A public resource guide
Every legitimate way to get rid of furniture, appliances, mattresses, and bulk waste in Chicago, including free Bulky Item Pick Up via 311, the Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility, donation programs, and what to do when paid hauling isn't an option.
Last updated: May 2026 · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation provides free Bulky Item Pick Up through 311 for residents in 1-4 unit buildings, one of the more straightforward city bulk programs. Combined with the city's electronics and hazardous waste facility, donation pickup, and Cook County's CHaRM Center, Chicago residents have several options. This page walks through every one.
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Chicago residents have free Bulky Item Pick Up through 311, free electronics and hazardous waste disposal at the Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility (HCCRF), donation pickup programs, and Cook County's Center for Hard to Recycle Materials. The Department of Streets and Sanitation serves single-family homes and apartment buildings of 4 units or fewer.
Bulky Item Pick Up (call 311)
Free with serviceChicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation handles bulky item pickup through the 311 system, free for residents in single-family homes and apartment buildings of 4 units or fewer. Typically picked up within 5-7 business days of request.
Eligibility: Single-family homes and apartment buildings with 4 units or fewer. Larger buildings must use private hauling.
How to schedule: Call 3-1-1 (or 312-744-5000 from outside Chicago), use the CHI311 app, or contact your ward superintendent. Provide your address and describe the items.
Typical timing: 5-7 business days from request to pickup.
What's accepted: Furniture, mattresses and box springs (sealed in plastic if infested, with bedbug labeling required), appliances (refrigerators, freezers, stoves, washers, dryers, doors removed for refrigerators/freezers), and other oversized household items that don't fit in the refuse cart.
What's NOT accepted: Electronics (TVs, computers), household hazardous waste, construction and demolition debris, tires, yard waste (separate collection), contractor or commercial waste.
Refrigerator preparation: Doors must be removed before setting out for pickup (federal child entrapment safety rule).
Bedbug ordinance: Mattresses with bedbug history must be sealed in plastic and labeled. Failing to follow this can result in fines.
Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility
Free for residentsChicago operates the Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility (HCCRF), a free year-round drop-off site for items the regular Bulky Item Pick Up doesn't accept, including TVs, computers, and household hazardous waste.
What's accepted: Computer equipment, TVs, household hazardous waste (paint, chemicals, batteries, motor oil), CFL bulbs.
What you need: Proof of Chicago residency.
Cost: Free for Chicago residents.
Useful for: TVs (excluded from Bulky Item Pick Up), computer equipment, paint, chemicals, batteries.
Cook County CHaRM Center
Free / fee-basedThe Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) in South Holland accepts items difficult to recycle through curbside programs. A collaboration between Cook County and South Suburban College.
Hours: Tuesdays 8 AM-12 PM, Thursdays 1 PM-5 PM, second & fourth Saturdays 9 AM-1 PM (TVs accepted Saturdays only).
Useful for: Hard-to-recycle items, small appliances (excluding refrigerants), specialty electronics.
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. Chicago partner expansion is in progress for 2026.
Eligibility: Households in active partner communities. Ask your property manager whether your building participates.
Status in Chicago: Onboarding partner properties throughout 2026.
Donation-pickup programs
FreeChicago-area nonprofits offer free pickup for items in usable condition.
The Salvation Army: Free pickup of furniture, appliances, and clothing in good working condition (dishwashers and ACs excluded). Schedule at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK. Get a donation receipt for taxes.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore Chicago: Free pickups available for qualifying items including appliances. Note: mattresses and sleeper sofas are not accepted.
Chicago Furniture Bank: Specifically focused on furniture donation. Free pickup for qualifying items.
Goodwill of Greater Chicago: Donation pickup available for larger items.
Weekly garbage collection. Chicago provides weekly residential garbage collection to approximately 600,000 households in single-family homes and apartment buildings of 4 units or less. The Department of Streets and Sanitation collects roughly 1.1 million tons of residential garbage and recyclables annually. Pickups run Monday through Friday.
Blue Cart Recycling. Chicago operates the Blue Cart Recycling program for single-family homes and 1-4 unit buildings. Buildings with 5+ units have private collection.
Multi-unit eligibility cutoff. Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation services apply only to 1-4 unit buildings. Buildings with 5 or more units must arrange private waste collection. This is a strict cutoff that excludes most large apartment complexes.
Bedbug ordinance. Chicago has a specific ordinance requiring mattresses and box springs with bedbug history to be sealed in plastic and labeled before pickup. Failing to comply can result in fines.
ComEd appliance recycling. Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), which serves northern Illinois including the Chicago metro, runs an appliance recycling program with rebates for working refrigerators and freezers. Check comed.com for current rebate amounts.
Refrigerant rules. Illinois follows federal EPA Section 608 for refrigerant recovery, enforced by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Don't set out a refrigerator with refrigerant intact, this is illegal.
Outside Chicago. Suburban Cook County, DuPage, and Lake counties have completely separate waste management. Most suburbs contract with private haulers (Flood Brothers, Lakeshore Recycling Systems, Waste Management). Bulk pickup rules vary widely, check your specific village or city.
Chicago'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 in buildings with 5+ units, residents who need same-week service, items the city won't take, or large cleanouts beyond what 311 pickup handles, paid options are available.
LoadUp paid pickup
$65+For households in 5+ unit buildings (excluded from city service), residents who need same-week service, or items the city won't take, LoadUp offers professional removal in Chicago with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal. Typically 20-30% below national competitors.
What's included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $65 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
Other paid services in Chicago: 1-800-Got-Junk, College Hunks Hauling Junk, Junk Relief, 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 Chicago pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Different items have different rules in Chicago. Here's a quick reference for the most common things people need to dispose of.
Chicago's Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility (HCCRF) accepts household hazardous waste (paint, chemicals, batteries, motor oil) and computer equipment year-round, free for Chicago residents. The Cook County CHaRM Center in South Holland is another option for hard-to-recycle items. Several retailers 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.
To report illegal dumping in Chicago, call 311 or use the CHI311 app. Reports can also be filed at chicago.gov. Include the location (cross streets or address), description of dumped material, and a photo if possible. Chicago's code enforcement is active on illegal dumping, particularly abandoned appliances in alleys, which is a recurring city issue. If you're considering dumping because you can't afford a haul, please use the free Bulky Item Pick Up via 311 (5-7 day turnaround) or HCCRF for items the regular pickup doesn't accept.
Is there really free junk removal in Chicago?
Yes, Chicago offers free Bulky Item Pick Up through 311 for residents in single-family homes and apartment buildings of 4 units or fewer. Call 311, use the CHI311 app, or contact your ward superintendent. Pickup typically happens within 5-7 business days. Furniture, mattresses, and major appliances are eligible. Chicago also operates the free Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility (HCCRF) for items not accepted in regular bulk (TVs, computers, hazardous waste). Donation pickup through Salvation Army, Habitat ReStore, and Chicago Furniture Bank is also free for usable items.
How do I schedule a Bulky Item Pick Up in Chicago?
Call 3-1-1 (or 312-744-5000 from outside Chicago), use the CHI311 app, or contact your ward superintendent. Provide your address and describe the items. Pickup typically happens within 5-7 business days. Items should be placed in your alley or curbside (depending on your residence’s pickup location) the evening before the scheduled pickup.
How do I dispose of a TV in Chicago?
TVs are NOT accepted in Chicago’s Bulky Item Pick Up. Options: take to the Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility (HCCRF) for free, take to Best Buy ($25 fee for TV recycling, free for other electronics), or visit the Cook County CHaRM Center in South Holland during Saturday hours (TVs only accepted Saturdays). Do not put TVs in regular trash, the Illinois Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act (in effect since January 2012) prohibits mixing electronics with municipal waste.
How do I qualify for Freemoval in Chicago?
Freemoval works through partner communities, typically affordable housing operators, public housing authorities, and select municipal partnerships. We’re actively expanding partnerships in Chicago 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 Chicago, contact us to discuss adding your community.
I live in a building with 5 or more units. What are my options?
Chicago’s Department of Streets and Sanitation only services single-family homes and apartment buildings of 4 units or fewer. Buildings with 5 or more units must arrange private waste collection, most large Chicago apartment complexes contract with companies like Lakeshore Recycling Systems, Waste Management, or local haulers. Your building’s contracted hauler may or may not include bulk service, ask your property manager. This gap is exactly why Freemoval exists.
What's the bedbug ordinance for mattresses?
Chicago has a specific ordinance requiring mattresses and box springs with bedbug history to be sealed in plastic and labeled before being set out for Bulky Item Pick Up. The labeling alerts sanitation workers to handle the items carefully and prevents accidental spread. Failing to follow this ordinance can result in fines. Mattress encasement bags are available at most home goods stores for around $10-$15.
How do I report illegal dumping in Chicago?
Call 311 or use the CHI311 app. Reports can also be filed at chicago.gov. Include location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible. Chicago’s code enforcement is active on illegal dumping, particularly abandoned appliances in alleys.
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 Chicago partner properties through 2026. Reach out to prioritize your community.
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