A public resource guide
Every legitimate way to get rid of furniture, appliances, mattresses, and bulk waste in Miami-Dade, including free city pickups, donation programs, and what to do when paid hauling isn't an option.
Last updated: May 2026 · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
If you live in Miami-Dade and need to get rid of bulk waste, you have more free options than most U.S. cities, if you know how to use them. This page walks through every legitimate path, in order from free to paid, with the specific rules that apply in your jurisdiction.
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Miami-Dade County provides one of the more generous bulky waste programs in the country: every household covered by Miami-Dade Solid Waste gets two pickups per calendar year, up to 25 cubic yards each, included in the annual waste service fee. The City of Miami runs its own separate program. Outside those two programs, donation pickups and Neighborhood Trash and Recycling Centers cover most of what people need.
Miami-Dade County bulky waste pickup
Free with serviceMiami-Dade Solid Waste provides two free bulky waste pickups per household per calendar year, included in the annual $484 waste service fee that's billed on your tax bill. Up to 25 cubic yards per pickup, that's a substantial amount of furniture, appliances, or move-out cleanup in a single appointment.
Eligibility: Households in Miami-Dade Solid Waste service area. This includes unincorporated Miami-Dade plus Aventura, Cutler Bay, Doral, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes, Opa-locka, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Sunny Isles Beach, and Sweetwater.
What's accepted: Furniture (sofas, chairs, tables, cabinets, rolled carpets), appliances (stoves, refrigerators with doors removed, washers/dryers, water heaters), plastic-bagged mattresses, yard trash, crates, corrugated cardboard.
How to schedule: Online at miamidade.gov/bulkywaste, by calling 311, or through the MDC Solid Waste mobile app. The Bulky Appointment System lets you pick a specific date up to 30 days out.
Important rules: Place trash at the curb by 7 AM on appointment day, no more than 3 days early. Trash must be within 10 feet of street. Mattresses must be encased in a plastic mattress bag with weather-resistant tape, $100 fine for non-compliance.
City of Miami bulky trash pickup
Free with serviceThe City of Miami runs its own separate sanitation program from Miami-Dade County. Residents in the City of Miami have garbage, recycling, and bulky trash service managed directly by the city.
Eligibility: City of Miami residential customers (not the same as Miami-Dade County customers).
How to schedule: Look up your address and schedule at miami.gov, or call 305-960-2800 (Public Works).
Other municipalities: Coral Gables, Hialeah, Miami Beach, Homestead, and other Miami-Dade cities operate their own programs, check your local government website for specifics.
Neighborhood Trash & Recycling Centers
Free for residentsMiami-Dade operates 13 Neighborhood Trash and Recycling Centers across the county. Free drop-off for bulky waste, recyclables, yard trash, and small amounts of household chemicals, useful when you've already used your two annual bulky pickups, have a small load, or need to dispose of something quickly.
What you need: Proof of Miami-Dade residency (property tax bill, utility bill, or driver's license with current address).
What's accepted: Most bulky items, electronics, recyclables, yard waste. Two locations also accept household chemicals.
Important: You'll need to load and transport items yourself. Locations and hours vary, check before going.
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. Miami partner expansion is in progress for 2026.
Eligibility: Households in active partner communities. Ask your property manager whether your building participates.
What loaders in the marketplace pick up: Furniture, mattresses, appliances, bulk waste, anything within standard LoadUp marketplace service capabilities.
Status in Miami: Onboarding partner properties throughout 2026. If you operate housing or work in a city department, we can prioritize Miami.
Donation-pickup programs
FreeSeveral Miami nonprofits offer free pickup for items in usable condition. The right path for furniture, working appliances, and household goods that someone else can use.
Goodwill South Florida: Free donation pickup for larger items. Main location at 2121 NW 21st St, Miami. Call 305-325-9114 or visit goodwillsouthflorida.com.
The Salvation Army: Free pickup of clothing, furniture, and household items in good condition. Schedule online at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825).
Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Pickup available for furniture, appliances, and home goods. Multiple Miami-area ReStore locations.
Important: All donation programs require items be clean and functional. Stained, broken, or damaged items typically aren't accepted, pickups that arrive and find unacceptable items will leave them behind.
Beyond bulky waste pickup, Miami-Dade Solid Waste Management runs several services worth knowing about. All are accessed through 311, the MDC Solid Waste app, or miamidade.gov.
Twice-weekly waste collection. Most residential properties in the Miami-Dade service area receive automated pickup of green waste carts two days each week, included in the annual fee.
Recycling. Curbside recycling is collected every other week. Miami-Dade accepts paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and containers (#1, #2, #5), aluminum, and steel cans in the blue cart.
Yard waste. Yard trash must be canned, bagged, or bundled in lengths up to 4 feet using twine, rope, or tape. Each unit must weigh less than 50 pounds. Larger yard cleanups can use bulky waste pickup.
Home Chemical Collection Centers. Two permanent locations accept household hazardous waste from Miami-Dade residents at no charge: paint, motor oil, pesticides, pool chemicals, batteries, fluorescent bulbs.
Special assistance. Disabled residents or those who need help moving carts to the curb can apply for special assistance waste collection by calling 311.
If you live within City of Miami limits (not unincorporated Miami-Dade), your service is run separately by the city. Programs include garbage, recycling, bulky trash, and yard waste, all looked up by address through miami.gov. The City of Miami also operates trash transfer stations and offers periodic cleanup events through its Solid Waste Department.
Other Miami-Dade municipalities each run their own programs: Coral Gables, Hialeah, Miami Beach, Homestead, North Miami, North Miami Beach, and several others. Check your specific city's public works website for bulky pickup rules, schedules, and limits in your jurisdiction.
Miami'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've already used both annual bulky pickups, are outside Miami-Dade Solid Waste service, or need same-week disposal, paid options range from self-haul to professional services.
Self-haul to a transfer station or landfill
$2 minimumIf you have a truck, Miami-Dade landfills and transfer stations charge tipping fees by weight. The cheapest paid option, but requires loading, transporting, and unloading yourself.
North Dade Landfill: 21500 NW 47th Ave. Accepts most non-hazardous waste.
South Dade Landfill: 23707 SW 97th Ave. Accepts most non-hazardous waste.
Three Regional Transfer Stations operated by Miami-Dade Solid Waste accept commercial and residential drops.
Always call ahead to confirm hours, accepted materials, and current tipping fees.
LoadUp paid pickup
$65+For households who can't use the free options or need same-week service, LoadUp offers professional removal in Miami-Dade with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal, rates 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 Miami: 1-800-Got-Junk, College Hunks Hauling Junk, Junk King Miami North, 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 Miami pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Different items have different rules in Miami-Dade. Here's a quick reference for the most common things people need to dispose of.
Miami-Dade operates two Home Chemical Collection Centers, accepting household hazardous waste from county residents free of charge: paint, motor oil, pesticides, pool chemicals, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and old electronics with batteries. Locations and hours are at miamidade.gov.
Periodic Home Chemical Drop-Off Events also offer free document shredding for residential customers. 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.
Outside Miami-Dade County (Broward to the north), check your county's public works or environmental services page for hazardous waste options.
If you see illegal dumping or want to report a dump site:
Miami-Dade County (most areas): Call 311 or report through the Miami-Dade Solid Waste app. Include location (cross streets or address), description of dumped material, and a photo if possible.
City of Miami: 311 also covers City of Miami code enforcement reports. The Solid Waste Department investigates dumping in city limits.
Beach/water-related dumping: Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) handles dumping near waterways and Biscayne Bay.
Illegal dumping carries fines starting at $500 in Miami-Dade County, with substantially higher penalties for commercial-scale violations or hazardous materials. If you're considering dumping because you can't afford a haul, please use one of the free options above instead, the fines alone exceed what most paid removals cost, and Miami-Dade's free bulky waste program handles up to 25 cubic yards twice a year.
Is there really free junk removal in Miami?
Yes, Miami-Dade County provides one of the more generous bulky waste programs in the U.S., with two free pickups per household per calendar year (up to 25 cubic yards each) included in your annual waste service fee. The City of Miami runs its own separate program. Beyond city services, donation pickups through Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Habitat ReStore are free for usable items, and the 13 Neighborhood Trash and Recycling Centers accept most bulk waste free for residents.
How do I qualify for Freemoval in Miami?
Freemoval works through partner communities, typically affordable housing operators, public housing authorities, and select municipal partnerships. We're actively expanding partnerships in Miami-Dade 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 Miami, contact us to discuss adding your community.
What's the cheapest way to dispose of a mattress in Miami?
If you have an unused bulky waste pickup left for the year, that's the cheapest path, it's included in your $484 annual service fee. The mattress must be encased in a plastic mattress bag and sealed with weather-resistant tape, or you'll be hit with a $100 fine. If you've already used both pickups, a Trash and Recycling Center drop-off is free with proof of residency. Donation through Goodwill or Salvation Army is free if the mattress is in good condition. Paid LoadUp pickup starts around $65.
Why doesn't my apartment building have bulky pickup?
Most large multi-family properties in Miami-Dade contract with private waste haulers rather than using county service, so the county's free bulky pickup typically doesn't apply. Your property's contracted hauler may or may not include bulk service, ask your property manager. This gap is exactly why Freemoval exists: residents of multi-family low-income housing often have the fewest free options, even though they're where dumping volume is highest.
What if I've used my two annual bulky pickups?
Several options. (1) Drop items at one of the 13 Miami-Dade Neighborhood Trash and Recycling Centers, free with proof of residency. (2) If your bulky waste pile exceeds 25 cubic yards, you can choose to combine future pickups (single-family up to 50 cubic yards combined; duplex up to 100). (3) Donate usable items through Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Habitat ReStore. (4) Use a paid hauler like LoadUp starting around $65.
Do I need to do anything special with my mattress?
Yes, Miami-Dade requires mattresses placed for bulky pickup to be fully encased in a plastic mattress bag or sleeve and sealed with weather-resistant tape (packing tape or duct tape). Box springs do not need to be encased. Failure to comply results in a $100 fine. Mattress bags are sold at most home improvement and retail stores for around $10–$15.
What about hurricane debris?
Miami-Dade County typically activates separate hurricane debris collection procedures after declared storm events, outside of normal bulky waste rules. Hurricane debris is usually accepted at the curb for an extended pickup window, and storm-specific landfill drop-off may be free. Always check Miami-Dade's emergency information line, 311, or miamidade.gov after a storm for current procedures.
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 Miami-Dade partner properties through 2026. Reach out to prioritize your community.
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