Quick answer
Mixed leftovers from our jobs go to Davis Street, electronics to certified recyclers, and qualifying furniture or mattresses to donation or recovery facilities. We handle the loading and each destination's requirements. Excluded paint, chemicals, batteries, and propane go to the HHW facility at 2100 East 7th Street, which is free for Alameda County residents.
Please note: Facility hours, fees, and acceptance rules can change. Our crew confirms the appropriate route for haulable items; residents should confirm current HHW requirements for excluded hazardous products.
Transfer Station & General Disposal
Davis Street Transfer Station in San Leandro processes mixed general waste, debris, and eligible bulky items. We bring the job's mixed leftovers here after separating donation items and recycling, so the gate queue and unloading aren't your problem.
| Facility | Address & phone | Hours | Accepts | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davis Street Transfer Station (WM) | 2615 Davis St, San Leandro, CA 94577 510-638-2303 | Mon–Fri 7 AM–5 PM Sat 8 AM–4 PM Sun closed | General junk/trash, construction & demolition debris, appliances, e-waste, green/yard waste, reusable goods, mattresses | Gate fees by weight/volume; mattress recovery has condition and item-type limits |
Household Hazardous Waste & E-Waste
Paint, chemicals, loose batteries, and propane cannot go in our truck or ordinary trash. Alameda County residents can take these excluded hazardous products to the free HHW facility at 2100 East 7th Street. Electronics are different: we collect those and take them to certified e-waste processors.
| Facility | Address | Hours | Cost & requirements | Accepts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste Facility | 2100 East 7th Street, Oakland StopWaste.org/hhw or 1-800-606-6606 | Wed–Fri 9 AM–2:30 PM Sat 9 AM–4 PM Closed Sun–Tue | FREE for Alameda County residents, no appointment needed. Bring valid ID showing an Alameda County address. | Excluded HHW: paint, solvents, pesticides, motor oil, antifreeze, propane tanks, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and mercury thermometers |
More detail on what qualifies as hazardous and what doesn't is in our Oakland household hazardous waste guide, and for computers, TVs, and monitors specifically, see e-waste disposal in Oakland.
The TVs we collect are taken to certified e-waste processors, separate from ordinary waste. See TV recycling guide for Oakland for details.
Mattress Recycling
Davis Street participates in Bye Bye Mattress recovery for qualifying mattresses and box springs. Recovery has condition and item-type limits. We take eligible mattresses for recovery here and arrange another appropriate disposal route for excluded pieces.
Not accepted: wet, severely damaged, or bed-bug-infested mattresses, mattress toppers, futons, sofa-bed mattresses, crib mattresses, and air mattresses.
Recycled mattresses are broken down into carpet padding, steel, insulation, and mulch. For the full walkthrough, read how to dispose of a mattress in Oakland.
Appliances & Refrigerators (Freon)
Refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioning units contain freon, and the refrigerant must be recovered by an EPA Section 608–certified technician before the unit can be disposed of. That's the step most people don't realize is required.
- Davis Street Transfer Station processes eligible appliances with acceptance and refrigerant-handling requirements. We check the unit's processing requirements before bringing it in, including certified refrigerant recovery when needed.
- PG&E has historically operated appliance recycling programs with working-condition, size, and availability restrictions. We can collect a broken appliance even when it doesn't meet a utility program's eligibility rules.
See our full appliance and e-waste disposal guide for details.
Free City Bulky-Item Pickup
Oakland Recycles' bulky collection is curbside only, capped, and appointment-based with waits that can run weeks. It does not carry items out of homes or handle every material. Our collection starts inside the home and includes routing the load to its appropriate destinations, rather than leaving the transport to you.
- Covers up to roughly 4 cubic yards per appointment.
- Accepts furniture, mattresses, large appliances, electronics, tires, and carpet.
- Appointment limits. Waits may run weeks and indoor carry-out is not included. We can discuss the next open truck slot instead of tying your clear-out to a city appointment.
Our city-program guide explains coverage and limits rather than booking steps. We collect indoor and larger loads, then separate donation items, recyclables, and mixed waste. See Oakland bulky pickup and junk disposal guide for details.
Donation & Reuse (Free or Low-Cost Pickup)
Donation centers accept qualifying usable furniture and goods, but condition rules, access limits, and pickup waits prevent guaranteed acceptance. We check the furniture in your load against those acceptance rules and arrange recycling or disposal for pieces that can't be reused. These organizations illustrate reuse destinations and their limits:
| Organization | Takes | Acceptance limits |
|---|---|---|
| Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley ReStore | Furniture & building materials | Qualifying condition and demand; our crew handles donation routing |
| Goodwill | Furniture & household goods | Condition and item restrictions; our crew handles transport |
| Salvation Army Family Store | Furniture & household goods | Pickup waits and condition rules; we remove furniture from the home |
| East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse | Small furniture, décor, household goods | Small-item focus; larger-item acceptance limited |
| Uhuru Furniture & Collectibles (Oakland) | Furniture donations | Current demand and condition rules apply |
When to Just Hire a Hauler
We collect the load and deal with its destinations, including the loading and facility trips. That saves a lot of coordination when:
- You can't wait for an appointment and need it gone today.
- You don't have a truck.
- Items are heavy, upstairs, or still inside the house.
- The load exceeds the ~4 cubic yard free pickup limit.
- You have a mixed load that would otherwise mean several separate trips.
Pricing is volume-based and quoted upfront: a single item starts from $150, a partial load is $250, and a full truck is $500+. See our full pricing breakdown.