A public resource guide
Every legitimate way to get rid of furniture, appliances, mattresses, and bulk waste in Oakland, including FREE bulky pickup AND drop-off (4 cu yd each), the two-company waste system (WM + CWS), free curbside motor oil pickup unique to Oakland, SB 1383 mandatory composting, and what to do when paid hauling isn't an option.
Last updated: May 2026 · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
Oakland runs one of the most equitable bulky waste systems in California: all residents, both owners AND renters, single-family homes AND apartments, get FREE bulky item pickup AND free drop-off at the Davis Street Resource Recovery Complex, both included in trash service. Up to 4 cubic yards per appointment, scheduled via 1-888-WM-BULKY. Single-family homes can request a SECOND curbside pickup annually for free 45 days after using one drop-off and one curbside pickup. Oakland has an unusual two-company waste system: Waste Management of Alameda County (WM) handles trash and compost, California Waste Solutions (CWS) handles recycling, batteries, and used motor oil, two separate trucks, same collection day. Composting is MANDATORY under California SB 1383, enforced by Alameda County's StopWaste with fines starting at $50–$100 per inspection up to $500 for continued non-compliance. Free curbside motor oil pickup is unique to Oakland, CWS picks up oil jugs and filter bags next to your blue cart. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
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Oakland residents have free bulky pickup AND free bulky drop-off (both 4 cubic yards, included in trash service for ALL residents including renters), free weekly trash, free weekly recycling, MANDATORY free weekly compost (SB 1383), free curbside used motor oil and filter pickup (unique to Oakland, via CWS), free curbside battery collection (CWS), free Christmas tree pickup (late December-mid January), free Alameda County HHW disposal, and donation pickup programs. Service is provided by a partnership between WM (trash and compost) and CWS (recycling, batteries, oil) under City of Oakland contracts.
Free Bulky Pickup & Drop-Off (1-888-WM-BULKY, all residents)
Free, by appointmentAll Oakland residents, OWNERS and RENTERS, single-family homes AND apartment buildings, are entitled to free bulky item pickup AND free drop-off at Davis Street, both INCLUDED with trash service. Up to 4 cubic yards per appointment for either option. Schedule via 1-888-WM-BULKY (1-888-962-8559) or online at oaklandrecycles.com/bulky-pickup-services.
Eligibility: ALL Oakland residents, owners AND renters, single-family AND apartments. Renters can schedule directly without going through landlord (rule changed November 15, 2021).
Volume per appointment: Up to 4 cubic yards.
Annual entitlement (single-family): One drop-off + one curbside pickup standard. Second curbside pickup FREE 45 days after using one drop-off and one curbside pickup.
Annual entitlement (apartments): One curbside pickup per year (apartments scheduled the last week of each month when demand peaks during move-outs).
Cost: FREE for all Oakland residents. Set-outs over allowed amounts subject to fees ($98.02 each for additional bulky pickups).
How to schedule: Call 1-888-WM-BULKY (1-888-962-8559) or online at oaklandrecycles.com.
Set-out time: By 6:00 AM on appointment day. Do NOT place items more than 1 day before your scheduled date, subject to City fines.
Drop-off location: Davis Street Resource Recovery Complex, 2615 Davis Street, San Leandro. 50 weekday appointments + 100 Saturday appointments per day.
Accepted: Furniture, scrap metal, small consumer electronics, cardboard, extra landscape trimmings, tires, carpets, mattresses, box springs, large appliances, TVs, computer monitors.
NOT accepted: Hazardous or medical waste (use Alameda County HHW Program 1-800-606-6606), rocks/dirt/concrete/fiberglass.
Christmas tree blackout: NO bulky pickups December 27 through January 14, trucks dedicated to Christmas tree collection.
Free Curbside Motor Oil & Filter Pickup (UNIQUE TO OAKLAND)
Free, weeklyCalifornia Waste Solutions (CWS) provides free curbside collection of used motor oil and oil filters. Call 510-OAKLAND (510-625-5263) or email OaklandCS@calwaste.com to request a free oil collection jug and filter bag. This free curbside service is unique to Oakland, most cities require driving to a drop-off facility. CWS picks up the jug and filter bag next to your blue recycling cart on collection day and returns the clean jug.
How to start: Call 510-OAKLAND (510-625-5263) or email OaklandCS@calwaste.com to request a free oil jug and filter bag.
How to set out: Pour used oil into jug, seal it. Place filter in CWS zip-tight bag. On collection day, place jug and filter bag NEXT TO your blue recycling cart at the curb.
CWS service: CWS picks up the items separately from recycling, then returns the clean jug to you.
Frequency: Weekly collection day for recycling.
Cost: Free.
Why this is rare: Most U.S. cities require self-haul to a designated facility for used motor oil. Oakland is one of very few major cities to provide curbside service for this product.
Free Curbside Battery Collection (CWS)
Free, weeklyCWS also collects household batteries at the curb on your regular collection day. Place batteries in a clear plastic bag on top of your recycling cart. Free for Oakland residents.
What's accepted: Household batteries (AAA, AA, C, D, 9-volt, button-cell). Lithium and rechargeable batteries should be taped on terminals to prevent fires.
How to set out: Place in clear plastic bag on top of blue recycling cart on your regular collection day.
Cost: Free.
Mandatory Free Curbside Composting (SB 1383)
Free, mandatoryUnder California SB 1383 (effective January 1, 2022), all Oakland residents must separate food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste from trash and place them in the green compost cart. Alameda County's StopWaste enforces this through the Organics Reduction and Recycling Ordinance (ORRO). Fines start at $50–$100 per inspection and increase up to $500 for continued non-compliance.
What's required: All food scraps (including meat, dairy, bones, shellfish), food-soiled paper, all yard waste in the green cart.
Frequency: Weekly, same day as trash and recycling.
Cost: Free with City service.
Plastic bag rule: NO plastic bags for yard waste, even ones labeled biodegradable. Plastic-bagged yard waste is charged as extra trash.
Enforcement: StopWaste inspections. Fines start at $50-$100 per inspection. Continued non-compliance up to $500 every 60 days.
Help: Visit stopwaste.org for resources and compliance help.
Free Christmas Tree Pickup (Late Dec-Mid Jan)
Free, seasonalWM dedicates dedicated trucks to Christmas tree collection from approximately December 27 through January 14. Trees collected on regular collection day during this window. Strip all decorations, lights, and tinsel. Bulky curbside pickups pause during this window since trucks are dedicated to tree collection.
When: December 27 through January 14 (approximate, verify yearly).
How: Place at curb on regular collection day during the window.
Prep: Remove ALL decorations, lights, tinsel, and stand. Trees over 6 feet should be cut in half.
Cost: Free.
Bulky pickups paused: Bulky curbside appointments are NOT available during this window. Plan accordingly.
Free Alameda County HHW Program
Free for residentsAlameda County HHW Program accepts paint, motor oil (beyond curbside option), pesticides, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and other hazardous waste. Free for Alameda County residents. Call 1-800-606-6606 for current locations and hours.
Phone: 1-800-606-6606.
What's accepted: Paint, motor oil, pesticides, household cleaners, batteries (large quantities), fluorescent bulbs, propane tanks.
Cost: Free for Alameda County residents.
Freemoval (partner-community pickups)
FreeFreemoval is a social impact program that subsidizes free junk removal pickups in partner communities, typically affordable housing properties and select municipal partnerships. Oakland partner expansion is in progress for 2026.
Eligibility: Households in active partner communities. Ask your property manager whether your building participates.
Status in Oakland: Onboarding partner properties throughout 2026.
Donation-pickup programs
FreeOakland-area nonprofits offer free pickup for items in usable condition. The City explicitly recommends checking RE:Source at StopWaste.org for nearby reuse, repair, and recycling options before disposal.
The Salvation Army Oakland: Free pickup of clothing, furniture, household items. Schedule at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.
Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley ReStore: Multiple locations. Free pickup for furniture, appliances, building materials.
Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay: Donation pickup for larger items in the Oakland metro area.
St. Vincent de Paul Alameda County: Free pickup of furniture, clothing, household items for families in need.
RE:Source Guide: Free online guide at resource.stopwaste.org for any item.
Oakland's two-company waste system. Oakland has an unusual residential waste collection arrangement, a partnership between the City of Oakland, Waste Management of Alameda County (WM), and California Waste Solutions (CWS). All three streams (trash, recycling, compost) are collected weekly on the same day, but two different companies send separate trucks: WM handles trash and compost, CWS handles recycling, batteries, and motor oil. This is unusual nationally, most cities use a single hauler for all streams.
Service area. WM and CWS serve the City of Oakland residential addresses. Emeryville, Berkeley, San Leandro, Alameda, and other Alameda County cities have their own waste collection arrangements, this page covers Oakland only. Call 510-OAKLAND (510-625-5263) or visit oaklandrecycles.com to confirm your address receives Oakland Recycles service.
Three-cart system. Every Oakland residential customer (single-family or apartment) receives three carts: gray for trash (WM), blue for recycling (CWS), and green for compost (WM). All three are collected weekly on the same day.
SB 1383 mandatory composting. California state law SB 1383 (effective January 1, 2022) requires all California residents and businesses to divert organic waste from landfills to reduce methane emissions. Alameda County's StopWaste enforces compliance in Oakland through its Organics Reduction and Recycling Ordinance (ORRO). Fines start at $50-$100 per inspection and may increase every 60 days up to $500 for continued non-compliance. Composting is NOT optional in Oakland. Visit stopwaste.org for resources.
Bulky waste appointment requirements. ALL bulky pickups require an appointment scheduled via 1-888-WM-BULKY (1-888-962-8559) or oaklandrecycles.com at LEAST 24 HOURS before your next regular collection day. Items placed at the curb without a confirmed appointment may result in a City fine. Place items at curb by 6:00 AM on appointment day. Do NOT place items more than 1 day before scheduled appointment. Items must be accessible, not blocked by vehicles or other obstacles.
Renters can schedule directly (since November 2021). Before November 15, 2021, only landlords/property managers could schedule bulky pickups. The rule changed: renters in single-family homes and apartments can now schedule bulky pickups directly without going through their landlord. The change was made to "bring equity and inclusion to a program that was always easier for single-family property owners to use", and to reduce illegal dumping in East Oakland and similar neighborhoods disproportionately harmed by it.
Davis Street Resource Recovery Complex. The bulky drop-off location is at 2615 Davis Street, San Leandro, 50 weekday appointments + 100 Saturday appointments are available per day. Free for Oakland residents.
Recycling rules. Single-stream, clean, dry, loose recyclables in the blue cart. NO plastic bags or plastic-bagged recyclables. CWS handles processing.
Used motor oil curbside service is rare. Most U.S. cities require self-haul to a designated facility for used motor oil. Oakland is one of very few major U.S. cities to provide curbside motor oil pickup as part of standard service. The CWS jug-and-filter-bag system handles the contamination risk that prevents most cities from offering this.
Customer service. 510-OAKLAND (510-625-5263) for general questions and CWS (recycling, batteries, oil). 1-888-WM-BULKY (1-888-962-8559) for bulky pickup. oaklandrecycles.com for online appointments. Email: OaklandCS@calwaste.com (CWS).
Oakland's donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (subject to program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
Items typically not accepted: damaged or stained furniture, mattresses with bedbug history or significant wear, appliances that don't work, particle-board furniture in poor condition, cribs (federal safety regulations have changed), and exercise equipment that requires reassembly. Always call before scheduling if you're unsure, pickups that find unacceptable items will leave them behind.
For households who exceed the 4 cubic yard limit per appointment, need same-day pickup, can't wait for an appointment to be scheduled, have items WM and CWS won't accept (HHW, medical waste, large amounts of construction debris), or want full-service in-home pickup, paid options are available. Note: Oakland's combination of free curbside bulky pickup PLUS free Davis Street drop-off PLUS the second-pickup-free annual entitlement for single-family homes means most cleanouts can be handled completely free with planning. Renters now have the same access as homeowners.
LoadUp paid pickup
$80+For households who need same-day or in-home pickup, exceed the 4 cubic yard limit per appointment, can't wait for the next available WM appointment, have items WM/CWS won't accept, or want full-service hauling, LoadUp offers professional removal in Oakland with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What's included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes, crew handles in-home pickup.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
When this beats waiting: Move-outs, real estate timelines, multi-load cleanouts (over 4 cubic yards), HHW (LoadUp can't take, but for non-HHW excess), construction debris.
Other paid services in Oakland: 1-800-Got-Junk, College Hunks Hauling Junk, Junk King, comparison-shop for larger jobs.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book an Oakland pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Additional WM Bulky Pickup ($98.02 each)
$98.02 eachFor Oakland residents who need additional bulky pickups beyond the free annual entitlement (one curbside + one drop-off, plus the second-curbside-free option for single-family homes), WM charges $98.02 per additional bulky curbside pickup.
Cost: $98.02 per additional pickup beyond the free annual entitlement.
How to schedule: Call 1-888-WM-BULKY (1-888-962-8559).
Different items have different rules in Oakland. Here's a quick reference for the most common things people need to dispose of.
Oakland residents have free hazardous waste disposal through the Alameda County HHW Program at 1-800-606-6606. The program accepts paint, motor oil (beyond the curbside option), pesticides, household cleaners, batteries (large quantities), fluorescent bulbs, and propane tanks. Free for Alameda County residents. WM's bulky pickup and Davis Street drop-off do NOT accept hazardous or medical waste. Several retailers also offer ongoing free recycling: Home Depot for batteries and CFL bulbs, AutoZone for motor oil and car batteries (in addition to Oakland's free curbside oil pickup), Best Buy for electronics. The unique value of Oakland's motor oil curbside system is that it eliminates the most common reason people improperly dispose of motor oil, the inconvenience of getting to a drop-off facility.
To report illegal dumping in Oakland, call 510-615-5566 or use the OAK 311 mobile app. Reports can also be filed online at oaklandca.gov. Include the location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible. Oakland actively investigates dumping reports through Public Works, East Oakland is disproportionately harmed by illegal dumping, and Public Works staff cleaned up over 23,000 tons of dumped items in a single year (Oct 2020-Sept 2021). The City's 2021 expansion of free bulky services to renters was specifically designed to combat illegal dumping by removing barriers to legitimate disposal. If you're considering dumping because of cleanout volume, please use the FREE bulky pickup OR free Davis Street drop-off, both are now available to renters directly without going through landlords. For urgent timelines, paid haulers like LoadUp at $80+ are dramatically cheaper than illegal dumping fines under California law.
Is there really free junk removal in Oakland?
Yes, Oakland has one of the most equitable free disposal programs in California. ALL Oakland residents (owners AND renters, single-family AND apartments) get FREE bulky item pickup AND free drop-off at the Davis Street Resource Recovery Complex, both 4 cubic yards each, both included in trash service. Single-family homes can request a SECOND curbside pickup free 45 days after using one drop-off and one curbside pickup. Plus: free curbside motor oil pickup (unique to Oakland, via CWS), free curbside battery collection, free Christmas tree pickup (Dec 27-Jan 14), free Alameda County HHW disposal (1-800-606-6606), and free donation pickup through Salvation Army, Habitat ReStore, Goodwill, and St. Vincent de Paul. Schedule bulky pickup via 1-888-WM-BULKY or oaklandrecycles.com. Renters: you can now schedule directly (since November 2021) without going through your landlord.
I'm a renter, can I really schedule bulky pickup myself?
Yes, this changed November 15, 2021. Before that, only landlords or property managers could schedule bulky pickups, which created barriers for renters and contributed to illegal dumping. The City made the policy change explicitly "to bring equity and inclusion to a program that was always easier for single-family property owners to use." Now any Oakland resident can call 1-888-WM-BULKY or schedule online at oaklandrecycles.com. You don't need to coordinate with your landlord, ask permission, or have an account in your name. The bulky service is paid for by the City's contract with WM and CWS, not by individual residents. Apartment building residents are typically scheduled for the LAST WEEK of each month (when move-out demand peaks).
Why does Oakland have two different waste companies?
Oakland has separate contracts with two companies: Waste Management of Alameda County (WM) handles trash and compost (gray and green carts), while California Waste Solutions (CWS) handles recycling, batteries, and used motor oil (blue cart and curbside special items). Two different trucks come on the same collection day, run by the two different companies. The arrangement is unusual nationally, most cities use a single hauler for all three streams, and reflects Oakland's contracting history. Practically: if you have a problem with recycling, batteries, or motor oil, call CWS at 510-OAKLAND. For trash, compost, or bulky pickup, call WM at 1-888-WM-BULKY. The oaklandrecycles.com website is shared and lets you schedule across both.
Why is curbside motor oil pickup unique to Oakland?
Most U.S. cities require self-haul to a designated facility for used motor oil disposal, the contamination risk if oil spills during regular collection is significant, and most cities don't want the operational complexity of separate handling. Oakland's arrangement with CWS uses a specific contained jug + filter bag system that controls spillage: you pour oil into a sealed CWS-issued jug, place the filter in a CWS-issued zip-tight bag, set both next to (not in) the blue recycling cart on collection day, and CWS picks them up separately and returns the cleaned jug. Call 510-OAKLAND or email OaklandCS@calwaste.com to request the free jug and filter bag. The system removes the most common reason people improperly dispose of motor oil, the inconvenience of getting to a drop-off facility, and helps Oakland's storm drains by keeping oil out of streets.
How do I qualify for Freemoval in Oakland?
Freemoval works through partner communities, typically affordable housing operators, public housing authorities, and select municipal partnerships. We’re actively expanding partnerships in Oakland through 2026. If your property is part of the program, your property manager will provide a booking code. If you operate housing or work in a city department in Oakland, contact us to discuss adding your community.
Can I really compost meat, dairy, and bones in Oakland?
Yes, California SB 1383 (effective January 1, 2022) requires all food scraps to go in the green compost cart, INCLUDING meat, fish, bones, shellfish, and dairy. Oakland's composting facilities are designed to handle these items. Use a paper bag or wrap food scraps in newspaper to keep the bin clean, never plastic bags, even ones labeled biodegradable. Plastic-bagged yard waste or food waste is charged as extra trash. The cart is collected weekly. Putting food scraps in the gray trash cart violates state law, and Alameda County's StopWaste enforces this with fines starting at $50-$100 per inspection and up to $500 for continued non-compliance.
How do I report illegal dumping in Oakland?
Call 510-615-5566 or use the OAK 311 mobile app. Reports can also be filed online at oaklandca.gov. Include location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible. Public Works staff cleaned up over 23,000 tons of dumped items in 2020-2021, the program is well-resourced and responsive.
Is this page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated May 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
Freemoval is actively onboarding Oakland partner properties through 2026. Reach out to prioritize your community.
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