Weekly Curbside Green Bin Collection (Organics)

All City of Los Angeles residents are required to participate in the organics collection program by placing food waste and green waste in the green bin every week. If the bins at your home are collected curbside weekly by LASAN, then you should already have a green bin. Please call our 24-hour Customer Care Center at 1-800-773-2489 if your green bin is broken or missing.

• Food waste: Peels, stems, bones, meat, fish, beans, leftovers, dairy, eggshells, coffee grounds, rice, stale bread, corn husks, and more
• Food-soiled paper: Coffee filters, napkins, paper towels, greasy napkins, pizza boxes, and more
• Yard trimmings: Flowers, grass clippings, tree and bush trimmings, clean untreated wood.

Some of the frequently forgotten items include:

• Dead roses and other flowers
• Natural wood chopsticks (clean, untreated, not lacquered)
• 100% natural bamboo (clean, untreated, not coated)
• Natural corks (consider a web search for "cork recycling" for drop-off locations)

Please keep plastic bags and pet waste out of the green bin. They belong in the trash (black bin).

1. Collect your food scraps in a kitchen pail. Use any small container with a lid, such as a reusable food storage container, coffee can, or countertop compost pail.
2. Empty your pail into your green bin. Please keep plastic and compostable bags out.
3. Roll out your green bin on collection day. You can also use the pail to carry your food scraps to your backyard composting bin or an LA Compost drop-off location.

Items labeled “compostable” or “biodegradable” often do not break down quickly enough in commercial composting facilities. Even products certified under standards like ASTM D6400 or BPI may not fully decompose during the composting process used in Los Angeles. When these items remain in the finished compost, they reduce quality and create problems for farmers.

Please do not put these items in your green bin. Instead, you can put compostable utensils, bags, and other biodegradable items in the black bin (trash), where they will decompose in the landfill over time.

Professor Green is our friendly digital assistant, who can answer all of your questions about black/blue/green/brown bins, bulky item disposal, S.A.F.E. Centers, upcoming LASAN events, and more. Simply scan the QR code and a browser will open on your phone. Then choose your language and ask your food waste questions. It’s that easy!

If you don't have (or can't use) a Professor Green QR code, you can use the chat widget on this page OR visit Professor Green's using this link. 

SORT LA is a waste-sorting app that helps residents of the City of Los Angeles sort their trash. If you are confused about where to dispose of an item, you can search for it in the app. SORT LA will tell you what bin to put it in, where to drop it off, or how to call for pickup. The app can also give you helpful tips on how to prepare the item for disposal and even explain why an item is recyclable or compostable (or not!). Please note, if your home isn’t served by LASAN, some information in SORT LA might not apply.

SORT LA is currently available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

You can download the SORT LA app on the App Store or on Google Play. If you prefer not to download an app, you can use this link to access the program right here on our website.

Learn how to sort correctly with our ready-to-use guides.

The following toolkits are available at the bottom of this page, complete with posters and bin labels.

• Parents and Caregivers Toolkit
• Property Owner Toolkit
• Advocacy Toolkit
• Restaurant Toolkit