A public resource guide
Every legitimate way to get rid of furniture, appliances, mattresses, and bulk waste in Hartford, including FREE Bulky Waste Curbside Collection (2 free collections per year, 5 items each, by appointment), the $75 additional collection fee, the $10 transfer station permit alternative, the 6-units eligibility rule, and what to do when paid hauling isn't an option.
Last updated: May 2026 · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
Hartford runs a structured bulky waste system that's been APPOINTMENT ONLY since January 1, 2018: each qualified residential property of 6 units or fewer is allotted 2 FREE bulky waste collections per year per unit, with up to 5 approved bulky items per collection. Schedule via Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311, Monday-Friday 8 AM-5 PM. Need more pickups? Two paid options: (1) $75 per additional collection via Hartford 311, or (2) buy a $10 transfer station permit (maximum 4 visits per year) and self-haul. The bulky waste program is NOT available to commercial properties, apartment complexes, or multifamily properties with more than 6 units. Service is provided by the City of Hartford Department of Public Works. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
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Hartford residents have free Bulky Waste Curbside Collection (2 free collections per year per unit, 5 items per collection, by appointment via Hartford 311), free weekly trash, free single-stream recycling, free yard waste collection (mid-April through mid-December), free Christmas tree pickup, free annual hazardous waste collection events through CRRA HHW Program, free Goodwill drop-off boxes, and donation pickup programs. Service is provided by the City of Hartford Department of Public Works. Customer service: Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 or 211 for state-wide info.
Free Bulky Waste Curbside Collection (by appointment via Hartford 311)
Free, 2x per yearEach qualified residential property of 6 units or fewer is allotted 2 FREE bulky waste collections per year per unit. Each collection includes up to 5 approved bulky items. Schedule via Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311, Monday-Friday 8 AM-5 PM. Service by appointment only since January 1, 2018.
Eligibility: Residential properties of 6 units or fewer. NOT available to commercial properties, apartment complexes, or multifamily properties with more than 6 units.
Frequency: 2 free collections per year per unit. 6-family building = 12 free collections per year for the building.
Per-collection limit: 5 approved bulky items per collection.
Cost: Free for the 2 annual collections. $75 per additional collection beyond the free allotment.
How to schedule: Call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311, Monday-Friday 8 AM-5 PM.
Alternative for excess items: $10 transfer station permit (maximum 4 visits per year per unit) and self-haul.
Acceptable items: Furniture, appliances, mattresses, box springs, carpets, and other approved household items too large for regular trash collection.
NOT accepted: Commercial property bulky waste, apartment building common-area waste, construction/demolition debris, hazardous materials, refrigerators with Freon (special handling required).
Free Weekly Trash & Single-Stream Recycling
Free, weeklyHartford residents in 1-6 unit dwellings receive free weekly curbside trash collection and single-stream recycling. Recycling collected biweekly (every other week) on the same day as trash. Recycling is mandatory under Connecticut state law.
Eligibility: Hartford residential properties of 1-6 units.
Frequency: Trash: weekly. Recycling: biweekly (every other week).
Single-stream: All recyclables (paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, metal) in the same blue cart.
Recycling rules: NO plastic bags, NO Styrofoam, NO food waste. Items loose in cart, NOT bagged.
Cost: Free, included in property tax base.
Free Yard Waste & Christmas Tree Collection
Free, seasonalHartford collects yard waste curbside on regular collection days from approximately mid-April through mid-December. Place leaves, grass clippings, and small twigs in paper yard waste bags or containers labeled "yard waste". Christmas trees collected curbside in January, strip all decorations.
Yard waste season: Approximately mid-April through mid-December.
How to set out: PAPER yard waste bags or containers clearly marked "yard waste". NO plastic bags, even biodegradable ones.
Branches: Cut to 3-foot lengths, bundled and tied. No larger than 6 inches in diameter.
Christmas trees: Collected curbside in January. Strip ALL ornaments, lights, tinsel, and stands. NO plastic bags.
Cost: Free.
CRRA Annual Household Hazardous Waste Events
Free, periodicThe Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority (now MIRA, the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority) hosts free Household Hazardous Waste collection events throughout Hartford and surrounding towns. Free for Hartford residents. Accepts paint, motor oil, pesticides, household cleaners, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, propane tanks. Check current event dates at ct.gov/deep or by calling Hartford 311.
Frequency: Annual events at multiple locations throughout the Greater Hartford area.
What's accepted: Paint, motor oil, pesticides, household cleaners, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, propane tanks.
How to find dates: Call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 or check ct.gov/deep for current event schedule.
Cost: Free for Hartford residents.
Mattress Recycling Drop-Off (CT state program)
Free, state programConnecticut's 2015 mattress recycling law (Public Act 13-42) requires mattress producers to fund a state-wide mattress recycling program. Hartford participates, mattresses can be dropped off free at participating sites or collected curbside as part of bulky waste pickup. Find a local recycler at byebyemattress.com.
How it works: Connecticut residents pay a small fee on new mattresses, which funds end-of-life recycling.
Drop-off: Free at participating sites, find at byebyemattress.com.
Curbside via City: Mattresses ARE eligible for free Bulky Waste Curbside Collection (counts as 1 of 5 items).
Cost: Free for Connecticut 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. Hartford partner expansion is in progress for 2026.
Eligibility: Households in active partner communities. Ask your property manager whether your building participates.
Status in Hartford: Onboarding partner properties throughout 2026.
Donation-pickup programs
FreeHartford-area nonprofits offer free pickup for items in usable condition.
The Salvation Army Hartford: Free pickup of clothing, furniture, household items. Schedule at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.
Habitat for Humanity North Central CT ReStore: Free pickup for furniture, appliances, building materials.
Goodwill of Western and Northern CT: Donation pickup for larger items in the Greater Hartford area.
St. Vincent de Paul Hartford: Free pickup of furniture, clothing, household items for families in need.
Hartford DPW service area. The City of Hartford Department of Public Works provides residential trash, recycling, yard waste, and bulky waste pickup services to Hartford residential properties. Surrounding towns (West Hartford, East Hartford, Newington, Wethersfield, Bloomfield, Windsor) have their own waste contracts and rules. This page covers Hartford proper only.
The 6-units-or-fewer rule is strict. The bulky waste program (and most City waste services generally) is available only to residential properties of 6 units or fewer. Apartment complexes, multifamily properties with more than 6 units, and commercial properties must contract with private haulers. This is one of the more restrictive eligibility rules in the country, many cities serve all residential properties regardless of unit count. The reasoning: large multifamily and commercial waste streams have different volume profiles that City fleets aren't equipped for, so private haulers handle them at market rates.
Bulky waste was free without appointment until 2018. Before January 1, 2018, Hartford residents could put bulky items at the curb on regular collection days without scheduling, and DPW would collect them. The change to appointment-only system was driven by route optimization and reduced illegal dumping. Today, all bulky waste pickup requires a Hartford 311 appointment. Items left at the curb without an appointment may be tagged as illegal dumping and result in code enforcement notice or fine.
Three options for bulky disposal. (1) Free: 2 collections per year per unit through Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311, up to 5 items per collection. (2) $75 additional: additional collections beyond the 2 free per year, scheduled via Hartford 311. (3) $10 transfer station permit: maximum 4 visits per year per unit, self-haul to the City transfer station. Compare costs based on volume and item type.
Set-out rules. Place items at the curb the night before scheduled pickup. Place items in the same location where your regular trash is collected. Don't block sidewalks or driveways. Items must be at the curb by 6 AM on collection day.
Recycling is mandatory. Connecticut state law (CGS 22a-241b) makes recycling mandatory statewide. Hartford follows the law. Recyclables must be placed in the recycling cart loose, NOT bagged. Single-stream, all paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, and metal in the same blue cart. NO plastic bags. NO Styrofoam. NO food waste. Trash carts that contain prohibited items may not be picked up; recycling carts that contain non-recyclables may be skipped, ticketed, or fined.
Yard waste rules. PAPER yard waste bags only or rigid containers labeled "yard waste". NO plastic bags, even ones labeled biodegradable. Branches cut to 3-foot lengths, bundled and tied, no larger than 6 inches in diameter.
Holiday delays. Hartford observes the standard federal holidays for collection delays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day. When a holiday falls on a weekday, that week's collection shifts one day later for the rest of the week.
Customer service. Hartford 311: (860) 757-9311, Monday-Friday 8 AM-5 PM (for bulky waste appointments and general DPW questions). Connecticut state info: 211. DPW Waste & Recycling Division: hartfordct.gov.
Hartford'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 exceed 2 free bulky collections per year, exceed the 5-items-per-collection limit, can't fit larger volume into 4 transfer station visits per year, live in apartment buildings (7+ units, NOT eligible for City service), have construction debris, or need same-day or in-home pickup, paid options are available. Hartford's combination of 2 free annual collections + $10 transfer station permits + 5 items per collection means a typical household can dispose of 10+ items per year free, plus 20+ more via the cheap $10 transfer station permits.
LoadUp paid pickup
$80+For households who exceed the 2 free bulky collections per year, can't wait for a Hartford 311 appointment, live in 7+ unit buildings without DPW service, have construction debris (not eligible for City service), or want full-service in-home pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in Hartford 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 $80 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-load cleanouts (more than 5 items at once), apartment buildings (7+ units, no City service), construction debris, urgent same-day timelines.
Other paid services in Hartford: 1-800-Got-Junk Hartford, 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 Hartford pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Hartford City Additional Collection ($75)
$75 eachFor Hartford residents who've used their 2 free annual collections, the City offers additional bulky waste collections for $75 each. Schedule via Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311.
Cost: $75 per additional collection beyond the 2 free per year per unit.
How to schedule: Call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311, Monday-Friday 8 AM-5 PM.
Same rules: Same 5-items-per-collection limit, same eligibility (6 units or fewer), same set-out rules.
Hartford Transfer Station Permit ($10)
$10/yr, max 4 visitsFor Hartford residents who can self-haul, a $10 annual permit allows up to 4 visits to the City transfer station. Cost-effective alternative to the $75 additional collection fee for households with truck access.
Cost: $10 annual permit.
Visits per year: Maximum 4 visits per year per unit.
How to obtain: Call Hartford 311 or visit the City Transfer Station for permit purchase.
Cost comparison: $10 ÷ 4 visits = $2.50/visit. If you can self-haul and have truck access, this is the cheapest option for excess bulk volume.
Different items have different rules in Hartford. Here's a quick reference for the most common things people need to dispose of.
Hartford residents have free hazardous waste disposal through the Connecticut MIRA (Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority, formerly CRRA) annual Household Hazardous Waste collection events held throughout the Greater Hartford area. Free for Hartford residents. Accepts paint, motor oil, pesticides, household cleaners, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, propane tanks. Check current event dates by calling Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 or visiting ct.gov/deep. 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, most pharmacies for unused medications. Connecticut's 2014 mattress recycling law funds free mattress drop-off through byebyemattress.com sites.
To report illegal dumping in Hartford, call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 or use the Hartford 311 mobile app. Reports can also be filed online at hartfordct.gov. Include the location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible. Hartford takes dumping seriously through DPW Waste & Recycling Division and Code Enforcement, placing bulky items at the curb without an appointment results in code enforcement notice. If you're considering dumping because you've used your 2 free annual collections, please use the $10 transfer station permit ($2.50 per visit when fully utilized) or paid haulers like LoadUp at $80+, both are dramatically cheaper than illegal dumping fines under Connecticut law.
Is there really free junk removal in Hartford?
Yes, Hartford residents in 1-6 unit buildings get 2 free Bulky Waste Curbside Collections per year per unit, with up to 5 approved bulky items per collection. Schedule via Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311. That's up to 10 free items per year per unit. Plus: free weekly trash and biweekly recycling, free yard waste mid-April through mid-December, free Christmas tree pickup in January, free annual MIRA Household Hazardous Waste events, free Connecticut state mattress recycling at byebyemattress.com sites, and free donation pickup through Salvation Army, Habitat ReStore, Goodwill, and St. Vincent de Paul. Beyond the 2 free annual collections: $75 per additional collection OR $10 transfer station permit (max 4 visits per year). Eligibility: 6 units or fewer. Apartment buildings with 7+ units and commercial properties must use private haulers.
Why did Hartford switch to appointment-only bulky waste in 2018?
Before January 1, 2018, Hartford residents could put bulky items at the curb on regular collection days without scheduling, and DPW would collect them. The change was driven by two factors: (1) Route optimization, without scheduling, DPW had to drive every street every week looking for bulky waste, even when most homes had nothing to put out; appointments let drivers route specifically to where pickups are needed. (2) Illegal dumping reduction, before appointments, contractors and out-of-towners could dump bulky waste at the curb claiming it was a resident's waste; appointments tied each pickup to a verified Hartford address, dramatically reducing this. The trade-off: residents now need to plan ahead (one phone call) instead of just putting items out. With 2 free collections per year per unit, most households don't notice the change.
I have 8 items to dispose of. What's the cheapest way?
Several options, depending on whether you can transport items yourself: (1) BEST IF YOU CAN'T HAUL: Use one free collection (5 items) plus 3 items in a second free collection, total cost $0 for 8 items, but you'll need to wait for two appointments scheduled separately. (2) BEST IF YOU HAVE TRUCK: Use $10 transfer station permit (max 4 visits per year), self-haul 8 items in 1-2 visits, cost $10 for 8 items. (3) FAST OPTION: Schedule one free collection (5 items) AND pay $75 for one additional collection (3 items), cost $75. (4) URGENT: Hire LoadUp at $80+ for same-day pickup of all 8 items together. The math: option 1 is cheapest but slowest, option 2 is best value if you have truck access, option 3 makes sense for households who already used one free collection and need to clear remainder fast.
I live in a 12-unit apartment building. Am I eligible for any of this?
Unfortunately no, the City of Hartford bulky waste program is restricted to residential properties of 6 units or fewer. Apartment complexes, multifamily properties with 7+ units, and commercial properties must contract with private haulers. This is one of the more restrictive eligibility rules in the country, many cities (Providence, Knoxville, Buffalo) serve all residential properties regardless of unit count. Your options as a tenant in a 12-unit building: (1) Ask your property manager about building-wide bulky pickup options (most large apartment buildings contract with private haulers like Republic Services, GFL, or All American Waste). (2) Drop off mattresses free at byebyemattress.com sites under the CT state mattress program. (3) Use Connecticut MIRA HHW events for hazardous waste (free for any CT resident). (4) Use donation programs (Salvation Army, Habitat, Goodwill) for items in good condition. (5) Hire a paid hauler like LoadUp ($80+) for full-service pickup. Freemoval is actively expanding to multifamily properties, if your property manager wants to participate, they can contact us.
How do I qualify for Freemoval in Hartford?
Freemoval works through partner communities, typically affordable housing operators, public housing authorities, and select municipal partnerships. We’re actively expanding partnerships in Hartford through 2026, especially valuable for the 7+ unit apartment buildings excluded from City bulky waste service. 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 Hartford, contact us to discuss adding your community.
Why do I need a certified technician to drain my refrigerator before pickup?
Refrigerators, freezers, and AC units contain Freon (also called HCFC-22 or R-22) or newer hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants that are potent greenhouse gases, thousands of times more impactful per pound than CO2. The federal Clean Air Act (Section 608) requires that certified technicians remove these refrigerants before the appliance is destroyed or scrapped. Hartford's rule reflects this: bulky pickup crews can't safely remove refrigerant in the field, so the appliance owner must arrange certified service first. Cost is typically $25-$75 depending on the technician. After service, the technician will typically give you a tag certifying the appliance is "evacuated", attach this to the appliance for the bulky pickup. Many appliance retailers (Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy) include free haul-away with new appliance delivery, which sidesteps this entirely. AC unit removal often costs less because most window units have small refrigerant charges.
How do I report illegal dumping in Hartford?
Call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 or use the Hartford 311 mobile app. Reports can also be filed online at hartfordct.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.
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