A public resource guide
Every legitimate way to get rid of furniture, appliances, mattresses, and bulk waste in Nashville, including curbside bulk pickup (1 cubic yard limit), four free Convenience Centers, the new collection routes effective February 2026, donation programs, and what to do when paid hauling isn't an option.
Last updated: May 2026 · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
Nashville's waste collection changed materially on February 2, 2026, new routes and new holiday rules across Davidson County. Curbside bulk pickup is provided 4 times per year by request, with a 1 cubic yard limit. Combined with four free Convenience Centers (the right path for most bulk disposal), Nashville residents have several legitimate options. This page walks through every one.
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Nashville residents have curbside bulk pickup (limited, 1 cubic yard, by request, 4 times per year), four free Convenience Centers (the workhorse of the system), and donation pickup programs. Metro Nashville Waste Services serves single-family residences (including duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes) within the Urban Services District.
Convenience Centers (free drop-off)
Free for residentsNashville operates four Convenience Centers (East, Omohundro, and others) that accept household trash, recyclables, glass, compostables, and bulky items. First bulk item is free per visit. This is the workhorse of Nashville's free bulk system, more flexible than the limited curbside bulk service.
What's accepted (free): 1 bulk trash item free per visit. Up to 4 mattresses/box springs per month (combination of either). Up to 4 tires without rims per month (East and Ezell Pike Centers only). 1 bulk scrap metal item or up to 3 trash bags of scrap metal free.
Limits: 1 cubic yard maximum per visit. Construction & demolition waste limited to 1 cubic yard at Omohundro Center only.
Fees apply for: Additional bulk items beyond the first. Tires with rims. See Convenience Center webpage for current fees.
Payment: Credit/debit cards accepted at all centers (2.8% processing fee, $1.95 minimum). Cash NOT accepted at Omohundro.
Curbside bulk pickup (limited, by request)
Free, 4x/yearNashville offers curbside bulk pickup, but it's limited: 1 cubic yard maximum per collection, and the service is only provided 4 times per year per address. Schedule by calling 615-862-5000 or via hubNashville. Place items curbside by 5 AM on Monday of your collection week.
Eligibility: Single-family residences (including duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes) in Nashville's Urban Services District (USD). General Services District properties not included.
Limit: 1 cubic yard per collection (very small). Service provided only 4 times per year per address.
How to schedule: Call 1085-862-5000 or use hubNashville to request bulk pickup. Or use the Nashville Waste and Recycling app.
What's accepted: Furniture, mattresses, tree limbs, small clippings, grass, leaves, televisions, cactus plants. Brush and bulk items must be 3 feet apart.
Set-out rules: Curbside by 5 AM Monday of your collection week. Pile size: max 10 feet long, 6 feet wide, 4 feet tall. Tree branches: 6 feet long, 12 inch diameter max, bundled.
Not accepted: Dirt, rocks, concrete, hazardous materials, residential construction waste (must be removed by contractor).
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. Nashville partner expansion is in progress for 2026.
Eligibility: Households in active partner communities. Ask your property manager whether your building participates.
Status in Nashville: Onboarding partner properties throughout 2026.
Donation-pickup programs
FreeNashville-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: Multiple Nashville-area locations. Pickup for furniture, appliances, building materials.
Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee: Donation pickup for larger items in the Nashville metro area.
Major schedule change effective February 2, 2026. Nashville Waste Services modernized routes across all districts effective February 2, 2026, collection days may have changed for many residents. Holiday rules also changed: if a Metro holiday is on Monday, no pickup-day changes that week. If a holiday is Tuesday-Friday, that day's pickups happen on Monday of the same week instead. Verify your current schedule at nashville.gov.
Weekly trash collection. Trash is collected weekly in the brown curbside cart and must be bagged. Place cart on the curb or alley by 6 AM with the arrow on the lid pointing toward the street/alley. Items placed outside of carts will not be picked up, excess trash can be taken to one of the four Convenience Centers.
Bi-weekly recycling. Recycling is collected every other week in the green-lid cart. Items placed loose, never bagged. Use the Nashville Waste and Recycling App or check nashville.gov to confirm your specific recycling week.
Eligibility. Curbside service is available to single-family residences (including duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes) within Nashville's Urban Services District (USD). If you live in the General Services District (GSD) or a multi-family complex throughout Davidson County, contact your property manager or a private hauler. Metro provides dumpster service for multi-family complexes in the USD if requested by the property owner/manager.
Cart rules. Each service address gets one brown trash cart and one green recycling cart. Additional trash carts: $65 each. Carts must be at least 4 feet from any stationary object (cars, mailboxes, utility poles, recycling cart). Carts must be put away in a secure location not visible from a public street after collection (Metro Code 10.20.110c).
WM partnership. Nashville has partnered with WM (Waste Management) to provide residential waste service. WM operates the curbside collection under contract with Metro.
App and lookup. Use the Nashville Waste and Recycling App (iPhone/Android) or the Waste Wizard at nashville.gov for address-specific pickup days, recycling weeks, and item-by-item disposal guidance. Sign up for pickup day reminders via the app.
Nashville'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 the 1 cubic yard curbside bulk limit, can't wait between the 4 annual bulk requests, or live in the General Services District / multi-family complexes (no city service), paid options are available.
Additional Convenience Center fees
Quote-basedConvenience Centers accept your first bulk item free, but charge fees for additional items, tires with rims, and excess construction debris. Often the cheapest paid option for items beyond the free allowance.
How to use: Take items directly to a Convenience Center during open hours (Tuesday-Saturday, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM). Credit/debit cards accepted (2.8% fee).
Pricing: Variable by item type. See Convenience Center webpage for current fees.
LoadUp paid pickup
$80+For households who need same-week service or live in the General Services District / multi-family complexes (excluded from city bulk service), LoadUp offers professional removal in Nashville 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.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
Other paid services in Nashville: 1-800-Got-Junk, 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 Nashville pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Different items have different rules in Nashville. Here's a quick reference for the most common things people need to dispose of.
Nashville accepts household hazardous waste at Convenience Centers and through periodic HHW collection events. Check nashville.gov for current event dates. Latex or water-based paints and stains can be dried out (leave off the lid or use cat litter) and disposed of in regular trash. 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 Nashville, call 311 (or 615-862-5000) or use hubNashville at nashville.gov. Include the location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible. The Nashville Waste and Recycling App also accepts reports. If you're considering dumping because you can't afford a haul, please use one of the four free Convenience Centers, the first bulk item is free per visit, plus 4 mattresses per month and 4 tires per month at no charge.
Is there really free junk removal in Nashville?
Partly, Nashville offers limited curbside bulk pickup (1 cubic yard maximum per collection, only 4 times per year per address) by request through hubNashville. The more flexible free option is the four Convenience Centers, which accept your first bulk item free per visit, plus 4 mattresses/box springs per month and 4 tires without rims per month (at East and Ezell Pike centers). Donation pickup through Salvation Army, Habitat ReStore, and Goodwill is also free for usable items.
When did Nashville change collection schedules?
Nashville Waste Services modernized collection routes effective February 2, 2026. Many residents had their pickup days change, and holiday rules changed: if a Metro holiday is on Monday, no pickup-day changes that week. If a holiday is Tuesday-Friday, that day’s pickups happen on Monday of the same week instead. Verify your current schedule at nashville.gov, the Nashville Waste and Recycling App, or call 311.
How do I dispose of a mattress in Nashville?
Several free options. Take to a Convenience Center: residents can drop off any combination of up to 4 mattresses and box springs per month free. Schedule curbside bulk via hubNashville (limited, 1 cubic yard total per pickup, only 4 times per year). Donate to Salvation Army or Habitat ReStore if in good condition. For same-week service: paid LoadUp pickup starts around $80.
How do I qualify for Freemoval in Nashville?
Freemoval works through partner communities, typically affordable housing operators, public housing authorities, and select municipal partnerships. We’re actively expanding partnerships in Nashville 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 Nashville, contact us to discuss adding your community.
I live in the General Services District or a multi-family complex. What are my options?
Nashville Waste Services curbside collection only serves single-family residences (including duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes) within the Urban Services District (USD). If you live in the General Services District (GSD) or a multi-family complex, you must contact your property manager or a private hauler. Metro provides dumpster service for multi-family complexes in the USD if requested by the property owner/manager. All Davidson County residents can use the four Convenience Centers regardless of where they live. This is exactly the gap Freemoval is designed to address.
Why is curbside bulk pickup so limited (1 cubic yard, 4x per year)?
Nashville’s 1 cubic yard limit and 4-pickups-per-year cap are unusually restrictive compared to peer cities. The city directs most bulk disposal to the four Convenience Centers, where the first item is free per visit and there’s no annual cap. The model emphasizes drop-off over curbside, which works for residents with vehicles but creates challenges for those without, another gap Freemoval addresses in partner communities.
How do I report illegal dumping in Nashville?
Call 311 (or 615-862-5000) or use hubNashville at nashville.gov. The Nashville Waste and Recycling App also accepts reports. 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 Nashville partner properties through 2026. Reach out to prioritize your community.
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