Self-Hauling

The following information will provide guidance for residents in areas subject to SB 1383 who have been approved by CalRecycle to self-haul their organic waste. California has implemented statewide organic waste recycling regulations to reduce emissions of methane from organic wastes in landfills. Residents within these self-haul areas are required to properly source separate household wastes, recyclables, and organic waste. Here is what you need to know about self-hauling your organic wastes.

Residents may dispose of their wastes using any of the following methods:

a) Disposal at a County Waste Facility

All three waste types—household wastes, recyclables, and organic waste—may be taken to a County waste facility. When visiting a Kern County transfer station or landfill, residents should arrive with their materials already source separated so they can be easily placed into the appropriate recycling bins or designated stockpiles on site. Separating waste at home will make unloading quicker and more efficient.

All residents are required to stop at the designated organics drop-off areas and place organic materials into the appropriate stockpile or container. There are no disposal fees for residential household wastes or organic waste at County waste facilities. When visiting a transfer station or landfill you can expect the following process:

On-site instructions:

• Check in at the gatehouse upon arrival and proceed into the transfer station or landfill.
• Follow posted signage and staff directions for where to unload each type of waste. 

Green container organics:

• Place food waste and food-soiled paper into the designated organics stockpile.
• Place grass, leaves, manure, yard waste, and wood waste into the designated organics stockpile.

Blue container organics:

• Place paper, newspapers, envelopes, and books into the designated recycling bin.
• Place cardboard and shipping boxes into the designated recycling bin.

Remaining waste:

• Dispose of all remaining household waste on the designated dumping pad as directed by County staff.

For more information about the various recycling and disposal facilities operated by the County, visit Disposal Sites.

b) County Disposal, Local Recycling, and Backyard Composting
Residents may dispose of household waste at a County waste facility, take recyclables to a local recycling center, and backyard compost organics at home. There is no fee for this option.

c) Franchise Hauler Services
Residents may choose to use a franchise hauler for waste collection and may choose any one or more of the three available services. Options include:

• Household waste cart service while taking recyclables to a local recycler and backyard compost organics at home
• Subscribe to a two-cart service OR a three-cart service
• Any combination of the above services

For more information on trash collection services, rates, and trash collection service providers in your area, visit Trash Collection.

d) Assistance from a Neighbor or Relative
Residents can enlist the help of a neighbor or relative to haul any waste stream on their behalf, provided the person hauling the waste is not paid. Only the authorized franchise hauler for your area may be paid to collect trash under their franchise agreement.

A Non-Property Owner Affidavit must be completed for this option, which can be found here: Affidavit Form. There is no charge to either the property owner or the individual hauling the waste.

Important Reminder
Organic wastes are prohibited from being placed in any curbside waste container collected from your residence if you have trash collection service.

Whether you choose to self-haul, use a local franchise hauler, or backyard compost; the items listed below show which container to use when disposing of your waste:

Blue container organics include:

• cardboard, clean paper, copy paper, envelopes, folders, calendars, notebooks, shipping boxes, and other miscellaneous paper products

Green container organics include:

• food and food scraps such as fruits, vegetables, meat, bones, seafood, eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds, paper filters, dairy products, leftovers, bread, grains, and miscellaneous scraps and peelings
• food-soiled paper such as paper towels, napkins, and pizza boxes
• plant material such as grass clippings, flowers, leaves, branches, yard prunings, twigs, stumps, leaves, hedge trimmings, weeds, manure, home garden residues, wood, and other miscellaneous organic materials

Separating Wastes at Home
Sorting wastes at your home is generally easy to accomplish. Many people utilize a three-container approach, with containers placed either in their kitchen, common area, garage, or patio. Depending on how much waste your household generates, you may elect to go with any size container that fits your needs and the space limitations in your home. Many home improvement stores and local vendors offer a variety of sizes from 20 gallons to 55 gallons to meet your needs. It is also best practice to label your containers appropriately. The recommendation is to have a container designated for each type of waste stream you generate:

• a container for blue container organics, as listed above
• a container for green container organics, as listed above
• a container for household trash that does not belong in other containers

Self-Hauling

New Self-Haul Areas Established

Effective March 1, 2026, the self-haul program is established for the following areas:

Organic Waste Kitchen Pail and Backyard Composting Bin Distribution Events

Kern County Public Works will be offering complimentary kitchen pails and backyard composting bins to residents in newly established self-haul areas. Residents who live within these areas and are interested in receiving these items may email organics@kerncounty.com or call 661-862-8900 to have their name added to the distribution list.

Upcoming Events

Residents in the newly established self-haul areas may also view the presentations delivered by Kern County Public Works at the public information meetings held in November and December 2025.

Public Informational Meeting Presentations

Current Self-Haul Areas

The following self-haul areas were established on May 1, 2025 :

Additional Resources 

Kern County Public Works, Organics - https://www.kernpublicworks.com/organics

Learn about the importance of organics recycling by browsing the SB 1383 Organics Recycling webpages. Click on the Homeowners & Residents page to learn more about organics wastes that you may generate in your household. You can watch the short 3-minute Residential Recycling video for a quick tutorial and some ideas on separating your waste.

CalRecycle – https://calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp

Senate Bill 1383 requires all residents to separate their organic wastes from the trash and requires organic waste to be recovered, recycled, or composted. Organics like food scraps, yard trimmings, paper, and cardboard make up half of what Californians dump in landfills. Reducing organic waste from entering local landfills will have the fastest impact on the climate crisis.