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A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of moving boxes and cardboard in San Antonio, verified October 2026.
Checked against San Antonio SWMD
2
bulky collection weeks a year, plus 2 separate brush weeks
8 cu yd
maximum pile, within 8 feet of the curb
4
Bulky Waste Collection Centers, free with your CPS Energy bill
Every route for moving boxes and cardboard in San Antonio, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full San Antonio guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in San Antonio, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
San Antonio curbside bulky item collection: moving boxes and cardboard
FreeFlattened cardboard goes in the blue recycling cart. The centers also take flattened boxes.
Who qualifies: City of San Antonio residential solid waste customers (the city-cart households). Apartment complexes use private haulers.
How to schedule: No appointment. Bulky collection comes twice a year and brush collection twice a year, on separate weeks. A door hanger arrives 7 to 10 days ahead with your set-out date; Find My Collection Day on sa.gov gives an estimate. Need it sooner? Request an out-of-cycle collection through 311 or 210-207-6000 for a fee estimate.
Limits: Up to 8 cubic yards per pile. Brush and bulky are separate services: a bulky pile that contains brush can be fined up to $2,000 a day plus a collection fee.
Set-out: Pile at the curb in front of your house (even if your garbage is collected in the alley), within 8 feet of the curb, by 7 a.m. Monday of your collection week, clear of parked cars, fences, trees, and meters. Crews can take all week to come through.
Bulky Waste Collection Centers: moving boxes and cardboard
FreeFlattened cardboard is accepted.
Where: Four centers around the city; addresses and hours on sa.gov (Bitters is accessed from Jones Maltsberger and Wurzbach Parkway)
How it works: Residential customers only. Bring a recent CPS Energy bill showing the environmental fee and a photo ID, and the visit is free. Limits: 4 cubic yards of bulky items, 1 cubic yard of construction material, 6 tires with no rims. No household trash, no commercial loads.
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 San Antonio: 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 moving boxes and cardboard, 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 San Antonio: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
San Antonio runs a tightly structured but generous system: biannual curbside Brush & Bulky pickup (twice each per year, so 4 collections total spread throughout the year) with door-hanger notifications about 7-10 days before your week, a three-cart system (brown trash weekly, blue recycling weekly, green organics/composting weekly), and four FREE Bulky Waste Collection Centers open year-round for residents. The trade-off is the strict Tarp Law (Ordinance No. 2015-09-10-0760) requiring residents to cover brush loads or face a $5 penalty. Annual Free Landfill Day on Saturday, February 14, 2026 (8 AM-1 PM) offers an additional free disposal opportunity. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The San Antonio rule for moving boxes and cardboard: Flattened cardboard goes in the blue recycling cart. The centers also take flattened boxes.
Program basics: Up to 8 cubic yards per pile. Brush and bulky are separate services: a bulky pile that contains brush can be fined up to $2,000 a day plus a collection fee. Pile at the curb in front of your house (even if your garbage is collected in the alley), within 8 feet of the curb, by 7 a.m. Monday of your collection week, clear of parked cars, fences, trees, and meters. Crews can take all week to come through.
What the city will not take: Brush in the bulky pile, construction debris, glass and mirrors, household hazardous waste, auto parts, and anything from a business.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of San Antonio SWMD: Curbside Brush and Bulky Item Collection, City of San Antonio SWMD: Bulky Waste Collection Centers. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why moving boxes and cardboard are different from ordinary bulk. Volume is the only problem. Cardboard is clean, dry, and valuable to recyclers, but it is bulky until flattened and a stack of 100 boxes is a small room. Most curbside programs accept flattened cardboard bundled next to the cart, within size limits (often 2 by 3 feet, tied), and reject boxes that are not broken down.
Three mistakes that get moving boxes and cardboard left at the curb:
Paid options are rarely needed for cardboard alone, but a move-out cleanout that includes boxes, packing material, and leftover items is a common hauler job.
Junk removal pickup for a whole move-out
$100 to $400When boxes are mixed with furniture, packing material, and leftover items, a hauler clears it in one trip and recycles the cardboard.
Flatten what you can first to reduce the volume and the price.
LoadUp paid moving box pickup
$80+For households who need same-day service, can’t wait until next Brush & Bulky week, exceed Bulky Center limits, have items the city won’t accept, live in apartment buildings, or want full-service in-home pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in San Antonio with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your moving box. 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 moving box pickup in San Antonio with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside San Antonio proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete San Antonio junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national moving boxes and cardboard disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for San Antonio: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does San Antonio pick up moving boxes and cardboard for free?
Yes, flattened, in the blue cart or at a center.
How much does paid moving box removal cost in San Antonio?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single moving box pickup in San Antonio 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 service, can't wait until next Brush & Bulky week, exceed Bulky Center limits, have items the city won't accept, live in apartment buildings, or want full-service in-home pickup, LoadUp offers professional removal in San Antonio with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
How do I recycle a lot of moving boxes?
Flatten every box, bundle to your program’s size limit (often 2 by 3 feet), and tie with twine. Put out a few bundles each collection week, or take the whole flattened stack to a recycling drop-off or a retailer’s cardboard baler in one trip. Check your city’s bundle rules in the directory below.
Can I leave the tape and labels on?
Yes. Recycling mills screen out tape and labels. Remove large plastic liners, foam, and packing material.
Where can I give away moving boxes?
Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Nextdoor, Buy Nothing groups, and box exchange listings on moving sites. Post the count and sizes, slit the tape and fold flat without crushing, and takers usually collect within a day.
Is bubble wrap recyclable?
Not curbside. Bubble wrap and air pillows are plastic film accepted at grocery and retail store film drop-off bins, and shipping stores often take clean bubble wrap for reuse.
Is this San Antonio page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full San Antonio guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.