see which items are recyclable.

For More Information

For more information about reducing, reusing, and recycling, contact the Public Works Department at (714) 993-8148.

Additional Resources