2x a year
Brush and Bulky collection in each of Tucson's 26 service areas
10 cu yd
maximum per household, out by Monday of your week
5
tires accepted, in a separate pile
Every route for tires in Tucson, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Tucson guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Tucson, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Tucson Brush and Bulky collection: tires
FreeUp to 5 auto tires per household, placed in a separate pile from everything else.
Who qualifies: City of Tucson residential trash customers in the 26 service areas. Apartment complexes use commercial service.
How to schedule: No appointment. Crews visit each service area twice a year; find your weeks on the city's Brush and Bulky schedule and map. Set items in front of your home by Monday of your collection week; collection finishes by the end of the week. A Brush and Bulky Anytime special pickup is available for a fee ($55 for up to 10 cubic yards) between cycles.
Limits: 10 cubic yards per household (one cubic yard is about a washing machine). Up to 5 tires in a separate pile. Brush up to 5 feet long and 24 inches across; lumber, metal, and pipe up to 5 feet.
Set-out: In front of your home, out by Monday of your scheduled week and no more than two weeks ahead. Separate piles for tires and lumber. Remove refrigerator and freezer doors.
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 Tucson: 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 tires, 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 Tucson: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Tucson runs a unique zone-based bulky pickup system: FREE Brush & Bulky Plus collection TWICE per year, 10 cubic yards per event, included in the Environmental Services fee with no additional charge. The City has 26 residential service areas, each receiving collection roughly every 6 months. Place piles at the curb by 6 AM Monday of your zone’s scheduled week; collection occurs anytime that week (Mon-Fri). CRITICAL CHANGE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2026: piles MUST be at the curb in front of your home, piles in alleys will NOT be collected (with limited exceptions for special pickup areas). Brush & Bulky has strict separated-pile rules: brush separate, lumber separate, tires separate, scrap metal separate. Brush limit: under 5 ft long, 24 in diameter; lumber under 5 ft. Box cactus pieces with a 25-lb limit per box. Remove appliance doors. Glass is NOT in the blue recycling bin, use the unique purple drop-off containers across the city. Plastic bags and Styrofoam ARE collected curbside through the Hefty ReNew orange bin program (rare nationally). Mandatory composting via FoodCycle program. Holiday schedule is one of the simplest, only 3 holidays affect collection. Special Brush & Bulky pickups available for $55 base + $25 per additional 15 minutes + $5 per additional cubic yard. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Tucson rule for tires: Up to 5 auto tires per household, placed in a separate pile from everything else.
Program basics: 10 cubic yards per household (one cubic yard is about a washing machine). Up to 5 tires in a separate pile. Brush up to 5 feet long and 24 inches across; lumber, metal, and pipe up to 5 feet. In front of your home, out by Monday of your scheduled week and no more than two weeks ahead. Separate piles for tires and lumber. Remove refrigerator and freezer doors.
What the city will not take: TVs and computer monitors, construction material, concrete, dirt, rocks, and gravel, glass and mirrors, compressed gas cylinders, and household hazardous waste.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Tucson Environmental Services: Brush and Bulky. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Tucson. Tucson residents have free hazardous waste disposal at the Los Reales Sustainability Campus, open Monday-Friday. Plus free monthly Saturday drop-off events on the second Saturday of each month at rotating Eastside and Westside locations. Free for City of Tucson residents with proof of residency. $10 fee for residents of Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita, and unincorporated Pima County. Drop off paint, motor oil, pesticides, household cleaners, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, propane tanks, and electronics. 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, most pharmacies for unused medications. Tucson’s Small Business Waste Assistance Program (SBWAP) provides safe and affordable disposal for small businesses through Environmental Services.
Why tires are different from ordinary bulk. Tires are widely banned from landfills (state laws in nearly every U.S. state) but easy to recycle through the established tire fee system. The disposal fee is built into every new tire purchase ($1 to $5 per tire), funding end-of-life processing.
Three mistakes that get tires left at the curb:
When free options don’t fit (no new tire purchase, no upcoming collection events, more than the per-event limit):
Auto Shop Tire-Only Disposal
$3 to $8 eachMost auto shops will accept old tires WITHOUT a new tire purchase for $3 to $8 per tire. The fee covers their disposal cost since they didn’t collect the tire fee on a new purchase from you.
The most universal paid option: Available at virtually every auto shop nationally, Discount Tire, Costco Tire Center, Walmart Auto Care, NTB, local independent shops. Many will let you drop off tires anytime during business hours, no appointment.
Volume limit: Most shops cap at 4 to 5 tires per visit. Larger volumes need specialized tire recyclers.
LoadUp paid tires pickup
$80+For households who need same-day or in-home pickup, exceed the 10-cu-yd-per-event limit, can’t wait until the next zone rotation, have items the City won’t accept (concrete, construction debris, glass, TVs), or want full-service hauling without managing separated-pile rules and curb-placement requirements, LoadUp offers professional removal in Tucson with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your tires. 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 tires pickup in Tucson with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Tucson proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Tucson junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national tires disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Tucson: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Tucson pick up tires for free?
Yes, up to 5, in a separate pile, on your Brush and Bulky week.
How much does paid tire removal cost in Tucson?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single tires pickup in Tucson 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 10-cu-yd-per-event limit, can’t wait until the next zone rotation, have items the City won’t accept (concrete, construction debris, glass, TVs), or want full-service hauling without managing separated-pile rules and curb-placement requirements, LoadUp offers professional removal in Tucson with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What’s the cheapest way to dispose of tires?
If you’re buying new tires anyway: free with new tire purchase at any tire shop. The disposal fee is built into the new tire price by state law. If you have old tires without buying new ones: $3 to $8 per tire at most auto shops, or free at periodic city tire collection events. Auto shops are the most universal option, every Discount Tire, Walmart Auto Care, Costco Tire Center, and local independent shop accepts old tires for the disposal fee.
Why are tires banned from landfills?
Whole tires don’t compress in landfills, they trap air and rise to the surface over time, breaking the landfill cap and creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus and Zika. Tire piles are also a major fire hazard, tire fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish and release toxic smoke. Nearly every U.S. state has banned whole tires from landfills under solid waste laws. Recycled tires get shredded and used as tire-derived fuel for cement kilns and paper mills, crumb rubber for athletic field surfacing and playgrounds, and recycled rubber products.
How does the tire disposal fee work?
Every new tire sold in the U.S. includes a small disposal fee ($1 to $5 per tire built into the purchase price) that funds end-of-life recycling. Tire shops are required by state law to take old tires when you buy new ones, this is the simplest disposal channel and feels free because the cost was already paid when you bought the new tire. The fee varies by state: California $1.75 per tire, New York $2.50 per tire, most southern states $1 to $2 per tire.
What about specialty tires (agricultural, oversized, off-road)?
Most auto shops only accept passenger and light-truck tires. For agricultural tractor tires, oversized truck tires, motorcycle tires, and off-road tires, you’ll need a specialized recycler. Search “tire recycling” plus your tire type. Some farm equipment dealers accept their own brand back. Disposal fees for specialty tires are typically $20 to $100 per tire because of the larger volume of rubber.
Is this Tucson page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Tucson guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
