City of Mission Viejo - Residential Service Guidelines

Waste Management provides three carts for automated collection of trash, recyclables and green waste.  Carts are available in three sizes: 35 gallons, 64 gallons and 96 gallons.  Trash, recyclables and greenwaste are picked up weekly.

For more information about the City of Mission Viejo:

• City of Mission Viejo
• South Orange County Regional Chambers of Commerce

What to put in your trash cart
What to put in your recyclables cart
What to put in your greenwaste cart
Service reminders
Holiday schedule
Bulky items
Billing
Temporary service
Disposal of used motor oil
Christmas tree recycling
E-waste
Household hazardous waste

Trash Cart (Blue Lid)

Mixed Recyclables Cart (Gray Lid)

Please rinse food residue from containers and flatten cardboard boxes.  All recyclables may be placed in the recycling cart together. Please set out your recycling cart only when it is full, and ensure the cart lid is able to be completely closed.

Paper / Cardboard

• Newspapers, magazines
• Mixed paper (printer, color, all types accepted)
• Telephone books, directories, magazines
• Bulk/junk mail, envelopes, catalogs
• File folders
• Cardboard boxes (please flatten)
• Soft bound books, hard bound books (inside only, no cover)
• Paper board - cereal boxes, tissue boxes, shoe boxes, egg cartons, beverage boxes, dry food boxes
• Paper towels (must be clean and dry)
• Frozen dinner boxes and other frozen food boxes
• Empty paper towel and toilet tissue rolls
• Shredded paper (must bag before placing in cart)
• Pizza boxes (no food residue)

Plastics

• Plastic beverage containers - soda, water, juice
• Plastic containers (#1-7) such as laundry detergent, ketchup, mustard, hair product bottles
• Plastic bags - grocery, dry cleaning, newspaper and other film bags (bundle inside a plastic bag, tie and place in the cart)
• Plastic buckets (#1-7)
• Plastic tubs (#1-7)
• Plastic toys (#1-7)

Metal

• Hangers
• Aluminum cans
• Tin cans - soup, tuna, vegetable juice, coffee
• Empty aerosol cans (must be completely empty)
• Pie tins
• Paint cans (must be empty and completely dried out)

Glass

• Food jars - sauce, mayo, pickles (no residue)
• Beverage glass bottles - wine, beer, liquor, juice

Greenwaste Cart (Green Lid)

Please do not place greenwaste in plastic bags.

DO NOT place the items listed below in your greenwaste cart - put these items in the TRASH cart!

Note: Additional trash, recycling and greenwaste carts are available.  Cart size can also be changed.  Greenwaste service may not be available in all areas.  Contact customer service at (714) 558-7761, (949) 642-1191 or (562) 694-3730 for more information.

• Place all waste in the appropriate container and close the lid.  Do no overfill the cart!
• Roll carts into the street and place them against the curb, handles facing your home. Place carts at least two feet apart from other carts and objects - it is recommended that you park cars at least six feet from the carts on collection day.
• The collection start time is 7 a.m., so please have your carts out before this time. Trash, recycling and greenwaste carts may be set out the night before your collection day.

Bulky Item Collection

For items that are too large to fit into the trash cart, residents may request the free pick up of household bulky goods three (3) times per year.  We will retrieve up to five (5) large items such as furniture, appliances or up to 20 plastic bags of refuse or bundles of yard waste (less than 50 pounds each) for each request.  Advance notice is required. To schedule a free bulky goods pick up, please contact Waste Management at (714) 558-7761, (949) 642-1191 or (562) 694-3730. Additional pick-ups are available for a nominal fee.

We have added electronic and universal waste collection program to the bulky item collection program. Changes in state environmental laws require special handling of electronic and universal waste items, which are prohibited from being disposed in landfills. Electronic waste (e-waste) includes items such as TVs, computer monitors, VCRs, cell phones and other electronic devices. Universal waste items include batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, etc.), fluorescent tubes and bulbs.  See our electronic waste section below for more information on options available to you for proper e-waste disposal.

Billing

Residential services are billed quarterly in advance by Waste Management. If you have questions regarding your invoice, please contact Waste Management at (714) 558-7761, (949) 642-1191 or (562) 694-3730.  To pay your bill online, go to Waste Management's ezPay. For help with reading your bill, click here.

Special Rates

Mission Viejo residents may be eligible to receive a senior discount on the standard residential waste bill. Download the senior discount form to see if you qualify. To receive the discount, the form must be completed and faxed to (714) 836-0268 or mailed to the address listed on the form. Residents applying for the senior discount must provide proof of age. NOTE: This document is in PDF format, and Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view.

Temporary Bin and Roll-Off Service

Please contact Waste Management at (714) 558-7761, (949) 642-1191 or (562) 694-3730 for information on sizes and rates for temp dumpster or bin service.

Disposal of Used Motor Oil

It is important to properly dispose of used motor oil to ensure it stays out of our storm drains and the ocean.  Next time you change your oil, be sure to follow these steps:

• Remove the oil filter from your car and drain it well for at least 24 hours - once it is drained, place it in a plastic bag. 
• Drain the oil from your car into a plastic container. 
• Secure the top on the container to ensure against spillage.
• One the items are secure, transport them to a certified used oil recycling center - many auto or tire supply stores or service centers will accept used motor oil and filters.  Call in advance to make sure they will take the items and to verify store hours.

These items may also be taken to a county collection center for safe disposal.  For more information on county sites that accept these items, please call (714) 834-6752 or go to http://www.oclandfills.com/hhwcc.asp. Additional information may be found at the Earth 911 Web site or by calling 1 (800) CLEANUP (1-800-253-2687).

Christmas Tree Recycling

We will collect and recycle Christmas trees for the first three (3) weeks following Christmas on your regular collection day. Trees taller than six feet must be cut in half. Please remove all decoration including tinsel, lights, ornaments and tree stands. Place the tree at the curb. Flocked trees will be collected but cannot be recycled.

Electronic Waste (E-Waste)

Changes in state environmental laws require special handling of electronic and universal waste items, which are prohibited from being disposed in landfills. Electronic waste (e-waste) includes items such as TVs, computer monitors, VCRs, cell phones and other electronic devices. Universal waste items include batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, etc.), fluorescent tubes and bulbs. Below are options available to you for proper disposal.

• These items are currently accepted at County of Orange Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers at no charge to Orange County residents. For more information on county sites that accept e-waste, please call (714) 834-6752 or go to http://www.oclandfills.com/hhwcc.asp. For other resources on reusing and recycling electronic products, visit www.ciwmb.ca.gov/electronics/collection or http://www.erecycle.org.
• Residents who receive curbside service can schedule pick up of e-waste along with other bulky items. Residents with curbside service are allowed three bulky items collections per year, up to five large items or 20 bags per pick up at no additional charge. This is a special service. To schedule a pick up, call our Customer Service Center at (949) 642-1191.
• In addition, electronic waste pick up is included in the year-round door-to-door hazardous waste collection program. Residents are allowed one free pick up per calendar year. Contact At Your Door HHW pickup service at 800-449-7587 or visit their website at www.wmatyourdoor.com to schedule a pick up.

Household Hazardous Waste

Household hazardous waste (HHW) is any type of household product that requires special handling under environmental law which prohibits disposal as regular waste. Some of these items are household products labeled with any of the following words: toxic, caution, danger, poison, corrosive, flammable, combustible or irritant. Typical household hazardous waste are items such as used motor oil, oil filters, paint, antifreeze and other automotive products, pesticides, household cleaners, pool chemicals, items containing mercury such as CFLs, thermometers, and thermostats. This also includes electronics waste such as TVs along with household batteries. Below are options available to you for proper disposal.

• These items are currently accepted at County of Orange Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers at no charge to Orange County residents. For more information on county sites that accept e-waste, please call (714) 834-6752 or go to http://www.oclandfills.com/hhwcc.asp. For other resources on reusing and recycling electronic products, visit www.ciwmb.ca.gov/electronics/collection or http://www.erecycle.org.
• Mission Viejo residents have a year-round door-to-door hazardous waste collection program. Residents are allowed one free pick up per calendar year. This program includes collection of hazardous waste and electronic waste. Contact At Your Door HHW pick up service at 800-449-7587 or visit their website at www.wmatyourdoor.com to schedule a pick up.

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For more information on our services please contact Waste Management of Orange County customer service at (714) 558-7761, (949) 642-1191 or (562) 694-3730.