Trash & Recycling in Bakersfield, CA (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Bakersfield, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
City-authorized collectors pick up Bakersfield discarded materials on predetermined, regularly scheduled days set by the city manager, and every property must be serviced no less than once per week under BMC § 8.32.140 unless the city manager sets a different frequency by law.
Bakersfield Trash Collection Frequency Rules
Some RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 8.32.140(D), (I)(1)
Any person in the city authorized as a collector shall collect on predetermined, regularly scheduled days as required by the city manager or designee. ... All discarded materials shall be removed from the premises and transported and properly disposed at the applicable approved facilities, all in compliance with applicable sections of this code, no less than once per week, or another frequency ...
Bin Placement Rules
Bakersfield tells every household exactly where to put its trash, recycling and organics carts for pickup: against the alley property line where an alley exists, or within fifty feet of the curb along the driveway where it doesn't, kept at or near ground level.
Bakersfield Garbage Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 8.32.120(A), (B), (C), (E)
A. In those portions of the city where there is an alley abutting the premises, all properly prepared discarded materials shall be placed adjacent to the alley as near as possible to the property line... B. In those portions of the city where there are no alleys, properly prepared discarded materials shall be placed adjoining the private driveway, where feasible, as near the front of the house ...
Bulk Item Disposal
Bulky items and other discarded materials requiring special handling aren't part of Bakersfield's routine weekly pickup. BMC § 8.32.030 classifies them as a 'special collection' billed under a separate fee set in § 3.70.040 and the council's fee resolution.
Bakersfield Bulky Item Special Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 8.32.030(A)-(B)
Whenever any place, premises or use of property has accumulated discarded materials which require special handling or are not prepared in accordance with Section 8.32.130 or which are not regularly collected and charged for under the provisions of this chapter or which have not been regularly collected due to obstruction or other factors impeding pickup during scheduled collection, or which req...
Recycling Requirements
Bakersfield is subject to California's mandatory commercial and residential recycling laws, including AB 341 (mandatory commercial recycling), AB 1826 (mandatory commercial organics recycling), and SB 1383 (statewide organic waste reduction). All residents and businesses must participate in recycling programs.
Bakersfield Mandatory Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsCalRecycle — SB 1383 Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
To reduce methane pollution and other short-lived climate pollutants, California passed SB 1383 (Lara, 2016). The law set targets for 2025: 75% less organic waste sent to landfills. 20% of unsold, still-edible food sent to food recovery organizations... All jurisdictions need to provide organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses, and recycle organic waste... Some food ser...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Every single-family, multifamily, and commercial property owner in Bakersfield must arrange collection service and sort discarded materials into separate solid waste, recyclable materials, and organic materials containers under BMC § 8.32.150, implementing the state's SB 1383 organic-waste diversion mandate at the local level.
Bakersfield Mandatory Organic Waste Separation
Heavy RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 8.32.150(A), (A)(1)
It shall be the duty of every person who is the owner of any single-family, multifamily, or commercial property within the city to make arrangements for the proper collection and disposal of discarded materials generated or accumulated on the premises in accordance with this chapter. It shall be the duty of every generator of discarded materials to participate in discarded materials collection,...
Illegal Dumping
Bakersfield bans dumping any solid waste, recyclables, organic waste, bulky items, or construction debris on public or private property, or in anyone else's discarded materials container, without the owner's permission. BMC § 8.32.090, enforced with fines up to $1,000 or six months in jail under § 8.32.210 and § 1.40.010.
Bakersfield Illegal Dumping Ban and Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 8.32.090
It is unlawful for any person or persons to place, deposit or dump, or cause to be placed, deposited or dumped upon any right-of-way, street or thoroughfare, or upon any public or private property, or on any premises, or in any discarded materials container, without the permission of the owner thereof, of solid waste, recyclable materials, organic waste, bulky items, construction and demolition...
Yard Waste Collection
Bakersfield requires grass clippings in organic-waste carts or cardboard under 50 pounds, and green waste bundled or boxed to strict size limits before the city collector will take it curbside.
Bakersfield Yard Waste and Brush Collection
Some RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 8.32.130(A)(4)-(5)
Grass clippings are to be placed in organic materials containers or cardboard containers, provided such containers do not exceed fifty pounds in weight when served by the collector... Green waste, including shrubbery and brush trimmings, with branches not over one and one-half inches in diameter shall either be securely tied in bundles on both ends not exceeding four feet in length or eighteen ...
Dumpster Rules
Commercial sites in Bakersfield that generate twelve or more cubic yards of trash a day must install a compactor or roll-off box, and every bin has to sit on a four-inch concrete slab, with an enclosure required if the city decides an open dumpster looks unsightly.
Bakersfield Commercial Dumpster Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code §§ 8.32.110(A)(6), 8.32.120(F), (H)
6. If any place, premises, or use of property accumulates or generates twelve or more cubic yards of discarded materials per day, the city manager or designee may require the occupant to provide and install a compactor or roll-off box of sufficient capacity to hold accumulated solid waste, recyclable materials, or organic materials... F. Bins shall be placed on four-inch concrete slabs at grade...
Collection Schedule
Every single-family, multifamily and commercial property owner in Bakersfield must arrange collection through the city's authorized collector; self-hauling requires written city approval first.
Bakersfield Mandatory Trash Collection Service
Some RestrictionsBakersfield Municipal Code § 8.32.150(A)
It shall be the duty of every person who is the owner of any single-family, multifamily, or commercial property within the city to make arrangements for the proper collection and disposal of discarded materials generated or accumulated on the premises in accordance with this chapter. 1. It shall be the duty of every generator of discarded materials to participate in discarded materials collecti...
Looking for Kern County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Bakersfield city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Kern County →