A public resource guide
Every legitimate way to get rid of furniture, appliances, mattresses, and bulk waste in Boston, including free curbside bulk pickup via BOS:311, mandatory special collection for Freon and CRT items under MA state law, the 400 Frontage Road transfer station, the Patriots' Day delay, and what to do when paid hauling isn't an option.
Last updated: May 2026 · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
Boston offers free curbside bulk pickup through BOS:311 for residential properties, furniture goes out with regular trash, while appliances and mattresses must be scheduled. Massachusetts state law (the MassDEP waste bans) makes special collection mandatory for Freon-containing appliances and CRT electronics, you can't throw them in the trash. Boston also has the unique Patriots' Day collection delay in April that catches transplants off guard, and as of November 2022, clothing and textiles are banned from curbside trash statewide. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
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Boston residents have free curbside bulk pickup through BOS:311 (furniture goes out with regular trash, appliances/mattresses by appointment), free curbside textile collection (mandatory under MA law), the 400 Frontage Road transfer station for self-haul, Project Oscar community compost bins at 20+ locations, and donation pickup programs. The City of Boston Public Works Department serves over 230,000 residential properties across 23 neighborhoods, currently contracted to Capitol Waste Services under a 5-year agreement that began in 2024.
Curbside bulk pickup (furniture & mattresses)
Free with serviceBoston offers free curbside bulk item pickup for residential properties. Furniture (couches, dressers, tables, chairs, bookshelves) can be put out with your normal curbside trash on your scheduled collection day, no appointment needed. Mattresses and box springs require advance scheduling through BOS:311.
Eligibility: Residential properties served by City of Boston Public Works.
Furniture rule: No appointment needed. Place at curb by 6 AM on your regular trash collection day. Set out after 5 PM the night before.
Mattress rule: Must be scheduled. Call 311 (617-635-4500) or use the Trash Day app to request pickup.
Set-out window: After 5 PM the night before or by 6 AM on collection day. In neighborhoods with strict code enforcement (like the South End), bring carts in by end of collection day to avoid violations.
NOT accepted: Construction and demolition debris is NOT collected curbside. Tires not accepted.
Special Collection (Freon & CRT items)
Free, by appointmentMassachusetts state law prohibits throwing items containing Freons and Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) in the trash. Boston provides FREE special collection of refrigerators, freezers, AC units, dehumidifiers (Freon items), and TVs, computer monitors, and laptops with CRTs (CRT items). This is mandatory, you cannot legally put these items in regular trash.
What requires special collection: Freon-containing: refrigerators, freezers, AC units, dehumidifiers. CRT-containing: TVs, computer monitors, older laptops.
How to schedule: Call 311 (617-635-4500) or use the Trash Day app.
Refrigerator/freezer prep: Will not be collected if there is food inside or the door is attached. Empty completely and remove door before set-out.
Set-out time: Place item where trash is typically placed by 6 AM on appointment day or after 5 PM the night before. Items must be in publicly accessible space, not on private property.
Cost: Free for Boston residents.
Curbside textile collection (mandatory)
Free, by appointmentAs of November 1, 2022, Boston no longer accepts clothing and textiles in curbside trash, in compliance with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's waste ban policy. Donate at one of the City's drop-off locations or schedule free curbside textile collection.
What's accepted: Clothing, shoes, accessories, linens, towels, curtains, fabric scraps. Items don't need to be in good condition, even worn or damaged textiles get recycled.
How to schedule: Through BOS:311 or the Trash Day app. Pack in clear plastic bags.
Why it matters: MA state law bans textiles from regular trash, this is enforceable.
400 Frontage Road Transfer Station
Tipping feesBoston residents can self-haul materials to the 400 Frontage Road transfer station Monday-Saturday, 7:00 AM-5:00 PM. Resident ID required. Useful for items beyond what curbside handles, large cleanouts, or when you can't wait.
Address: 400 Frontage Road, Boston, MA.
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 7:00 AM-5:00 PM.
What you need: Boston resident ID required.
Cost: $35 per cubic yard, $10 minimum charge.
Project Oscar community compost (20+ locations)
Free citywideBoston's Project Oscar provides 24-hour community compost drop-off bins at 20+ locations citywide. The city does NOT collect curbside food waste from residential buildings with more than 6 units, so Project Oscar fills the gap. Black Earth Compost processes the food waste collected.
What's accepted: Food scraps (fruits, vegetables, meat, bones, dairy), food-soiled paper.
Where: 20+ smart bins citywide. Find locations at boston.gov/zero-waste.
Hours: 24 hours a day.
Why it exists: Boston doesn't collect curbside food waste from buildings with 6+ units, Project Oscar provides access for those 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. Boston partner expansion is in progress for 2026.
Eligibility: Households in active partner communities. Ask your property manager whether your building participates.
Status in Boston: Onboarding partner properties throughout 2026.
Donation-pickup programs
FreeBoston-area nonprofits offer free pickup for items in usable condition.
The Salvation Army: Free pickup of clothing, furniture, household items. Schedule at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Boston-area locations. Pickup for furniture, appliances, building materials.
Goodwill of Greater Boston: Donation pickup for larger items in the Boston metro area.
Address-specific schedules. Boston serves over 230,000 residential properties across 23 official neighborhoods. Your exact schedule, including whether recycling is weekly or every other week, depends on your specific address. Even addresses on the same street can differ. Use the free Trash Day app (iOS/Android) or boston.gov/trashday to confirm your exact cadence.
Single-stream recycling. All recyclables go in one blue bin or blue bag. Recycling is processed at the Casella Waste Systems Materials Recovery Facility in Charlestown, which received a $20 million upgrade. Place items loose, do NOT bag recyclables. Flatten cardboard. Small items under 2x2 inches contaminate sorting equipment, so put those in trash.
Mandatory bag/cart specs. All trash must be bagged in 2-ply or 0.9 millimeter or greater plastic material. Kitchen bags, grocery bags, and cardboard boxes cannot be used as trash bags. Trash barrels must have lids. Barrels larger than 32 gallons must have a grab bar.
Twice-weekly in dense neighborhoods. Some downtown and high-density neighborhoods (Back Bay, Beacon Hill, North End, South End, Chinatown) receive twice-weekly trash collection. Other neighborhoods get weekly service.
Patriots' Day delay (April 20, 2026). Patriots' Day is a Massachusetts state holiday commemorating the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the opening engagements of the American Revolution. It's also the day of the Boston Marathon. Because it's a city-recognized holiday, it causes a one-day collection delay citywide. It is not observed anywhere outside Massachusetts (and Maine), so residents from other states are regularly caught off guard.
12 holiday delays per year. Boston has more holiday delays than any other major US city: New Year's Day, MLK Day, Presidents' Day, Patriots' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Always check your specific schedule during holiday weeks.
South End enforcement. Code Enforcement Police (CEP) actively patrol the South End every Tuesday at 7 AM and a smaller force on Friday. Hundreds of tickets have been issued since 2013, with repeat offenders specifically targeted. Building owners are ultimately responsible for compliance.
Christmas trees. Boston collects Christmas trees curbside on your regular trash day during the two weeks following Christmas (approximately January 2-16). Trees must be free of all lights, ornaments, tinsel, and plastic bags. Trees in bags or with decorations will not be collected.
Department of Public Works. 1 City Hall Square, Boston MA 02201. Phone: 617-635-4900. boston.gov/departments/public-works.
Boston'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 need same-day service, have items beyond what curbside handles (construction debris, large volumes), or live in buildings where the contracted hauler doesn't include bulk service, paid options are available. Note: 400 Frontage Road transfer station charges $35 per cubic yard and may be cheaper than private haulers for small loads if you can self-haul.
LoadUp paid pickup
$80+For households who need same-day service, have items beyond what curbside handles, or live in buildings without included bulk service, LoadUp offers professional removal in Boston 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.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
Other paid services in Boston: 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 a Boston pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Different items have different rules in Boston. Here's a quick reference for the most common things people need to dispose of.
Boston hosts periodic Zero Waste Days events for hazardous waste, paint, and hard-to-recycle items. Several retailers also offer ongoing free recycling: Home Depot for batteries and CFL bulbs, AutoZone for motor oil and car batteries, Best Buy for electronics, and most pharmacies for unused medications. Massachusetts has comprehensive landfill bans on specific materials (the MassDEP waste bans introduced starting in 1990), making proper disposal of hazardous items legally required, not optional.
To report illegal dumping in Boston, call 311 (BOS:311) or use the BOS:311 mobile app. Reports can also be filed at boston.gov. Include the location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible. Boston Code Enforcement actively investigates dumping reports, with ongoing enforcement particularly in the South End and other dense neighborhoods. If you're considering dumping because you can't wait for collection or live in a building without included bulk service, please use 400 Frontage Road transfer station or a paid hauler, illegal dumping fines under Massachusetts law typically far exceed the cost of legitimate disposal options.
Is there really free junk removal in Boston?
Yes, Boston offers free curbside bulk pickup for residential properties. Furniture (couches, dressers, tables, chairs) can be put out with regular trash on your collection day with no appointment. Mattresses and box springs require advance scheduling through BOS:311. Special Collection of Freon-containing appliances and CRT electronics is also free and mandatory under Massachusetts state law. Free curbside textile collection is available (also mandatory under MA law since November 2022). Donation pickup through Salvation Army, Habitat ReStore, and Goodwill is also free for usable items.
Why does Boston have a holiday delay in April?
Patriots' Day (April 20, 2026) is a Massachusetts state holiday commemorating the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the opening engagements of the American Revolution. It's also the day of the Boston Marathon. Because it's a City of Boston-recognized holiday, it causes a one-day collection delay citywide, Monday routes move to Tuesday, Tuesday to Wednesday, etc. Patriots' Day is not observed anywhere outside Massachusetts (and Maine), so residents from other states are regularly caught off guard.
How do I dispose of a refrigerator in Boston?
Massachusetts state law prohibits throwing items containing Freons in the trash, this includes refrigerators, freezers, AC units, and dehumidifiers. Boston provides FREE Special Collection by appointment through BOS:311. Critical prep: empty ALL food from the refrigerator and remove the door before set-out, or it will NOT be collected. Place the unit where trash is typically placed by 6 AM on appointment day. The unit must be in publicly accessible space, sanitation workers cannot retrieve items from private property.
Why can't I throw clothes in the trash in Boston?
As of November 1, 2022, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection prohibited disposing of clothing and textiles in regular trash statewide. Boston complies with this state-level waste ban. To dispose of textiles legally: schedule free curbside textile collection through BOS:311 (pack in clear plastic bags), donate at one of the City's drop-off locations, or use private donation services. Items don't need to be in good condition, even worn or damaged textiles get recycled into industrial materials.
How do I qualify for Freemoval in Boston?
Freemoval works through partner communities, typically affordable housing operators, public housing authorities, and select municipal partnerships. We’re actively expanding partnerships in Boston 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 Boston, contact us to discuss adding your community.
How do I compost food scraps in Boston?
Boston does NOT collect curbside food waste from residential buildings with more than 6 units. For those residents (which is most Bostonians), the option is Project Oscar, community compost drop-off bins at 20+ locations citywide, available 24 hours a day. Food waste collected through Project Oscar is processed by Black Earth Compost. The program accepts all food scraps including meat, bones, dairy, and food-soiled paper. Find your nearest drop-off at boston.gov/zero-waste.
How do I report illegal dumping in Boston?
Call 311 (BOS:311) or use the BOS:311 mobile app. Reports can also be filed at boston.gov. Include location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible.
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 Boston partner properties through 2026. Reach out to prioritize your community.
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