Why e-waste in Bakersfield is a serious issue
Disposing of a television or an old computer in the San Joaquin Valley requires navigating strict environmental laws. It is not ordinary junk, and handling it incorrectly carries heavy consequences.
Toxic Heavy Metals
California classifies most electronics—especially televisions and monitors with screens over 4 inches—as Covered Electronic Waste (CEW). Older CRT televisions contain up to 8 pounds of lead in the glass to block radiation, while newer flat screens contain mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. If these items are dumped in the regular Bakersfield landfill, the intense summer heat and subsequent winter rains can cause these heavy metals to leach into the Kern County groundwater table. This is why tossing a TV in your black residential bin is strictly illegal.
The Hidden Weight
A common mistake homeowners in Rosedale or Seven Oaks make is attempting to move a 1990s 36-inch Sony Trinitron TV by themselves. CRT televisions carry all their weight in the massive glass tube at the front, making them heavily unbalanced. They routinely weigh over 200 pounds. Attempting to maneuver an unbalanced, 200lb glass box down a staircase is a leading cause of back injuries and dropped-item damage. Our professional junk removal crews come equipped with lifting straps, heavy-duty dollies, and the muscle to move these safely.
The Illegal Dumping Crisis
Because TVs are heavy and illegal to put in the trash, they are frequently the victims of illegal dumping. It is all too common to see a cracked flat screen dumped in an alley in Oildale, behind a strip mall on Ming Avenue, or hidden in the brush along the Kern River Parkway. Not only does this blight our city, but anyone caught dumping e-waste faces severe fines from Kern County Code Enforcement. Hiring Golden Kern ensures your old electronics are transported legally to a certified recycling facility, keeping Bakersfield clean.
We remove all residential and commercial electronics
From a single broken television in a living room to an entire office full of outdated servers in Downtown Bakersfield, we handle all scales of e-waste removal.
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Televisions
These are the deep, heavy, box-style televisions from the 1980s and 90s. Because of the massive leaded-glass vacuum tube inside, they are exceptionally fragile and incredibly heavy. If the glass breaks, the vacuum tube implodes violently, throwing glass shards everywhere and exposing the room to toxic dust. We use extreme care to carry these out of your home intact.
Flat Screen TVs & Monitors
Whether it's a plasma TV that finally burned out, an LCD with a shattered screen, or an old heavy LED monitor taking up space in your garage, we take them all. Even though modern TVs are lighter than CRTs, a 75-inch flat screen is incredibly awkward to move through standard doorways. We handle the maneuvering.
Computers, Laptops & Servers
Old desktop towers, laptops with dead batteries, and network servers contain valuable recyclable materials like gold, copper, and palladium. We haul these to e-waste facilities where they are shredded and the raw commodities are recovered. Note: We do not wipe hard drives. It is your responsibility to destroy or wipe your data before we arrive.
Printers, Copiers & Office Tech
Massive commercial laser printers and photocopiers are incredibly heavy and bulky. When a law firm or real estate office on Truxtun Avenue upgrades their equipment, they frequently call us to haul away the heavy, obsolete copiers, fax machines, and tangles of networking cables.
Bakersfield's free e-waste disposal alternatives
If you only have a single television and you are physically capable of lifting it and driving it across town, you do not have to pay for full-service junk removal. Kern County offers several excellent, free e-waste recycling options for residents.
| Disposal Method | What is required of you | Best used when... |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield Special Waste Facility (4951 Standard St) | You must safely lift the TV, secure it in your vehicle, and drive it to the facility during their operating hours (Mon-Sat, 8 AM–4 PM). Open to Kern County residents only (no commercial businesses). | You have a truck or SUV, you can safely lift the TV yourself, and you want to recycle it completely for free. |
| Roberts Lane Transfer Station (Oildale) | You must haul the TV to the transfer station yourself and wait in line at the scale house. Residential e-waste is typically accepted at no charge. | You are already hauling a mixed load of general trash to the dump and want to drop the TV off at the same time. |
| Kern County Pop-Up Recycling Events | The county occasionally hosts free drop-off events at locations like the Kern County Fairgrounds or local high schools. You must transport the items yourself. | You happen to catch one of these weekend events on the county calendar and have a vehicle large enough for the items. |
| Golden Kern Junk Removal (Full-Service) | Call us. We enter your home or office, lift the heavy 200lb TV, carry it down the stairs, load it, and handle the recycling trip for you. | The TV is too heavy to lift, it's stuck upstairs, you don't own a truck, you have an entire office of computers, or you need it gone today. |
How to prepare your electronics for pickup
Before our crew arrives at your Bakersfield property to remove your old electronics, please take these steps to protect your data and speed up the removal process.
Wipe your hard drives
If we are removing computers, laptops, or tablets, you must ensure all personal data has been securely wiped. If the computer no longer turns on, you can open the case and physically remove the hard drive to keep it safe. We do not provide data destruction services.
Unplug and unmount TVs
If you have a flat screen TV mounted to the wall, please have it unmounted and sitting on the floor prior to our arrival. Our junk removal crews are not insured to perform structural unmounting from drywall or studs. Ensure all power cables are unplugged from the wall.
Bundle your cables
If you are getting rid of a massive tangle of old AV cables, ethernet cords, and power bricks, placing them in a single cardboard box or tying them together with zip ties makes the removal much faster and prevents tripping hazards during the carry-out process.
Common questions about TV and e-waste removal
Can I throw a TV in my normal trash bin in Bakersfield?
No. Under California law, it is illegal to place televisions, computer monitors, or any covered electronic waste (CEW) into your residential trash bins or dumpsters. These items contain toxic heavy metals (like lead and mercury) that poison the groundwater. The city's automated trash trucks will refuse to empty a bin if they see a TV inside, and you may face fines.
Why are old tube TVs so heavy?
Older CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) televisions contain incredibly thick leaded glass. This glass was necessary to shield viewers from the X-ray radiation produced by the internal electron gun that created the image. Because the glass is concentrated at the front of the screen, the TVs are extremely front-heavy. A 36-inch CRT TV can easily weigh over 200 pounds, making it incredibly dangerous to carry down stairs without professional help.
Where can I take my old TV in Bakersfield for free?
Bakersfield residents can take e-waste to the Bakersfield Special Waste Facility at 4951 Standard Street, or to the Roberts Lane Transfer Station in Oildale, at no charge for residential loads. However, you must be physically capable of lifting the TV and transporting it there yourself in your own vehicle.
How much does it cost to have Golden Kern remove my TV?
Our pricing depends entirely on the size and weight of the TV (e.g., a massive 1990s rear-projection TV vs. a thin 32-inch flat screen), the volume it takes up in our truck, and whether we have to navigate a difficult carry-out, such as removing it from a second-floor apartment. Call us at (661) 580-0042 for a free, exact quote.
Do you wipe the hard drives on old computers?
No. As junk haulers, our job is to transport the physical hardware to state-certified e-waste recycling facilities. We do not provide certified data destruction or hard drive wiping services. It is your responsibility to wipe your own hard drives or physically remove them before we haul the computers away.
Do you take broken or shattered flat screens?
Yes. Even if the television is completely shattered or no longer turns on, we will haul it away. The recycling facilities we use are still able to recover the internal circuit boards, copper wiring, and plastics regardless of the condition of the screen.
Can you clear out a commercial office in Bakersfield?
Absolutely. We frequently work with property managers, landlords, and businesses to clear out obsolete technology. Whether you have ten old cubicle computers or a server room full of outdated racks on California Avenue, we provide bulk commercial e-waste hauling.
- Kern County Public Works — Bakersfield Special Waste Facility (E-Waste drop-off)
- Kern County Public Works — Roberts Lane Transfer Station
- California DTSC — Electronic Hazardous Waste (CEW) Regulations
- CalRecycle — Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Program
Local program rules, facility hours, and state environmental regulations can change. Verify time-sensitive details with the linked primary source before attempting self-haul to a county facility.