The City of Long Beach is moving forward with the next stage of its organic waste collection program, a citywide effort to reduce landfill waste and align with state climate goals. Beginning this month, households with Monday trash pickup will receive green trash bins for food scraps and yard waste.
Since the program first launched in October 2024, nearly 8,000 households have participated, successfully diverting over 900 tons of organic material from landfills.
The City will continue the rollout through October 2025, gradually giving green bins to all homes served by Long Beach Refuse. Neighborhoods with Tuesday and Wednesday trash pickup areas will get their green bins in August, followed by neighborhoods with Thursday and Friday trash pickups in October.
Informational materials will be mailed in English and Spanish to every household that receives a green bin. Additional language resources in Khmer and Tagalog will be available online and upon request.
Routine checks by City workers will help ensure materials are sorted correctly and identify any contamination issues.
To better match each household’s needs, the City has established a process to adjust cart sizes. Residents are asked to try their cart for at least two weeks before requesting a size change. Requests can be submitted at lbcity.info/CartSupport or by calling 562-570-2876. Size adjustments are limited to once every six months, and staff will perform follow-up visits after downsizing to confirm the new cart is working effectively.
The City will also phase out the purple recycling carts and replace them with standardized blue carts to comply with new state color requirements. Details about the recycling cart exchange will be shared in early 2026.
Long Beach began a commercial food scraps collection program in 2021, which expanded citywide by 2023.
In March 2025, the City Council voted to increase solid waste service rates. Residents who have started using their green bins will see their bills go up starting Aug. 1. Those still waiting to receive their green bin will not be billed until service begins. Details on current rates can be found at lbcity.info/CollectionRates.
Some multifamily properties may already have organic service through private haulers. More information about these providers is available on the City’s website.
To learn more about the Residential Organics Collection Program, visit longbeach.gov/lbrecycles.
