The Public Works Department oversees all commercial waste collection and recycling services while residential waste collection services are administered by the Costa Mesa Sanitary District.

The City uses a non-exclusive franchise system to manage trash and recycling service to multi-family (5 or more units) and business properties, as well as any for-hire hauling of temporary waste collection containers from construction and demolition projects.

The City also has a permit system that allows contractors to self-haul the waste generated by their primary business activity (i.e. roofing, land grading, etc.). Both the commercial non-exclusive franchise and the contractor self-haul permit system provide competition to keep collection service rates among the lowest in the County.