Tan, Gray, or Black Bin (Trash)
All materials must fit entirely inside the tan cart so the lid sits flat. Trash left next to bins or protruding into the street will be bypassed by automated vehicles.
Accepted Items
- ✓Soiled food packaging and wax-lined boxes
- ✓Diapers, sanitary wipes, and bagged pet waste
- ✓Broken ceramics, window panes, and mirror glass
- ✓Plastic bags, bubble wrap, and structural films
- ✓Worn-out shoes, rags, and typical household garbage
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Items must be placed into the blue container loose and completely unbagged. Rinsing food containers clean and dry prevents structural damage to recyclable paper lots.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean glass bottles and jars (all colors)
- ✓Aluminum beverage cans and tin soup cans
- ✓Rigid plastic containers and jugs labeled #1 through #7
- ✓Flattened cardboard shipping boxes and clean paperboard
- ✓Newspapers, magazines, flyers, and white office paper
Do NOT Include
- ✕Loose plastic shopping sacks or stretch wraps
- ✕Polystyrene foam blocks and packaging cups
- ✕Loose shredded paper fragments
- ✕Food-contaminated pizza boxes or greasy grease sheets
- ✕Electronic waste parts and small consumer batteries
Yard Waste Bin
Organic waste must be deposited loose directly into the green container. Do not bundle garden limbs with metallic wire or synthetic ropes, as they damage processing shredders.
Accepted Items
- ✓Fresh lawn clippings and organic thatch
- ✓Dry garden leaves, shrub prunings, and flowers
- ✓Small tree branches under 4 inches thick and 4 feet long
- ✓Household food leftovers, vegetable stems, and coffee grounds
- ✓Meat scraps, bones, and dairy scraps
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
2 pickups per calendar year
Placement
Items must be positioned neatly at the street curb edge by 6:00 AM on your confirmed appointment date. Ensure items do not block active roadway traffic or pedestrian access.
Accepted
- ✓ Large home furniture (sofas, mattresses, tables)
- ✓ Major household appliances (refrigerators with doors taped securely)
- ✓ Consumer electronic waste (television sets, computers)
- ✓ Lawnmowers and yard equipment (gasoline and motor oil drained completely)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Liquid chemicals and commercial hazardous materials
- ✕ Automotive tires, heavy vehicle components, and batteries
- ✕ Loose unbundled renovation demolition debris (concrete, bricks, dirt)
- ✕ Standard household garbage bags stacked loosely
Once a household exhausts their two free annual allocations, additional oversized items can be scheduled directly through the franchise hauler for an extra service fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
When a major observed holiday occurs on a scheduled weekday, the collection route for that day and all remaining pickup days for that week will be delayed by exactly one business day. Normal Friday routing adjustments are serviced on Saturday.
Yard Waste Exception
Green organic waste collections follow the exact same delayed timeline as standard trash and recycling bins during holiday operational cycles.
If an official holiday falls naturally on a Saturday or Sunday, standard Monday through Friday residential collection loops continue without any service delays.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Plastic Bag Wraps Banned from Blue Carts
Flimsy grocery sacks and stretch wrap jam the mechanical rollers at the recovery facility. Keep your blue bin materials loose, and discard flimsy plastic films straight into the primary tan cart.
Route Shredded Paper Fragments Away from Recycling
Loose shredded paper cannot be accurately captured by municipal sorting screens and turns into litter. Dispose of small paper shreds inside your primary tan bin or add them to your home backyard compost.
Filter Prohibited Fibrous Green Waste
Never place heavy tree stumps, stones, dirt clods, or palm fronds inside the green cart. Palm fronds do not break down efficiently in standard regional composting operations and will contaminate the batch.
Seasonal Information
Summer Heat Organic Odor Management
June to SeptemberHigh Central Valley summer temperatures accelerate organic breakdown, causing heavy odors. To manage flies and pests, consider layering kitchen scraps under dry lawn trimmings and keeping your container lids sealed tight.
Autumn Leaf Fall Collections
October to DecemberDuring peak yard maintenance season, ensure extended tree branches do not protrude past the container rim. Materials must be completely contained inside the cart for automated arm functionality.
Post-Holiday Tree Recycling
December to JanuaryNatural Christmas trees are collected curbside starting December 26 for two weeks. Residents must strip away all tinsel, stands, lights, and ornaments. Trees exceeding 6 feet must be sawn completely in half.
About Oildale Waste Management
Unincorporated Waste Systems and Framework in Oildale
As a historic unincorporated census-designated place just north of Bakersfield, Oildale relies on the Kern County Public Works Department to administer its residential refuse programs. Curbside pick-up is carried out by county-authorized private franchise haulers, predominantly Superior Sanitation Services (a Burrtec company). This structured oversight ensures Oildale residents receive consistent weekly roll-out services designed to enhance public health across the oil district and nearby airport corridors while satisfying state recycling mandates.
Navigating the Three-Container Curbside Mandate
Oildale neighborhoods deploy a distinct three-cart collection structure to systematically segregate domestic trash from reusable resources. Residents use a tan or dark gray container for primary landfill waste, a blue cart for dry household recyclables, and a green container dedicated to organic vegetation. To comply fully with California's strict environmental legislation, it is necessary to separate organic material at the source rather than sending compostable remnants to regional landfills.
Proper Automated Cart Placement and Set-Out Manners
To ensure continuous collection via automated mechanical trucks, Oildale householders must place their collection carts at the street curb edge by 6:00 AM on scheduled collection mornings. Bins must stand upright with the lid openings facing the roadway and wheels placed securely against the curb. Maintaining a minimum clear distance of three to four feet from surrounding carts, fences, parked cars, and telephone poles allows mechanical arms to empty bins safely.
Accessing the Local Roberts Lane Transfer Station
For residential cleanup projects that generate volumes exceeding standard container spaces, local residential haulers can directly access the Oildale Transfer Station (also known as the Roberts Lane Transfer Station). This facility exclusively accommodates self-hauled residential trash, sorted green waste, and light bulky waste from local citizens. Bringing domestic waste directly to this localized hub prevents illegal dumping along the valley's rural open space access routes.
Drop-off Facilities
Oildale Transfer Station (Roberts Lane Transfer Station)
1900 Roberts Ln, Bakersfield, CA 93308
Materials Accepted
Kern County Special Waste Facility (Hazardous Waste)
4951 Standard St, Bakersfield, CA 93308
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Who provides residential trash pickup services in Oildale?
Because Oildale is an unincorporated area within Kern County, waste management is overseen by the Kern County Public Works Department. Curbside services are fulfilled via a county franchise agreement by Superior Sanitation Services, which is operated by Burrtec Waste Industries.
Where can Oildale residents safely discard hazardous household items like old paint and motor oil?
Hazardous household products are strictly barred from regular curbside bins. Oildale residents can drop off these materials for free safe disposal at the Kern County Special Waste Facility, located nearby at 4951 Standard Street, open Tuesday through Saturday.
Can I self-haul extra trash bags if my weekly bins are completely full?
Yes. Oildale residents can self-haul residential household waste, clean cardboard, and extra green waste directly to the Roberts Lane Transfer Station located at 1900 Roberts Lane. This facility accepts residential drop-offs daily from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
How do I request a replacement if one of my curbside carts breaks?
If your rolling container suffers damage such as broken wheels or a cracked lid, you should contact Kern County Solid Waste Division at 661-862-8900 or reach out to Burrtec/Superior Sanitation to arrange a container repair or replacement.