Santa Ana, CA Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Size cap
- 8 ft long, 4 ft wide, under 150 lbs
- Green waste cap
- Up to 20-30 gallon bags
- Excluded items
- Car bodies, tires, C&D debris
- Handling limit
- No more than 2 people to remove
- Cart requirement
- Waived for bulky items (§ 16-31(d))
Summary
Santa Ana's solid waste ordinance defines bulky items, furniture, mattresses, major appliances, up to 30-gallon bags of green waste and electronics, as material too large for a cart, capped at eight feet long, four feet wide or 150 pounds, and removable by no more than two people. Section 16-31 exempts properly placed bulky items from the usual cart-only collection rule.
Bulky items shall mean solid waste that cannot and/or would not typically be accommodated within a container, including specifically: furniture (including chairs, sofas, mattresses, and rugs); appliances (...commonly known as "white goods"); up to twenty (20), thirty (30) gallon bags of green waste (including wood waste, tree branches, scrap wood); and electronic equipment (...commonly known as "brown goods" and "e-waste"). Bulky items do not include car bodies, tires, construction and demolition solid waste or items requiring more than two persons to remove. Other items not specifically included or excluded above will be collected provided that they are not more than eight feet in length, four feet in width, or more than one hundred fifty (150) pounds. ... Large, bulky items, such as furniture and household equipment, shall be considered bulky items which shall be disposed of as such. ... The aforementioned requirements to place discarded materials in the appropriate carts shall not apply to Christmas trees, uncontainerized service, or bulky items properly placed for collection.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32).
Full Breakdown
Section 16-29 defines bulky items to include furniture such as chairs, sofas, mattresses and rugs; major appliances ("white goods") like refrigerators, ranges, washers, dryers and water heaters; up to twenty or thirty-gallon bags of green waste including wood waste, tree branches and scrap wood; and electronics ("brown goods"/"e-waste") such as televisions, computers and microwaves. The definition specifically excludes car bodies, tires, construction and demolition debris, and any item that needs more than two people to remove. Anything not named in the list still qualifies as a bulky item if it is no more than eight feet long, four feet wide, and under 150 pounds.
Under Section 16-31(c) and (d), large bulky items such as furniture and household equipment are treated as bulky items rather than ordinary cart waste, and the article's general requirement that discarded materials go into the assigned gray, blue or green cart does not apply to bulky items that are properly placed for collection, nor to Christmas trees or uncontainerized yard-waste service. If bulky material instead accumulates on a property in a way that is detrimental to public health or safety, it can separately trigger the unlawful-accumulation misdemeanor under Section 16-32.
Violations & Fines
Bulky items that meet the Section 16-29 size and weight limits and are properly set out do not need to go in a cart, per Section 16-31(d). Items that exceed the eight-foot, four-foot or 150-pound caps, or that fall on the excluded list such as tires, car bodies or construction debris, are not covered by curbside bulky-item collection and cannot simply be left at the curb. Letting bulky waste pile up on a property to the point it is detrimental to public health or safety, or creates unsightly or insanitary conditions, is a separate misdemeanor and a public nuisance under Section 16-32, abatable by the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Santa Ana pick up mattresses and furniture at the curb?
What size limit applies to a bulky item Santa Ana will collect?
Do bulky items have to go inside my trash cart?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Ana
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Ana to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Bulk Item Disposal in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle bulk item disposal.