Homeowners & Residents
Deposit organic materials in your household green container for composting & recovery.
Organic materials, sometimes called organics or organic waste, mean solid waste items containing material originating from living organisms. Organic materials like yard debris and food scraps should be separated from the garbage and placed into your curbside green containers for the franchise hauler to pick up. Alternatively, you may choose to self-haul organics to a permitted facility in Kern County. Learn several tips and tricks on reducing food waste in your home by clicking here.
Here are some examples of organic wastes that may be generated at your home:
- 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
- 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
- Food-soiled paper such as paper towels, napkins, cardboard, and delivery pizza boxes
Organic Materials that Should Not Be Placed in Your Household Green Container
It is very important to segregate your household organic items, recyclables, and general trash into the correct container to avoid contamination.
These items should not be deposited into green containers at this time and should rather be placed in your tan/gray container – household animal and pet waste, bamboo, palm fronds, yucca, oleander, lawn dirt, rocks, diapers, foam, food wrappers, and film plastics.
Organic Materials that Should Be Placed in Your Household Blue Container
Items such as glass, plastics, clean paper, jars, cardboard, aluminum, tin, copy paper, envelopes, folders, calendars, notebooks, other miscellaneous paper products, shipping boxes, and other miscellaneous recyclables should be placed in your blue container and not thrown into your green or tan/gray container.
If you have questions, please call your local franchise hauler for specifics on blue container items.
A Residential Guide to Sorting Waste with the 3-Container System
Learn how you can Put Waste In Its Place - find out what goes in your green container, blue container, gray container, and what doesn't belong in your residential containers. Learn more today!