Bakersfield Opens Free Holiday Grease Drop-Offs
Households are asked to take cooking grease to one of three city sites instead of pouring it down the sink.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Home Cleaning
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Do you plan to drop off your cooking grease at a collection site this season?
The City of Bakersfield has opened three holiday grease drop-off locations for the season. Residents are urged not to pour cooking grease down residential sink drains, and the drop-offs are free of charge.
Why it matters
Cooking grease poured down household drains can clog sewer lines and cause backups, which means repair bills and messy cleanups for homeowners and renters alike. Opening free collection sites over the holidays gives Bakersfield households a simple alternative when kitchens are busiest.
Three grease collection locations are open, and drop-offs are free of charge. Hours run 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the city's site closed on Nov. 11, Nov. 26-27, Dec. 24-25, Dec. 31, and Jan. 1, 2027.
The players
City of Bakersfield
The municipal government that operates the city's wastewater system and announced the holiday grease drop-off sites for Bakersfield households.
North of the River Sanitary District
A local sanitation district whose main office at 201 Universe Ave. serves as one of the grease collection sites.
Kern UCO
A grease collection site at 3810 Ethyl St. that accepts used cooking oil and grease from the public.
The details
Cooking grease that cools inside pipes hardens and sticks to pipe walls, catching food scraps and other debris until a clog forms. Sites at the city's wastewater treatment plant on McCutchen Road, the North of the River Sanitary District office on Universe Avenue, and Kern UCO on Ethyl Street accept the grease. Holding used grease in a sealed container and dropping it off keeps it out of the sewer system entirely.
Timeline
Nov. 2, 2026: City announces grease drop-off locations open for the holiday season.
Nov. 11, 2026: City's grease drop-off location closed.
Nov. 26-27, 2026: City's grease drop-off location closed for Thanksgiving.
Dec. 24-25, 2026: City's grease drop-off location closed for Christmas.
Dec. 31, 2026: City's grease drop-off location closed.
The Home Front
Municipal fats, oils and grease control programs across California aim to reduce sewer clogs and overflows by giving households a place to take used cooking grease. Bakersfield's holiday drop-offs follow that established approach, offering free disposal as an alternative to sink drains.
Pour cooled cooking grease into a sealed container, such as an old jar or can, and take it to one of the three open drop-off sites during posted hours. Avoid closure days, which include Thanksgiving week and Christmas, and plan the trip around the 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday-through-Friday schedule.
The takeaway
Keeping grease out of the drain is one of the cheapest ways to avoid a plumbing backup during the holidays. Save a sealed container for used grease and drop it off at a city site instead of the sink.
Further reading
For more ways to keep kitchen messes out of the plumbing, browse our Home Cleaning coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KGET 17.
Live Poll
Do you plan to drop off your cooking grease at a collection site this season?
