A public resource guide
Bulk pickup at $29 per load (call 480-644-6789), three-barrel curbside system with glass accepted in blue barrel (unusual for Arizona), HHM Facility at 2412 N. Center Street (Wed–Sat, free for Mesa residents, closed holidays), and Mesa’s unique policy of collection on all holidays with no delays.
Last updated: May 2026 · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
Mesa, Arizona is the 37th largest city in the U.S. and operates one of the more distinctive municipal waste programs in the Phoenix metro. Bulk pickup is fee-based, with paid load pickup at $29 per load for Mesa customers ($37.59 for non-Mesa), scheduled by appointment via (480) 644-6789. Mesa is unique among large U.S. cities for collecting trash, recycling, and yard waste on every holiday with no delays. Mesa also accepts glass curbside in the blue barrel, unlike Phoenix metro neighbors. The Household Hazardous Materials Facility at 2412 N. Center Street handles HHW free for Mesa residents Wed–Sat. This guide covers every disposal option for City of Mesa residents.
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Mesa residents have several free disposal pathways. Curbside trash, recycling, and optional yard waste are included with service. The HHM Facility handles paint, chemicals, batteries, and electronics free. Bulk pickup itself is paid (not free) but the rate is reasonable at $29 per load. Below are the options most Mesa residents qualify for.
Three-barrel curbside collection
Free with serviceMesa Solid Waste serves over 140,000 households with weekly black trash, weekly blue recycling, and optional weekly green yard waste. All barrels collected on the same weekday.
Black barrel (trash): Weekly. Standard household waste.
Blue barrel (recycling): Weekly, same day as trash. Mesa accepts glass curbside — rinsed bottles and jars go in the blue barrel. Plastics, cardboard, paper, aluminum, and steel cans also accepted. Place items empty, clean, dry, and loose.
Green barrel (yard waste): Optional, additional monthly fee. Collected weekly on the same day as trash. Yard waste does NOT need to be bagged — place loose in green barrel. Material is converted to compost and mulch.
Set-out: Barrels at curb by 6:00 AM on collection day. Place at least 3 feet from cars, mailboxes, trees, and obstacles. Barrels must be removed within 24 hours after collection (Mesa City Code 8-3-5(A)) or face a $10 per barrel pullback fee.
Household Hazardous Materials Facility
Free for Mesa residentsMesa’s HHM Facility handles household hazardous waste free for residents. The right path for paint, chemicals, batteries, motor oil, and electronics that can’t go in any barrel.
Address: 2412 N. Center Street, Mesa.
Hours: Wednesday through Saturday. CLOSED on all city holidays — plan drop-offs for non-holiday weeks.
Required: Proof of Mesa residency.
What’s accepted: Paint, chemicals, batteries (auto, household, lithium), motor oil, antifreeze, fluorescent bulbs, electronics (TVs, computers, monitors).
Cardboard drop-off
FreeFor cardboard quantities exceeding what fits in your blue barrel, Mesa offers cardboard drop-off locations. Particularly useful after moves or large deliveries.
Find locations: Visit mesaaz.gov/Utilities/Trash-Recycling/Mesa-Recycles/Cardboard-Drop-Off for current sites and hours.
Rules: Cardboard only (no other materials). Flatten boxes before drop-off.
Donation pickup
Free for usable itemsThe Phoenix metro has a strong nonprofit network for usable furniture and household goods. The right path for items in good working condition.
Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona ReStore: Free pickup for furniture, appliances, and building materials. Multiple Phoenix metro locations including Mesa.
Salvation Army Phoenix metro: Schedule at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.
Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona: Multiple Mesa drop-off locations.
St. Vincent de Paul and Save the Family: Local nonprofits accepting household goods for families in need.
Freemoval (partner-community pickups)
FreeFreemoval is a social impact program that subsidizes free junk removal pickups in partner communities, typically affordable housing properties. Phoenix metro partner expansion is in progress.
Eligibility: Households in active partner communities. Ask your property manager whether your building participates.
Status in Mesa: Onboarding partner properties throughout 2026.
Mesa’s bulk pickup is paid, not free. Most Phoenix metro neighbors offer free quarterly bulk; Mesa instead operates a paid load-based system at relatively reasonable rates.
Rates:
· $29 per load for Mesa Solid Waste customers (starting rate)
· $37.59 per load for non-Mesa customers
· Past due account balance must be paid before scheduling
How to schedule: Call Solid Waste at (480) 644-6789, Monday–Thursday 7 AM–6 PM, Friday 7 AM–5 PM. Or submit an online request at mesaaz.gov.
Set-out: Items at end of driveway after 6:00 PM the night before pickup.
Item rules:
· Smaller items must be boxed or bagged for safe handling
· Items with bed bugs must be labeled “BB” for crew safety
· Items can’t exceed truck capacity per load (additional loads scheduled separately)
Cancellation: Cancel or reschedule at least 1 business day before your pickup to avoid the $29 trip charge.
What’s typically accepted: Furniture, mattresses, appliances, large household items.
What is NOT accepted in bulk: Hazardous materials (use HHM Facility), construction debris (private hauler), liquids, and items requiring special handling beyond standard bulk.
Mesa’s three-barrel system is unusually customer-friendly: included recycling and the no-holiday-delay policy. Customer service: (480) 644-2221.
Find your collection day: Use the Trash Collection Schedule lookup at mesaaz.gov, or call (480) 644-2221.
Set-out window: Barrels at curb by 6:00 AM on collection day. Place barrels at least 3 feet from each obstacle (cars, mailboxes, trees). Lid must close completely.
Pullback fee: Per Mesa City Code 8-3-5(A), barrels must be moved at least 6 feet from the curb by 6:00 AM the day after collection. Violations carry a $10 per barrel pullback fee per occurrence.
Black barrel (trash): Weekly. Standard household waste, bagged.
Blue barrel (recycling): Weekly, same day as trash. Mesa accepts glass curbside — this is unusual for Arizona. Glass bottles and jars (rinsed) can go in the blue barrel. Also accepted: paper, flattened cardboard, aluminum and steel cans, plastic bottles and containers, plastic clamshells, cartons.
Green barrel (yard waste, optional): Available for an additional monthly fee. If you have two black trash barrels, exchanging one for a green barrel reduces your monthly bill (green barrel costs less than an extra black). Yard waste goes loose in the barrel, no bagging required. Material is converted to compost and mulch.
Recycling rules: Empty, clean, dry, and loose. No bagged recyclables. No plastic bags in the blue barrel (take to retail drop-off if available).
To change barrel size or request a new barrel: Call (480) 644-2221 or submit online.
Mesa’s HHM Facility is the regional destination for items that can’t go in any curbside barrel. Free for Mesa residents.
Address: 2412 N. Center Street, Mesa.
Hours: Wednesday through Saturday (specific hours at mesaaz.gov).
Closed: All city-observed holidays. Plan accordingly.
What’s accepted:
· Paint (latex and oil-based), paint thinner, solvents
· Automotive fluids (motor oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, gasoline)
· Batteries (auto, household, lithium, NiCad)
· Pesticides, herbicides, pool chemicals
· Fluorescent bulbs and CFLs
· Electronics (TVs, computers, monitors, printers, microwaves)
· Aerosol cans, propane tanks (small)
Required: Mesa residency proof (driver’s license or current utility bill).
Visit instructions: Stay in your vehicle; HHM facility staff unload items. Don’t mix incompatible chemicals before transport.
Mesa is one of the very few large U.S. cities that provides full trash, recycling, and yard waste collection on every holiday with absolutely no delays.
Holidays with normal collection in Mesa: New Year’s Day, MLK Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day — all normal service, no delays.
Simply roll your barrels to the curb by 6:00 AM on your regular scheduled day, every week of the year. The City of Mesa has confirmed this policy for all 2026 holidays.
The only exception: The HHM Facility at 2412 N. Center Street IS closed on city holidays. While trash collection runs normally on holidays, plan HHM drop-offs for non-holiday Wednesday–Saturday windows.
This is one of Mesa’s most notable service features and a meaningful difference from neighbors like Phoenix, Tucson, Gilbert, and Chandler.
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 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 the program before scheduling.
Mesa’s bulk pickup itself is paid ($29/load for Mesa customers). For larger cleanouts, items not eligible, or households needing in-home loading, additional paid options are available.
Mesa bulk item pickup
$29 / load (Mesa rate)Mesa’s primary curbside bulk service. $29 per load for Mesa customers, $37.59 for non-Mesa. Schedule via (480) 644-6789.
What it covers: Curbside loading by city crews of furniture, mattresses, appliances, large household items.
Cancel by 1 business day prior to avoid the $29 trip charge.
LoadUp paid pickup
$80+For Mesa households needing in-home pickup, items the city won’t accept (construction debris, hazmat), or service when crew labor is needed (heavy items, multiple-piece sets), LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Phoenix metro for upfront-priced pickup.
What’s included: Loading from inside the home (city crews don’t enter property), hauling, and licensed disposal.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
Other paid services: 1-800-Got-Junk, College Hunks Hauling Junk, and Junk King serve the Phoenix metro.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. 100% of round-ups fund subsidized pickups at standard market rates.
Book a Mesa pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Report illegal dumping to Mesa Solid Waste at (480) 644-2221 or via mesaaz.gov.
For Arizona state environmental violations, contact the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). Active dumping in progress: call Mesa Police non-emergency.
Photos with timestamps and license plate numbers significantly improve enforcement outcomes. See our complete illegal dumping guide for Arizona state penalty information and reporting best practices.
How does Mesa’s bulk pickup work?
Mesa charges $29 per load for Mesa Solid Waste customers ($37.59 for non-Mesa) for bulk item pickup. Schedule by calling Solid Waste at (480) 644-6789. Place items at end of driveway after 6 PM the night before pickup. Smaller items must be boxed or bagged. Items with bed bugs must be labeled "BB" for crew safety. Cancel or reschedule at least 1 business day prior to avoid the $29 trip charge. Past due account balances must be paid before scheduling.
Does Mesa really collect on every holiday?
Yes. Mesa is one of very few large U.S. cities that provides full trash, recycling, and yard waste collection on every holiday with absolutely no delays. This applies to all 11 federal holidays. Simply roll your barrels to the curb by 6:00 AM on your regular collection day, every week of the year. The only exception is the HHM Facility at 2412 N. Center Street, which IS closed on city holidays."),
Can I put glass in my Mesa recycling barrel?
Yes. Mesa accepts glass curbside in the blue barrel, which is unusual for Arizona. Glass bottles and jars (rinsed) go in the blue barrel along with paper, flattened cardboard, aluminum and steel cans, plastic bottles and containers, and cartons. This differs from Phoenix metro neighbors like Tucson (purple drop-off containers only) and Gilbert (glass not accepted curbside). Place items empty, clean, dry, and loose; no bagged recyclables."),
Where is the HHM Facility and what does it accept?
Mesa's Household Hazardous Materials Facility is at 2412 N. Center Street, open Wednesday through Saturday (closed all city holidays). Free for Mesa residents with proof of residency. Accepts paint, chemicals, batteries (auto, household, lithium), motor oil, antifreeze, fluorescent bulbs, electronics (TVs, computers, monitors), pesticides, pool chemicals, and propane tanks. Stay in your vehicle; staff unload items."),
What is the pullback fee?
Per Mesa City Code 8-3-5(A), barrels must be moved at least 6 feet from the curb by 6:00 AM the day after collection. Violations carry a $10 per barrel pullback fee per occurrence. The city assesses this through your utility bill. Avoid the fee by retrieving barrels promptly after collection day."),
How do I report illegal dumping in Mesa?
Call Mesa Solid Waste at (480) 644-2221 or report through mesaaz.gov. For Arizona state environmental violations, contact the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). Active dumping in progress: call Mesa Police non-emergency. Photos with license plate numbers significantly improve enforcement.
Is this page maintained?
Yes. Last updated May 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.