A public resource guide
Every legitimate way to get rid of furniture, appliances, mattresses, and bulk waste in Columbus, including the must-schedule-first 311 bulk pickup system, the new weekly recycling launched June 2023, the Zone A/Zone B yard waste rotation, the SWACO HHW program for Franklin County, and what to do when paid hauling isn't an option.
Last updated: May 2026 · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
Columbus runs a strict but well-organized system: bulk pickup is free, but you MUST schedule it first through 311. Items placed at the curb without a scheduled appointment will not be collected and may be tagged as a code violation. Columbus also rolled out weekly curbside recycling citywide in June 2023, a major upgrade from the old biweekly model, and yard waste runs biweekly on a Zone A or Zone B rotation. SWACO (Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio) contracts with EEI for free household hazardous waste disposal for all Franklin County residents. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
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Columbus residents have free bulk collection through scheduled 311 pickup, free weekly trash, free weekly recycling (launched citywide June 2023), free biweekly seasonal yard waste, free SWACO household hazardous waste disposal for Franklin County residents, and donation pickup programs. The City of Columbus Division of Refuse Collection (Department of Public Service) collects trash from more than 340,000 households using automated trucks. Curbside recycling eligibility is for City residents in single-family homes, buildings of 4 attached units or fewer, or qualifying condo/apartment properties using only City 96-gallon trash containers.
Free Bulk Collection (must schedule first)
Free, by appointmentColumbus provides free bulk collection for many items, but nothing will be collected unless you schedule it first through 311 or the online 311 portal. Bulk items include furniture, mattresses, carpet, and non-refrigerant appliances. Contact 311, call (614) 645-3111, or use the online 311 page. Describe the items and wait for your scheduled pickup date.
How to schedule: Online via 311 portal, or call (614) 645-3111. Describe items and confirm your address.
Cost: Free for City of Columbus residents.
CRITICAL RULE: Do NOT place items out until you have arranged collection through the City. Unscheduled items may be tagged as code violations.
Set-out location (curbside customers): In front of your home, away from obstructions, on the scheduled day.
Set-out location (alley customers): Edge of your property at the alley line on the scheduled day.
Accepted: Furniture, mattresses, carpet, non-refrigerant appliances.
NOT accepted: TVs, electronics, refrigerators/freezers/AC (Freon), tires, hazardous waste, construction debris, batteries.
Free Weekly Curbside Recycling (since June 2023)
Free, weeklyColumbus launched citywide weekly curbside recycling in June 2023, a significant upgrade from the previous biweekly system. All recyclables go in the blue 64-gallon cart with no sorting required. Recycling is for eligible City residents in single-family homes, buildings of 4 attached units or fewer, or qualifying condo/apartment properties using only City 96-gallon trash containers and with space to store the 64-gallon recycling carts.
Cart: Blue 64-gallon recycling cart, single-stream (all materials together).
Frequency: Weekly (since June 2023).
What's accepted: Paper, cardboard (flattened), plastic bottles/jugs/tubs/cups, glass bottles and jars, cartons, metal cans.
Eligibility: Single-family homes, buildings of 4 attached units or fewer, qualifying condo/apartment properties using City containers with cart storage space.
Cost: Free with City trash service.
SWACO Household Hazardous Waste (free for Franklin County)
Free for residentsSWACO (Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio) contracts with Environmental Enterprises Incorporated (EEI) to offer free household hazardous waste disposal for all Franklin County residents. Drop off paint, chemicals, batteries, motor oil, automotive fluids, pesticides, and other HHW at no charge.
What's accepted: Paint, chemicals, batteries, motor oil, automotive fluids, pesticides, household cleaners, fluorescent bulbs, propane tanks.
Cost: Free for Franklin County residents.
Operated by: SWACO (Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio) contracts with EEI.
Free Biweekly Yard Waste (Zone A / Zone B rotation)
Free, biweeklyYard waste is collected biweekly on the same weekday as your trash, based on whether your address is in Zone A or Zone B. Free with City service. Use paper bags, marked containers, or bundled branches.
Schedule: Biweekly on your trash day. Zone A or Zone B rotation.
Find your zone: Use the City of Columbus Collection Day Lookup at columbus.gov.
Containers: Paper bags, marked containers with handles, or bundled branches. Plastic bags not accepted for yard waste.
Cost: Free with City trash service.
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. Columbus partner expansion is in progress for 2026.
Eligibility: Households in active partner communities. Ask your property manager whether your building participates.
Status in Columbus: Onboarding partner properties throughout 2026.
Donation-pickup programs
FreeColumbus-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 Columbus: Multiple locations. Free pickup for furniture, appliances, building materials.
Goodwill Columbus: Donation pickup for larger items in the Columbus metro area.
Volunteers of America Ohio: Columbus chapter offers free pickup of usable household items.
Weekly trash, weekly recycling (NEW as of June 2023), biweekly yard waste. Columbus collects trash from more than 340,000 households using automated trucks. Trash and recycling are now both weekly, a major upgrade in 2023 from the previous biweekly recycling. Yard waste is biweekly on the same day as your trash, based on Zone A or Zone B.
Outside Columbus city limits? Dublin, Hilliard, Grove City, Westerville, Reynoldsburg, and other nearby communities may use different collection providers, rules, and holiday schedules. None of the City of Columbus rules apply to those addresses. Use your city's specific service.
Bulk pickup must be scheduled. Columbus does not accept unscheduled bulk items. Anything placed at the curb without a 311 appointment will not be collected and may be tagged as a code violation. Schedule online or by calling (614) 645-3111. The system applies to furniture, mattresses, carpet, and non-refrigerant appliances. Refrigerators, freezers, ACs (Freon), TVs, electronics, tires, hazardous waste, and construction debris are NOT accepted in bulk pickup.
Trash bagging rule. All trash must be bagged and tied before being placed in your household trash container. Don't place trash around the outside of the container. Automated trucks pick up the cart by mechanical arm, loose trash around carts won't be collected.
Recycling rules. Single-stream, all recyclables go in the blue 64-gallon cart together. No sorting required. Items must be loose, not bagged. Plastic bags are not accepted in curbside recycling.
Recycling eligibility. Columbus curbside recycling is for eligible City residents in: (1) single-family homes, (2) buildings of 4 attached units or fewer, or (3) qualifying condo/apartment properties that use only City 96-gallon trash containers and have space to store 64-gallon recycling carts. Larger apartment buildings using dumpsters typically do not qualify and use private hauler recycling instead.
Holiday delays. Columbus uses a "color zone" system, some residents are assigned a color zone that determines collection day shifts during holiday weeks. Use the official Collection Day Lookup at columbus.gov to confirm holiday impacts on your specific address.
Find your collection day. Use the City of Columbus Collection Day Lookup. Enter your address to confirm refuse, recycling, and yard waste dates, print a custom calendar, or sign up for reminders.
City of Columbus Division of Refuse Collection. 311 service: (614) 645-3111. columbus.gov/Services/Trash-Recycling-Bulk-Collection.
Columbus'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 or unscheduled bulk pickup (impossible through City system), have items the city won't accept (Freon appliances, electronics, construction debris, tires), or live in 5+ unit buildings using private haulers, paid options are available. Note: SWACO HHW and Goodwill electronics drop-off cover most categories the City system excludes, consider those before paying for hauling.
LoadUp paid pickup
$55+For households who need same-day service, have items the City won't accept (Freon appliances, electronics, construction debris), can't wait for a scheduled bulk appointment, or live in larger buildings without included bulk service, LoadUp offers professional removal in Columbus 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, crew handles in-home pickup.
Pricing: Starts around $55 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
When this beats waiting: Move-outs, real estate timelines, multi-item cleanouts, items the city won't accept (Freon appliances, electronics, construction debris).
Other paid services in Columbus: Rumpke residential trash service (call 48 hours before pickup), 1-800-Got-Junk, College Hunks Hauling Junk, 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 Columbus pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Different items have different rules in Columbus. Here's a quick reference for the most common things people need to dispose of.
Columbus residents can dispose of household hazardous waste FREE through SWACO (Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio), which contracts with Environmental Enterprises Incorporated (EEI) for HHW disposal. Available to all Franklin County residents at no charge. Drop off paint, chemicals, batteries, motor oil, automotive fluids, pesticides, household cleaners, fluorescent bulbs, and propane tanks. 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.
To report illegal dumping in Columbus, call 311 at (614) 645-3111 or use the city's online 311 portal. Reports can also be filed via the Columbus 311 mobile app. Include the location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible. Columbus actively investigates dumping reports through code enforcement. If you're considering dumping because the scheduled bulk pickup wait is too long, please use a paid hauler, LoadUp pickups starting around $55 are dramatically cheaper than illegal dumping fines under Ohio law, which can exceed $500 plus restitution. Bulk items placed unscheduled at the curb may also be tagged as code violations leading to fines.
Is there really free junk removal in Columbus?
Yes, if you live within City of Columbus limits, the City offers free bulk pickup for many items including furniture, mattresses, carpet, and non-refrigerant appliances. The catch is that you MUST schedule first through 311 (call (614) 645-3111 or use the online 311 portal), nothing placed at the curb without an appointment will be collected. On top of bulk pickup, free weekly recycling launched citywide in June 2023, free biweekly yard waste, and free SWACO household hazardous waste disposal cover most household needs. Donation pickup through Salvation Army, Habitat ReStore, Goodwill, and Volunteers of America is also free for usable items.
Why must I schedule bulk pickup first?
Columbus uses scheduled bulk collection rather than open set-out windows for two reasons: (1) automated trucks need to know where to go for special pickups, and (2) the city wants to minimize how long bulky items sit at the curb (which can attract additional dumping and pests). Items placed at the curb without a scheduled appointment will not be collected. Worse, unscheduled bulk items may be tagged as code violations, leading to fines. Schedule online via the 311 portal or call (614) 645-3111 first, the system is fast and the call usually takes a few minutes.
What changed about recycling in Columbus in 2023?
In June 2023, Columbus launched citywide WEEKLY curbside recycling, replacing the previous biweekly model. This was a significant service upgrade aligned with Central Ohio's SWACO 2050 zero-waste goals. Recycling now matches trash frequency, which makes it easier for households to keep up with cardboard and bottles between pickups. The blue 64-gallon cart is single-stream (no sorting), and accepted materials remain the same as before: paper, cardboard, plastic bottles/jugs/tubs, glass bottles and jars, cartons, metal cans.
How do I qualify for Freemoval in Columbus?
Freemoval works through partner communities, typically affordable housing operators, public housing authorities, and select municipal partnerships. We’re actively expanding partnerships in Columbus 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 Columbus, contact us to discuss adding your community.
I live in Dublin / Hilliard / Westerville. Do these rules apply to me?
No, the City of Columbus Division of Refuse Collection only serves addresses within City of Columbus limits. Many surrounding suburbs (Dublin, Hilliard, Grove City, Westerville, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, Bexley, Worthington, and many others) operate their own waste programs or contract with private haulers like Rumpke or WM. Each has its own rules, fees, schedules, and bulk pickup procedures. Contact your specific city or check your monthly bill for hauler details. Outside-Columbus residents can still use SWACO's free HHW program if they live in Franklin County.
How do Zone A and Zone B yard waste schedules work?
Yard waste in Columbus is biweekly, meaning every other week, not every week. The city is divided into Zone A and Zone B, with each zone having yard waste pickup on alternating weeks. Yard waste is collected on the same weekday as your trash. To find your zone and schedule, use the official Collection Day Lookup at columbus.gov, enter your address and the tool will show you your zone and the specific yard waste dates throughout the year. You can also print a custom calendar or sign up for email reminders so you never miss a yard waste week.
How do I report illegal dumping in Columbus?
Call 311 at (614) 645-3111 or use the city's online 311 portal. Reports can also be filed via the Columbus 311 mobile app. 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 Columbus partner properties through 2026. Reach out to prioritize your community.
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