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A public resource guide

Free scrap metal removal in Orlando, FL

Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Orlando, verified October 2026.

Illegally dumped junk pile with appliances and debris Checked against City of Orlando

Weekly

large item collection on your yard waste day, no appointment

7 a.m.

out by this time on collection day, or the evening before

4

car tires per household per year at the curb

Every route for scrap metal in Orlando, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Orlando guide covers every other item.

Free scrap metal removal in Orlando

Here is how each route works in Orlando, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.

Orlando weekly large item collection: scrap metal

Free

Metal items go out on yard waste day, or to a scrap yard.

Who qualifies: Single-family homes with City of Orlando solid waste service (billed through OUC). Unincorporated Orange County has its own program through Solid Waste at 407-836-6601.

How to schedule: No appointment for hand-loadable items. Put large items at the curb on your yard waste day; the city collects weekly. Oversized loads can be scheduled through Solid Waste at 407-246-2314 for an additional fee.

Limits: No published item cap for ordinary household large items; crews collect what two people can hand-load. Tires are limited to 4 car tires per household per year.

Set-out: At the curb the evening before or by 7 a.m. on your yard waste day. Refrigerator and freezer doors must be removed before set-out.

Read the full Orlando city services guide ›

Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)

Free

Freemoval 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 Orlando: 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 scrap metal, 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 Orlando: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.

For partners ›

How Orlando handles scrap metal

Orlando residents have one of the most generous bulk pickup schedules in the country: large items get collected weekly on the same day as garbage. Furniture, mattresses, appliances, TVs, and up to 4 passenger car tires are all accepted. This page walks through every disposal option in order from free to paid.

The Orlando rule for scrap metal: Metal items go out on yard waste day, or to a scrap yard.

Program basics: No published item cap for ordinary household large items; crews collect what two people can hand-load. Tires are limited to 4 car tires per household per year. At the curb the evening before or by 7 a.m. on your yard waste day. Refrigerator and freezer doors must be removed before set-out.

What the city will not take: Household hazardous waste, auto parts, construction debris, and truck tires. Electronics go to Orange County's drop-off sites.

How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Orlando Public Works: Solid Waste Division (large item collection), City of Orlando: Solid Waste services included in residential rates. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.

Hazardous and regulated components in Orlando. Orlando residents can dispose of household hazardous waste and electronic items free of charge at the Orange County Landfill and Porter Transfer Station. These facilities are closed on Sundays and major holidays. 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.

Why scrap metal are different from ordinary bulk. Most household scrap is mixed. An appliance is a steel shell around a copper motor and aluminum fins; a bike is a steel or aluminum frame with rubber and plastic. Yards accept mixed items at the steel rate, so sorting pays only if you have enough non-ferrous metal to make it worth the time. A magnet and ten minutes usually tells you.

Prep checklist before pickup day in Orlando

  • Run a magnet over everything and separate non-ferrous (no stick) pieces into a bucket.
  • Remove propane tanks, lead-acid batteries, and lithium packs; take each to its proper drop-off.
  • Drain fluids from mowers, water heaters, and engines.
  • Leave refrigerant lines intact on fridges, ACs, and dehumidifiers.
  • Stage at the curb edge and post as free scrap, or load sorted bins and bring ID to the yard.

Three mistakes that get scrap metal left at the curb:

  • Don't pay to dispose of metal. A scrapper will take it free and a yard will pay.
  • Don't put propane tanks, lead-acid batteries, or lithium batteries in a scrap pile. Tanks go to an exchange or HHW; batteries to an auto parts store or battery drop-off.
  • Don't cut refrigerant lines on fridges, ACs, or dehumidifiers to sell the compressor. Yards refuse cut units and venting is a federal violation.

Paid options barely exist for metal, except when the metal is attached to things that are not metal.

Mixed loads to a transfer station

$20 to $60

If metal is mixed into a larger cleanout, transfer stations charge by weight for the whole load. Pull the metal out first and give it to a scrapper; it reduces the fee and keeps metal out of the landfill.

Most transfer stations have a free metal pile. Ask before you tip.

LoadUp paid scrap metal pickup

$80+

For households who need same-week service or live in apartments/condos not covered by city service, LoadUp offers professional removal in Orlando with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.

What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your scrap metal. 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 scrap metal pickup in Orlando with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.

Scrap metal rules in nearby cities

Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Orlando proper, start with the guide for your own city:

Closest category in the Cape Coral table: Free curbside bulk on regular collection day.
Closest category in the Jacksonville table: Accepted in weekly bulk pickup (no appointment). If working: donation pickup. Otherwise paid haul.
Closest category in the Lakeland table: 1 of 4 free bulk collections/year (schedule first). Retailer haul-away with new delivery. Freon recovery required.
Closest category in the Miami table: Accepted in Miami-Dade bulky pickup as “white goods.” If working: donation pickup. Otherwise: bulky pickup, T&R…
Closest category in the St. Petersburg table: Free Special Pickup (call 727-893-7398 first).
Closest category in the Tampa table: Accepted in S.W.E.E.P. or special pickup. If working: donation pickup. Otherwise paid haul.

Related guides: the complete Orlando junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national scrap metal disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.

Other free removal guides for Orlando: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.

Common questions about scrap metal removal in Orlando

Does Orlando pick up scrap metal for free?

Yes, on your yard waste day, or a scrap yard.

How much does paid scrap metal removal cost in Orlando?

Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single scrap metal pickup in Orlando starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who need same-week service or live in apartments/condos not covered by city service, LoadUp offers professional removal in Orlando with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.

Will someone pick up scrap metal for free?

Yes. Independent scrappers in every metro collect appliances, grills, frames, and other metal from the curb free, usually the same day you post it, because they sell it by weight. Many city bulk programs also collect metal.

How much does a scrap yard pay?

Steel pays a few cents per pound; a washer or water heater might bring a few dollars. Aluminum pays several times more, and copper and brass pay the most, often a few dollars per pound. Prices change weekly with commodity markets.

How do I tell what kind of metal I have?

Use a magnet. If it sticks, the metal is ferrous (steel or iron) and pays the base rate. If it does not, it is aluminum, copper, brass, or stainless and worth sorting out. Copper is reddish, brass is yellow, aluminum is light and silver, stainless is heavy and silver.

Can I scrap a refrigerator or air conditioner?

Yes, but the refrigerant must be recovered first by a certified technician or by the yard if it has recovery equipment. Do not cut the lines. Many yards accept sealed units and recover the gas themselves; call first.

Is this Orlando page maintained?

Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Orlando guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.

Fund a free pickup in Orlando

Help cover someone else’s haul.

Most LoadUp customers fund Freemoval pickups by rounding up at checkout. If you’re not booking a paid pickup yourself but want to help, you can contribute directly, pooled with other donations to fund subsidized pickups in Orlando at standard market rates, the same rates LoadUp charges any paying customer.

Choose a custom amount→

Freemoval is a social impact program of LoadUp Technologies, LLC. Contributions are not tax-deductible. 100% of contributions fund pickups at standard market rates, the same rates LoadUp charges any paying customer. No separate fundraising overhead is deducted from donations.