Trash & Recycling

WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU
All homes and businesses in Huntington Beach must have trash service. The property type helps to determine the type of service. All single family homes and many condos and townhomes will use individual wheeled carts emptied one time per week aka residential cart service. 

Multi-family properties with two to four dwelling units may have either residential cart or commercial bin service. To request a change in service type from residential to commercial or vice-versa, please contact the Trash and Recycling Office at (714) 375-5010.

Multi-family properties with 5 or more dwelling units and all other commercial properties must use commercial bin service. Commercial service may include a residential style cart for recycling or organics. Please contact Republic Services at (714) 847-3581 to start, stop or change commercial service.

Carts and bins are property of Republic Services. Please do not take them when you move.

• New Year's Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

Earth911 provides an extensive recycling database that provides locations of where to take any material.

To report illegal dumping of items on public space or the public right of way, contact Public Works Operations at (714) 960-8861 or report the issue through the city website. The City of Huntington Beach DOES NOT pick up bulky or abandoned items from private property.

Scavenging is the act of unauthorized persons searching through recycling or trash containers located either on public or private property. It is illegal in the City of Huntington Beach to scavenge. If you see a scavenging incident, please report it to Scavenging Enforcement at (714) 374-1739 with a detailed description of the day, time, location, person and vehicle if known.

If you wish to donate your recyclables so that others may collect the redemption value, please separate these items from your container, bag them, and place them where they can be accessed. Do not give permission for individuals to go through your containers. For further information please call Scavenging Enforcement at (714) 374-1739.

Residential trash customers can schedule free bulky item collection with the city's trash collector, Republic Services. This is allowed 4 times per year, up to 10 items per pickup. Items include furniture, appliances, mattresses, bagged trash up to 40 lbs., and bundled palm fronds (max. 4 ft. & 40 lbs.).

Call (714) 847-3581 to schedule. Bulky items are collected by a special truck on your regular collection day. Please allow 48 hours advance notice.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are experiencing long hold times in excess of 15 minutes or other difficulty reaching Republic Services, please email Republic Services. When emailing, please include your name, the service address, the item(s) to be collected, and a call back phone number.

• televisions
• computers and monitors
• fluorescent tubes and bulbs
• batteries
• automotive fluids
• paint and stain
• household cleaners

For more information, please contact the County of Orange at (714) 834-4000.

• Carts should be set out for service by 7:00AM on your designated collection day.
• All trash, recycling, and yard waste must be sorted and placed in the proper cart issued by Republic Services.
• For residential customers the placement of your cart is very important, since the collection vehicle’s lifting arm requires clearance of at least one foot on all sides of the cart.
• Carts should be facing toward the street/alley with the hinges facing away from the street.
• Place carts at least 6 feet away from any automobiles, mailboxes or anything else that would impede service.
• For proper servicing and public health reasons, lids must be completely closed. If the lid is not closed due to the cart being overfilled, your cart may be skipped.

For missed pick-ups, please contact Republic Services at (714) 847-3581 within 24 hours to request a make-up collection. Missed pickups are typically collected the next business day, depending on time of day that Republic Services was notified. Please leave the cart out so that it can be emptied.

The standard container size is 95 gallons. Smaller containers are available for smaller households or when space is limited. All households must have a trash, recycling, and yard waste container. There is no change or discount to the monthly fee for using smaller or fewer containers.

Size and weight restrictions for recycling, trash and organics waste.
T = Trash; R = Recycling; Y = Yard Waste



EXCHANGING CONTAINERS
To exchange container sizes or to replace damaged or stolen containers, please contact Republic Services at (714) 847-3581. Containers are repaired or exchanged at no additional charge.

As of July 1, 2023, the fee for residential trash service is $0.8821 per day, which equates to $26.83 per month. The total charge that appears on the monthly statement will vary from bill to bill depending on the number of days in the billing cycle. Generally, no separate sign-up is required for residential service. The service is enrolled when the water service is started. Per ordinance, a property is deemed occupied when there is an active water service.

To start or stop your municipal services account, visit Municipal Billing or call (714) 536-5919.

SENIOR CITIZEN LOW INCOME DISCOUNT
Low income seniors, age 62 and over, may apply for a 50% discounted rate and for the Utility User Tax Exemption. Please note that the 50% trash discount applies only to City of Huntington Beach residential trash customers and is not available for trash services paid to a Homeowner's Association, landlord, or property manager.

If you believe you qualify for the reduced rate, you can use the same application form for Utility User Tax exemption. For assistance with qualifications and completing the form, please contact the Finance Dept. at (714) 536-5630.

The city does not allow vacation holds for trash services.

Commercial and multi-family customers can have bulky items collected at a cost of $31.27 per item. Please call (714) 847-3581 to schedule this. 

PLEASE NOTE: If you are experiencing long hold times in excess of 15 minutes or other difficulty reaching Republic Services, please email Republic Services. When emailing, please include your name, the service address, the item(s) to be collected, and a call back phone number.

Commercial Service days are not mapped and vary based on the service agreement between property owner/manager and Republic Services.

If you are a tenant receiving commercial bin service, please contact your property owner/manager for your service day(s).

Please refer to the Commercial Rate Sheet for service options and prices.

For missed pick-ups, please contact Republic Services at (714) 847-3581 within 24 hours to request a make-up collection. Missed pickups are typically collected the next business day, depending on time of day that Republic was notified.

The City of Huntington Beach has an exclusive franchise agreement with Republic Services for the collection of trash and recyclables, including all construction and demolition temporary bins placed on private property or the public right-of-way. Non-franchised bins may be cited or impounded.

SELF-HAUL EXCEPTION
The only exception to this franchise is for self-hauling by resident, business or contractor. Residents, businesses and contractors may haul away debris from their Huntington Beach construction site using their own vehicles (trucks and/or trailers). A vehicle rented and operated by the resident/business/contractor for this purpose counts as their own. Renting bins or otherwise paying a non-franchised waste hauler for temporary debris bins is not self-haul.

TEMPORARY RENTALS

Republic Services offers a variety of services to contractors for construction and demolition solid waste disposal:

• 40 cu. yd. Roll Off Boxes (Large Bulky Items, Major Projects)
• 10 cu. yd. “Low-Boy boxes (Brick/Tile, Concreate/Asphalt, Dirt/Sand)
• 3 cu. yd. Rent-A-Bins (Small Items/Projects)
• Transfer Station for Self-Haul Public Dumping

The “Mandatory Commercial Recycling Law” aims to divert 75% of California’s waste stream away from landfills and instead be reduced, recycled or composted by the year 2020. To accomplish this, businesses and multi-family residential dwellings of five units or more, that generate more than 4 cubic yards of solid waste per week, are required to arrange for recycling services on and after July 1, 2012. Huntington Beach’s contracted waste hauler, Republic Services, has staff that can assist in implementing the right commercial recycling program for businesses or apartment properties. Contact Republic services at (657) 845-6161 for more information regarding compliance.

For additional information on AB 341 please visit the CalRecycle website.

SB 1383 establishes statewide targets to reduce the amount of organic waste disposed of in landfills (50% reduction by 2020 and 75% by 2025). It also sets a goal to rescue at least 20% of currently disposed edible food by 2025 and redirect that food to people in need. Contact Republic Services at (657) 845-6161 for more information regarding compliance.

For additional information on SB 1383 please visit the CalRecycle website.

Effective July 1, 2020, certain restaurants and retailers who are subject to Mandatory Commercial Recycling and Organics laws are now required to provide recycling containers at front-of-house to collect food waste and recyclables generated from products purchased and consumed on their premises. The collection containers must be visible, easily accessible to customers, and clearly marked.

This law came into effect on January 1, 2016 and requires businesses and multi-family complexes (with 5 or more units) that generate two or more cubic yards of solid waste and organic waste combined per week to arrange for organics collection services. For more information regarding compliance, contact Republic Services by calling (657) 845-6161 or emailing [email protected].

For additional information on AB 1826 please visit the CalRecycle website.

The Franchise Agreement between the City of Huntington Beach and Rainbow Disposal (now Republic Services) was adopted on July 17, 2006 and expires June 30, 2037.