The short answer
For more yard waste than your green bin holds, many LA and Orange County cities let you put cut and bundled branches or extra bags out on a bulky pickup, often tied in bundles about 4 feet long. Big limbs, trunks and stumps are often excluded. For those, or for a whole backyard's worth, take it to a green waste drop-off or hire a hauler.
Want it handled for you? See our yard waste removal service.
1. Bundle it for a bulky pickup (LA County)
Branches go on a bulky pickup only if you cut and tie them to the program's size. Loose piles get left behind. The rules vary by a foot or two:
- Downey: bundled yard trimmings up to 4 ft long and 2 ft in diameter.
- Lomita and Pomona (Athens Services): branches cut and tied in bundles no longer than 4 ft.
- Culver City: trimmings bundled no more than 4 inches in diameter and 5 ft long.
- Commerce (Athens Services): wood and branch bundles up to 6 ft and under 50 lb.
- La Cañada Flintridge: green waste must be bundled or tied, not bagged.
- Irwindale: bundled branches and bagged leaves on its two citywide clean-up days a year.
- East LA, Florence-Firestone and Lennox (County Garbage Disposal Districts): green waste in unlimited quantities, once a week on request, at no charge.
More on this: bulky pickup rules for LA and OC cities · Downey bulky pickups · East LA bulky and green waste pickup
Sources: City of Downey: Bulky Item Pick-ups; City of Lomita: Recycling & Waste Collection; Athens Services: Pomona Residential Welcome Packet; City of Culver City: Bulky Items; City of Commerce: Residential Trash & Recycling Collection; City of La Cañada Flintridge: Bulky Item Pickup; City of Irwindale: Trash & Recycling; LA County Public Works: GDD Service Features; LA County Public Works: Garbage Disposal District Service Features, checked Nov 2026
What LA County programs won't take
Large wood is the common exclusion. Pasadena excludes large tree limbs and tree stumps. Lakewood excludes whole tree trunks and large limbs. Glendale doesn't take yard trimmings on bulky pickup at all, and Walnut excludes rocks, sod and dirt. If you just had a tree taken down, plan on a drop-off or a hauler for the trunk.
More on this: Pasadena bulky pickup
Sources: City of Pasadena: Residential Recycling and Refuse Services; City of Lakewood: Bulky Item Pickup; City of Glendale: Bulky Item Pickup; City of Walnut: Annual Bulky Item Pickup, checked Nov 2026
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Extra yard waste pickup in Orange County
Several OC cities let you swap a bulky pickup for bags of yard waste:
- Santa Ana (Republic Services): each of your 4 pickups can be twenty 30-gallon bags of yard waste instead of 4 items.
- Mission Viejo (WM) and Rancho Santa Margarita (CR&R): up to 20 bags of yard or green waste per pickup.
- La Habra (CR&R): up to 20 bags or bundles of yard waste per pickup, each under 50 lb.
- Laguna Niguel (CR&R): excess green waste can be scheduled as a bulky pickup.
- Fountain Valley (Republic Services): palm fronds and trimmings in bundles up to 4 ft and 40 lb.
- Costa Mesa Sanitary District: yard debris and wood are limited to 1 cubic yard per pickup.
More on this: La Habra bulky item collection · Laguna Niguel pickup rules
Sources: City of Santa Ana: Bulky Item Pickup; City of Mission Viejo: Recycling for Residents; City of Rancho Santa Margarita: Residential Collection Services; City of La Habra: Bulky Item Collection; City of Laguna Niguel: Trash and Recycling Information; City of Fountain Valley: Bulky Items; Costa Mesa Sanitary District: Large Item Collection, checked Nov 2026
2. Take it to a green waste drop-off
Sites that take green waste want it clean, meaning no dirt, rock or trash mixed in. Facilities whose pages list green waste:
- Scholl Canyon Landfill, Glendale: green waste from its wasteshed only, which covers Glendale, Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre, La Cañada Flintridge and Altadena.
- Sunshine Canyon Landfill, Sylmar: clean tree and lawn clippings, leaves and brush.
- Puente Hills MRF (City of Industry), Athens Irwindale MRF and DART (Downey): all list green waste and take self-haul loads.
- Crown Recycling Services, Sun Valley, and California Waste Services Downtown LA: both list green waste.
- Republic Services Huntington Beach Transfer Station: takes landscape debris and green waste. Savage Canyon Landfill in Whittier does not take green waste.
More on this: green waste drop-off sites · Scholl Canyon Landfill rules · Athens Irwindale MRF
Sources: LA County Sanitation Districts: Scholl Canyon Landfill; Sunshine Canyon Landfill: Drop-Off Information; LA County Sanitation Districts: Puente Hills MRF; Athens Services: Irwindale MRF; Athens Services: DART; Athens Services: Crown Recycling Services; California Waste Services: Los Angeles; City of Huntington Beach: Trash & Recycling; City of Whittier: Landfill Services, checked Nov 2026
3. Give away firewood and mulch
Split rounds from a hardwood tree, wood chips and clean mulch are things neighbors and gardeners pick up for free. Post them on a neighborhood app with a photo and leave them on your property, not the sidewalk.
4. Hire a yard waste hauler
Bundling a whole tree's worth of branches into 4-foot pieces takes hours, and the curb pickup still won't take the trunk. A hauler takes it as it lies.
Roa Solution Junk Removal hauls branches and tree trimmings, bagged or loose green waste, wood piles, old fencing, patio furniture and the overflow from a full yard bin. The crew carries it out of the backyard or side yard, loads it and cleans up after. Same-day or next-day pickup depending on availability. Dirt, rock and concrete are heavy, so send photos for those.
Pricing starts at $190. Text photos of the pile to (562) 219-9266.
More on this: our yard waste removal service
What it usually costs
Bundled pickups are free within your city's allowance. Drop-off sites charge by weight, and Sunshine Canyon, California Waste Services and the Huntington Beach Transfer Station all charge a one-ton minimum. A hauler prices by how much of the truck the pile fills and how far it has to be carried. Pricing starts at $190; a few bags take a sliver of the truck, while a backyard full of limbs takes much more.
More on this: how pricing by truck space works
Sources: Sunshine Canyon Landfill: Drop-Off Information; California Waste Services: Los Angeles; City of Huntington Beach: Trash & Recycling, checked Nov 2026
Sources
- City of Downey: Bulky Item Pick-ups
- City of Lomita: Recycling & Waste Collection
- Athens Services: Pomona Residential Welcome Packet
- City of Culver City: Bulky Items
- City of Commerce: Residential Trash & Recycling Collection
- City of La Cañada Flintridge: Bulky Item Pickup
- City of Irwindale: Trash & Recycling
- LA County Public Works: GDD Service Features
- LA County Public Works: Garbage Disposal District Service Features
- City of Pasadena: Residential Recycling and Refuse Services
- City of Lakewood: Bulky Item Pickup
- City of Glendale: Bulky Item Pickup
- City of Walnut: Annual Bulky Item Pickup
- City of Santa Ana: Bulky Item Pickup
- City of Mission Viejo: Recycling for Residents
- City of Rancho Santa Margarita: Residential Collection Services
- City of La Habra: Bulky Item Collection
- City of Laguna Niguel: Trash and Recycling Information
- City of Fountain Valley: Bulky Items
- Costa Mesa Sanitary District: Large Item Collection
- LA County Sanitation Districts: Scholl Canyon Landfill
- Sunshine Canyon Landfill: Drop-Off Information
- LA County Sanitation Districts: Puente Hills MRF
- Athens Services: Irwindale MRF
- Athens Services: DART
- Athens Services: Crown Recycling Services
- City of Huntington Beach: Trash & Recycling
- City of Whittier: Landfill Services
- California Waste Services: Los Angeles
Rules change. Check the city or county page before you rely on a limit, fee or date.