A public resource guide
Every legitimate way to get rid of furniture, appliances, mattresses, and bulk waste in Raleigh, including 1 free Bulky Load every 90 days, the new Bulky Load fee starting April 1, 2026, free weekly e-waste collection (Tuesdays only), the Raleigh Reuse Tool, the rare permissive holiday schedule, and what to do when paid hauling isn't an option.
Last updated: May 2026 · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
Raleigh runs a tightly structured but generous system: one free Bulky Load (up to 4 cubic yards) every 90 days, plus free curbside e-waste collection up to 4 items per week on Tuesdays only. Critical update for 2026: a Bulky Load fee took effect April 1, 2026, so the formerly “free once every 90 days” now operates differently, check current fee structure before scheduling. Raleigh also has one of the most permissive holiday schedules in the country: only Thanksgiving causes a delay. Christmas, New Year's, and Labor Day are all normal collection days. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
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Raleigh residents have free weekly e-waste collection (4 items max, Tuesdays only), free weekly trash, free biweekly recycling, free biweekly yard waste, free Wake County HHW disposal, and donation pickup programs. The City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services (SWS) Department provides trash, recycling, and yard waste collection to single-family residential customers within Raleigh city limits.
Free E-Waste Collection (4 items/week, Tuesdays only)
Free, 4/weekCity of Raleigh residents can request free curbside E-waste collection for up to 4 electronic items per week. E-waste collection is available on TUESDAYS only, regardless of your regular collection day. This is a separate service from Bulky Load and doesn't count against bulky limits. Schedule by calling Customer Support at 919-996-3245.
What's accepted: Specific small household appliances with a cord, electronic devices, TVs, computers, monitors, printers.
Limit: 4 items per week, Tuesdays only.
How to schedule: Call Customer Support at 919-996-3245.
Items containing Freon: Must be clearly marked when scheduling.
Eligibility: Residents who receive curbside garbage collection services.
Bulky Load Collection (1 every 90 days, fees apply April 2026+)
Fee starts April 2026A Bulky Load is up to 4 cubic yards (about the size of two couches or three queen mattresses) of items too large to fit in your garbage cart. Historically free once every 90 days (one per address), but a Bulky Load fee took effect April 1, 2026. Check raleighnc.gov for current fee structure before scheduling. Items placed at the curb BEFORE scheduling are subject to administrative fines and civil penalties.
What's a Bulky Load: 4 cubic yards (about 2 couches or 3 queen mattresses) of household items not fitting in cart.
Frequency: 1 Bulky Load every 90 days per address.
Fee status: Bulky Load fee effective April 1, 2026. Check raleighnc.gov/landfill-and-reuse/services/bulky-special-and-e-waste-collection for current rates.
How to schedule: Call 1089-996-3245. Schedule BEFORE placing items at the curb. Items placed without an appointment are subject to fines.
Accepted items: Furniture (sofas, chairs, tables, dressers, bed frames), mattresses, bicycles, lawnmowers, lawn appliances, grills.
NOT accepted: Construction debris, hazardous waste, electronics (use e-waste service), automotive parts, recyclable cardboard (use blue cart).
Refrigerator prep: Remove all food. Doors must be secured or removed entirely (child safety).
Special Load Collection ($70 per 4 cubic yards)
$70 per loadSpecial Load Collection is paid bulk pickup for items beyond Bulky Load eligibility, additional cubic yards, or items needing special handling. $70 per 4 cubic yards. Useful when you've already used your 90-day Bulky Load or have multiple loads to dispose of.
Cost: $70 per 4 cubic yards.
When to use: Already used your 90-day Bulky Load. Multiple loads. Items requiring special handling.
How to schedule: Call 1089-996-3245. Pay fee before placing material at the curbside.
The Raleigh Reuse Tool (find disposal options for any item)
Free toolBefore scheduling Bulky Load, check the Raleigh Reuse Tool. It tells you the proper disposal path for any item, donation, recycling, drop-off, scheduled pickup. The tool encourages reuse before disposal. Available as a web tool and mobile app for iOS/Android.
What it does: Search any item to find proper disposal, donation, recycling, drop-off, or curbside pickup.
Where: raleighnc.gov/raleigh-reuse or download the Raleigh Reuse App (iOS/Android).
Why it matters: SWS encourages reuse before disposal. Many items are still usable and can go to local nonprofits or community buy/sell groups instead of the landfill.
The Swap Shop (City of Raleigh)
FreeThe City of Raleigh runs a Swap Shop where residents can drop off usable items for others to take. Free both ways, no payment for drop-off or pickup. Great for clean furniture, appliances in working condition, and household items.
What's accepted: Usable items: furniture, working appliances, household goods.
Cost: Free for residents to drop off and to take items.
Wake County HHW (free hazardous waste)
Free for residentsWake County operates Household Hazardous Waste facilities for residents to dispose of paint, chemicals, batteries, motor oil, automotive fluids, and other HHW at no charge. Use either the Southview or Northview facilities.
What's accepted: Paint, chemicals, batteries, motor oil, automotive fluids, pesticides, household cleaners, fluorescent bulbs, propane tanks.
Locations: Wake County Southview and Northview HHW facilities.
Cost: Free for Wake County residents.
2026 update: North Wake HHW facility had a fire in 2024 and partial reopening occurred in 2025-2026. Verify current operating hours at wake.gov before traveling.
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. Raleigh partner expansion is in progress for 2026.
Eligibility: Households in active partner communities. Ask your property manager whether your building participates.
Status in Raleigh: Onboarding partner properties throughout 2026.
Donation-pickup programs
FreeRaleigh-area nonprofits offer free pickup for items in usable condition. SWS explicitly recommends donation as the first option before scheduling Bulky Load.
Habitat for Humanity Wake County ReStore: Multiple locations. Free pickup for furniture, appliances, building materials.
The Salvation Army: Free pickup of clothing, furniture, household items. Schedule at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.
Goodwill Community Foundation: Donation pickup for larger items in the Raleigh-Durham metro area.
Triangle Furniture Bank: Triangle-area nonprofit providing furniture to families in need. Free pickup of donations.
SWS service area. The City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services (SWS) Department provides trash, recycling, and yard waste collection to single-family residential customers within Raleigh city limits. Apartment complexes typically use private dumpsters, coordinate large item disposal with property management. Outside Raleigh city limits (Cary, Apex, Garner, Knightdale, Wake Forest, etc.), residents have separate town services.
Three-cart system. Every household receives gray (trash, weekly), blue (recycling, biweekly), and lime-green (yard waste, biweekly) carts. Recycling and yard waste alternate weeks, if your recycling is Week A, your yard waste is Week B, and vice versa. Use the Raleigh Reuse Web Tool to confirm your specific weeks.
The unique permissive holiday schedule. Raleigh Solid Waste Services observes only ONE holiday that affects curbside collection: Thanksgiving Day. All other holidays, New Year's Day, MLK Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans' Day, and Christmas Day, are fully normal collection days. This is one of the most permissive holiday schedules of any major U.S. city. Tuesday and Wednesday customers are never affected by any holiday in 2026. Even on Thanksgiving week, only Thursday and Friday routes shift.
Set-out rules. Place all carts at the curb by 6:00 AM on collection day. Carts must be within 5 feet of the curb, with handles facing your property (not the street). Cart lids must not be open more than 12 inches. Don't leave carts curbside overnight, remove from curb by end of collection day.
Contamination rule. SWS will NOT collect contaminated carts. If wrong materials are found, the cart will be left with a tag explaining why. Do not mix trash or yard waste with recyclables. Loose bags of recycling next to the cart will not be collected.
Recycling rules. Single-stream, all recyclables in the blue cart together. Loose, never bagged. Items must be empty and dry. Lids and labels OK on bottles and jars.
Yard waste rules. Three options: (1) lime-green 95-gallon City-issued cart, (2) biodegradable paper bags (limit 15 per collection, max 25 lbs each), (3) tied bundles of sticks (limit 5, max 50 lbs each). Black or clear plastic bags will NOT be collected. Excess yard waste can go to the City's Yard Waste Recycling Center at 900 N. New Hope Road (tipping fee). The City provides one bundle of 5 free biodegradable bags, pickup at the Central Operations Facility (2550 Operations Way) or the Raleigh Municipal Building (222 W. Hargett Street).
Bulky Load fee starting April 2026. A Bulky Load fee took effect April 1, 2026. The previous “free once every 90 days” structure has changed. Verify current fees at raleighnc.gov before scheduling.
Schedule before placing items. Items placed at the curb before scheduling pickup are subject to administrative fines and civil penalties as specified in Section 7 of the Raleigh City Code. Always call 1089-996-3245 first.
Solid Waste Services. Customer Care: 919-996-3245. Email: SWS@raleighnc.gov. raleighnc.gov/departments/solid-waste-services. Available Monday-Friday 8 AM-5 PM.
Find your day and zone. Raleigh Reuse Web Tool at raleighnc.gov/raleigh-reuse or the Raleigh Reuse App (iOS/Android). Enter your address to see your full schedule.
Raleigh'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 1 Bulky Load every 90 days, need same-day service, live in apartments using private dumpsters, or have items the city won't take (construction debris, automotive parts), paid options are available. Note: Special Load Collection at $70 per 4 cu yd through the city is competitive with private haulers for many situations, comparison-shop based on volume and timeline.
LoadUp paid pickup
$80+For households who need same-day service, exceed Bulky Load 90-day limits, live in apartment buildings without included bulk service, have items the city won't take, or want full-service in-home pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in Raleigh 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-item cleanouts, items the city won't accept (construction debris, automotive parts).
Other paid services in Raleigh: 1-800-Got-Junk, College Hunks Hauling Junk, Junk King, plus dozens of local Triangle haulers, 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 Raleigh pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Different items have different rules in Raleigh. Here's a quick reference for the most common things people need to dispose of.
Raleigh residents can dispose of household hazardous waste at Wake County's Southview and Northview HHW facilities, free for Wake County residents. Drop off paint, chemicals, batteries, motor oil, automotive fluids, pesticides, household cleaners, fluorescent bulbs, and propane tanks at no charge. Note: the Northview HHW facility had a fire in 2024 and operations were partially affected through 2025-2026, verify current hours at wake.gov before traveling. 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 Raleigh, call SWS Customer Care at 919-996-3245 or use the Raleigh Reuse App. You can also file reports through the City's Fix-It Report-It system at raleighnc.gov/fix-it-report-it-request-it. Include the location, description of dumped material, and a photo if possible. Raleigh actively investigates dumping reports through code enforcement under Part 7 of the Raleigh City Code, violations can result in significant administrative fines and civil penalties. If you're considering dumping because the Bulky Load fees are too high or you've hit the 90-day limit, please use a paid hauler, LoadUp pickups starting around $80 are dramatically cheaper than illegal dumping fines.
Is there really free junk removal in Raleigh?
Yes, for electronics. Raleigh provides free weekly E-Waste collection of up to 4 items per week, Tuesdays only, regardless of your regular collection day. Bulky Load Collection (large furniture, mattresses, appliances) was historically free once every 90 days, but a Bulky Load fee took effect April 1, 2026, check raleighnc.gov for current fees. Wake County HHW facilities are free for paint, chemicals, batteries, and other hazardous items. Donation pickup through Habitat ReStore, Salvation Army, Triangle Furniture Bank, and Goodwill is also free for usable items. Note: items placed at the curb before scheduling Bulky Load pickup are subject to administrative fines and civil penalties under Raleigh City Code.
Why is e-waste only collected on Tuesdays?
Raleigh runs a single citywide e-waste route on Tuesdays to maximize efficiency, one truck handles all e-waste pickups across the entire service area in a single day each week. This means your e-waste pickup day is always a Tuesday, regardless of whether your regular trash collection is Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Schedule by calling 919-996-3245 to be added to the next available Tuesday route. Up to 4 electronic items per week. Items containing Freon must be clearly marked when scheduling.
What changed about Bulky Load in April 2026?
A Bulky Load fee took effect April 1, 2026. Historically, residents got 1 free Bulky Load (up to 4 cubic yards) every 90 days. Starting April 2026, that pickup carries a fee, verify current rates at raleighnc.gov/landfill-and-reuse/services/bulky-special-and-e-waste-collection before scheduling. The Special Load Collection (for additional volume beyond the standard Bulky Load size) remained at $70 per 4 cubic yards. The change was driven by rising disposal costs and was approved through the City's budget process. E-Waste collection (4 items per week, Tuesdays) remains free.
How do I qualify for Freemoval in Raleigh?
Freemoval works through partner communities, typically affordable housing operators, public housing authorities, and select municipal partnerships. We’re actively expanding partnerships in Raleigh 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 Raleigh, contact us to discuss adding your community.
Why does Raleigh work on Christmas and New Year's?
Raleigh Solid Waste Services observes only ONE holiday that affects curbside collection: Thanksgiving Day. All other major holidays, New Year's Day, MLK Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans' Day, and Christmas Day, are fully normal collection days. This is one of the most permissive holiday schedules of any major U.S. city. The reasoning: Raleigh's waste volumes spike around major holidays (gift packaging, Christmas trees, food waste), and skipping collection would create overflow problems. Tuesday and Wednesday customers are never affected by any holiday in 2026. Note: HHW facilities and city offices DO close on major holidays even when curbside continues.
What is the Raleigh Reuse Tool?
The Raleigh Reuse Tool is a free web tool and mobile app that helps residents find the proper disposal method for any item. Search any item name (mattress, paint, refrigerator, computer, etc.) and the tool returns options: donation, recycling, drop-off locations, scheduled pickup, or proper disposal facility. The tool encourages reuse before disposal and prevents items from going to landfill unnecessarily. Available at raleighnc.gov/raleigh-reuse or as the Raleigh Reuse App on iOS/Android. The City Solid Waste Services explicitly recommends using this tool first before scheduling any pickup, many items are still usable and can go to nonprofits, the City's Swap Shop, or community buy/sell groups.
How do I report illegal dumping in Raleigh?
Call SWS Customer Care at 919-996-3245 or use the Raleigh Reuse App. You can also file reports through the City's Fix-It Report-It system at raleighnc.gov/fix-it-report-it. 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 Raleigh partner properties through 2026. Reach out to prioritize your community.
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