Residential Organics Recycling

Backyard Composting

Riverside County's Backyard Composting Program has been developed to aid the residents of Riverside County in composting their organic material, into a useful product and keep more waste out of our landfills. Check the link for more information about the Master Composting Program and for workshop locations and schedules. For more information please visit:

Riverside County's Backyard Composting Program

Bulk Item Collection

City of Lake Elsinore residents are allowed two free bulky item pickups annually. Please call CR&R at 800-755-8112 between 8 am to 5 pm to make arrangements in advance for the pickup. For more information please visit the CR&R website.

Christmas Tree Recycling

CR&R Inc., the City's franchised waste hauler, provides a Christmas tree recycling program for the residents of Lake Elsinore. CR&R will start picking up your Christmas trees on the first scheduled pick-up date after December 26th. Please assist them by cutting up your tree and putting it into your green barrel. If this is not possible, please cut your tree in half and leave it near the green barrel. Trees must be free of ornaments, including tinsel. All trees will be recycled into compost or mulch. For more information, call CR&R at 800-755-8112 or visit the CR&R website.

Collection Times

Trash bins should be placed at the curb or in the street by 6 am on your designated trash pickup day. Bins should be placed no more than 24 hours prior to normal collection time and removed within 12 hours after collection. *(See Notice from CR&R) Trash bins shall be stored out of public view. For information please visit the CR&R website.

Customer Access to Recycling - AB 827

Assembly Bill 827 (AB 827) amended existing California statute, namely the Mandatory Commercial Recycling (MCR) and Mandatory Commercial Recycling Organics (MORe) laws. Effective July 1, 2020, MORe-covered businesses must provide organics recycling containers to collect products purchased and consumed by customers on the premises. These containers must be placed adjacent to trash containers and be visible, easily accessible, and clearly marked. This law targets businesses that sell products meant for immediate consumption. If a business does not sell any of the organic materials for immediate consumption on the premises, then the business does not have to provide an organics container in all areas where disposal containers are provided for customers. You can view the information on Customer Access to Recycling (AB 827) here.

Holiday Trash Pick-up Service Schedule

For more information on holiday pick-up schedules please visit:

CR&R Holiday Pick-up Schedules

Household Hazardous Waste, Medications & E-Waste Collection

Please review the Household Hazardous Waste Schedule to learn more about the proper disposal of household hazardous waste. For further information please view the Riverside County Department of Waste Resources here.

Mandatory Commercial Recycling

Beginning July 1, 2012, Assembly Bill 341 [AB341] requires all businesses in California that generate four or more cubic yards of waste per week to recycle. In an effort to assist you with this new law, our contracted hauler (CR&R Environmental Services), offers a wide variety of recycling services. Please visit their website at CR&R. Information about California's new business recycling requirement is available from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery at the CalRecycle website.

Mandatory Organics Recycling

Beginning April 1, 2016, Assembly Bill 1826 (AB 1826) requires all businesses in California that generate 8 cubic yards of organic waste per week and multi-family residential dwellings of 5 or more units to arrange for recycling services of organic waste.

This new law phases in the mandatory recycling of commercial organics over time, such that by January 1, 2019, a business that generates 4 or more cubic yards of organic waste per week must arrange for recycling services of organic wastes. Organic waste consists of food waste, landscape waste, nonhazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper waste that is mixed with food waste.

To assist with the implementation of this new requirement, CR&R has prepared an Organic Waste Fact Sheet, which includes an overview of AB 1826 and a self-assessment guide (PDF) to help identify when a business or multi-family facility may need to establish organic waste services. Please contact CR&R at 800-755-8112, or visit the CR&R website for further information.

Residential Organics Recycling

As a reminder, residents are able to add food scraps to their green cart. This was made possible back in April of 2016, as a result of a new Anaerobic Digester Facility that CR&R constructed in the City of Perris. The facility converts food and yard waste into renewable natural gas, compost and liquid fertilizer. The new technology will keep organics generated in the City of Lake Elsinore out of the landfill, enabling the City to further their waste reduction goals and meet new state mandates for organics recycling. For more information please visit:

Residential Organics Recycling (PDF)

For more information on the Anaerobic Digester Facility please visit the CR&R website.

Residential Trash Containers

Containers provided by CR&R must be used. Trash in other containers or on the side will not be collected. Containers are color-coded to assist with collection. Please place your refuse in the appropriate colored bin:

  • Black = Trash
  • Blue or Grey = Recycling
  • Green = Green Waste

For more information please view the CR&R Residential Brochure (PDF) here.