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A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of exercise equipment in Knoxville, verified October 2026.
Checked against City of Knoxville
5
bulky items per week; place a bulky alert with 311 before set-out
2 days
allow up to two business days after your alert for the bulky truck
Tag or haul
refrigerators need a technician's drain tag, or take them to the Solid Waste Facility
Every route for exercise equipment in Knoxville, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Knoxville guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Knoxville, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Knoxville weekly bulky waste collection: exercise equipment
FreeTreadmills are bulky items. Remove batteries.
Who qualifies: Households with City of Knoxville curbside garbage service.
How to schedule: No appointment required, but the city asks you to place a bulky alert by calling 311 before you set items out. Up to 5 bulky items per week. The bulky truck is separate from the garbage truck and may take up to two business days after your alert.
Limits: 5 bulky items per week. Carpet rolled, tied, and cut to 6 feet or less. Tires only with rims removed. Refrigerant appliances only if drained and tagged by certified personnel.
Set-out: At the curb away from carts, mailboxes, and cars, with brush in a completely separate pile. Items mixed with brush or garbage are not collected.
Donation pickup in Knoxville (usable exercise equipment)
FreeKnoxville’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.
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in Knoxville: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, covering exercise equipment, furniture, appliances, and bulk household items within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in Knoxville: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Knoxville runs one of the most accessible bulky waste systems in the South: FREE WEEKLY bulky waste pickup with NO appointment needed, up to 5 bulky items per week placed next to your trash cart by 7 AM on your service day. Just place items at the curb. The City’s automated trash collection system (since January 2017) handles the regular trash; the bulky truck makes a separate pass within 2 business days after you place a "bulky alert". Service is paid for through City taxes, NO monthly bill, NO sign-up needed. Eligibility extends to single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, and quad-plexes located on a single parcel within City limits. Refrigerators, freezers, and AC units require certified personnel to drain coolant first, OR self-haul to the Solid Waste Facility where staff handle drainage. Critical warning: more than 5 bulky items at once = Codes Enforcement Violation, NONE of the items collected. Stagger across weeks. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Knoxville rule for exercise equipment: Treadmills are bulky items. Remove batteries.
Program basics: 5 bulky items per week. Carpet rolled, tied, and cut to 6 feet or less. Tires only with rims removed. Refrigerant appliances only if drained and tagged by certified personnel. At the curb away from carts, mailboxes, and cars, with brush in a completely separate pile. Items mixed with brush or garbage are not collected.
What the city will not take: Refrigerant appliances without a technician's tag (take them to the Solid Waste Facility, where staff drain them), auto parts, tires on rims, construction debris, electronics, and hazardous waste.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Knoxville Waste and Resources Management: Bulky Waste, City of Knoxville: Bulky Waste Collection guidelines. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why exercise equipment are different from ordinary bulk. Exercise equipment combines several disposal challenges: weight (treadmills 200 to 400 lbs assembled, ellipticals 150 to 200 lbs, home gym sets 300 to 1,000+ lbs), size (most equipment is too large for standard bulk crew lifts), embedded electronics (treadmills, smart bikes, ellipticals all have computer consoles that fall under state e-waste laws in 25+ states), and stairs (most home equipment is in basements or upper floors, requiring careful disassembly to navigate exits).
Three mistakes that get exercise equipment left at the curb:
When free options don’t fit your timeline or you don’t want to disassemble:
Specialized Equipment Movers
$150 to $500For commercial-grade equipment (Life Fitness, Precor, Cybex, Hammer Strength) or large home gyms, specialized fitness equipment movers are worth the premium. Pricing reflects the technical knowledge required to safely disassemble and move complex equipment without damaging cables, electronics, or hydraulic systems. Search “fitness equipment movers [your city]”.
LoadUp paid treadmill or exercise equipment pickup
$80+For households who need same-day or in-home pickup, exceed the 5-item weekly limit, live in 5+ unit apartment buildings without City service, have construction debris (NOT eligible for City service), or want full-service hauling without managing prepaid stickers and dropping-off, LoadUp offers professional removal in Knoxville with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal. LoadUp’s headquarters is in Atlanta, Knoxville is part of our home market.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your treadmill or exercise equipment. 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.
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 treadmill or exercise equipment pickup in Knoxville with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Knoxville proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Knoxville junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national exercise equipment disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Knoxville: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Knoxville pick up exercise equipment for free?
Yes, as bulky items, with a 311 alert.
Where can I donate exercise equipment in Knoxville?
Knoxville’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.
How much does paid exercise equipment removal cost in Knoxville?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single treadmill or exercise equipment pickup in Knoxville starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who need same-day or in-home pickup, exceed the 5-item weekly limit, live in 5+ unit apartment buildings without City service, have construction debris (NOT eligible for City service), or want full-service hauling without managing prepaid stickers and dropping-off, LoadUp offers professional removal in Knoxville with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal. LoadUp’s headquarters is in Atlanta, Knoxville is part of our home market.
Will Goodwill or Salvation Army take my old treadmill?
Sometimes, but with caveats. Most donation programs accept working exercise equipment in good condition with intact electronics and no missing parts. Programs typically reject equipment over 10 to 15 years old, equipment with safety recalls, or anything that needs repair. Habitat for Humanity ReStore is often more flexible than Salvation Army or Goodwill for larger pieces. Working stationary bikes, weight sets, and ellipticals are most commonly accepted; treadmills with electronics issues are most commonly rejected.
Can I sell used exercise equipment?
Yes, and the resale market is surprisingly strong. Working treadmills typically sell for $100 to $500 on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Ellipticals: $75 to $300. Weight sets: $1 to $2 per pound (a 300-lb weight set sells for $300 to $600). Peloton bikes and high-end smart equipment hold value especially well, used Peloton bikes sell for $400 to $900 even at 5+ years old. Always include the buyer-handles-pickup option in your listing, saves you the moving fee.
How do I dispose of a treadmill that doesn’t work?
Free city bulk pickup is the typical path for non-working equipment in most cities, but disassemble first if your city has weight or size limits. Remove the electronic console (which goes through electronics recycling), then cut or fold the deck for transport. The motor contains valuable copper that scrap metal recyclers accept free (and may pay you $5 to $15 for). For paid pickup, $70 to $200 covers most single-piece equipment.
What about Peloton, NordicTrack, or smart fitness equipment?
Smart equipment with internet-connected screens (Peloton, NordicTrack iFit, Mirror, Tonal) is treated as a hybrid item, the equipment portion follows exercise equipment disposal rules, but the embedded screen falls under e-waste and may need separate handling under state e-waste laws. Best Buy will sometimes accept the entire piece for recycling at $30 to $50 fee. Used Peloton bikes still hold meaningful resale value on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace even at 5+ years old.
Is this Knoxville page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Knoxville guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.