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A public resource guide
Free toilet and tub removal in Philadelphia, PA
Fixtures are not treated as compactible curbside items.
Checked against Philadelphia Sanitation
Home › By item › Bathroom fixtures › Philadelphia
A public resource guide
Fixtures are not treated as compactible curbside items.
Checked against Philadelphia Sanitation
2
compactible large items per week with regular trash, no appointment
4
items per Residential Bulk Collection appointment
6
Sanitation Convenience Centers, free with proof of residency
Every route for a toilet or bathtub in Philadelphia, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Philadelphia guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Philadelphia, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Philadelphia curbside large items and Residential Bulk Collection: toilets, bathtubs, and sinks
Free, with a step firstA toilet or sink from a home project can go to a Convenience Center. Porcelain fixtures are not compactible and are generally not taken with regular trash; contractor-removed fixtures are the contractor's job.
Who qualifies: Households with city trash collection (generally buildings of 6 or fewer units). Larger buildings use private haulers.
How to schedule: Two paths. Compactible furniture (sofas, chairs, bagged mattresses) goes out with regular trash, up to 2 items a week, no appointment. Appliances, TVs, and tires use the Residential Bulk Collection Program: book an appointment through the Sanitation website or 311, up to 4 items per appointment, collected from your regular trash spot.
Limits: 2 compactible large items per household per week at the curb. 4 items per bulk collection appointment. Sanitation Convenience Centers take up to 2 appliances and 4 tires per day with proof of residency.
Set-out: Set items at your regular trash pickup spot on trash day (after 7 p.m. the night before). Mattresses and box springs must be sealed in plastic mattress bags. Keep sidewalks passable.
Sanitation Convenience Centers: toilets, bathtubs, and sinks
FreeBulk items are accepted with proof of residency.
Where: Six locations citywide (Northwest at 300 Domino Ln, Northeast, North, West, Southwest, South); addresses and hours on phila.gov
How it works: Free for Philadelphia residents with proof of residency; no business waste. Accepts up to 2 appliances or large metal items a day, up to 4 tires a day, electronics, bulk furniture, yard waste, and some household hazardous waste.
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 Philadelphia: 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 toilets, bathtubs, and sinks, 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 Philadelphia: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Philadelphia’s bulk pickup landscape changed materially in 2024. After more than a decade with no curbside bulk service, the city restored the program in September 2024 as part of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s One Philly, United City Cleaning Initiative. Combined with the six Sanitation Convenience Centers and the new twice-a-week trash pilot, Philly residents have more options today than they’ve had in years. This page walks through every one.
The Philadelphia rule for toilets, bathtubs, and sinks: A toilet or sink from a home project can go to a Convenience Center. Porcelain fixtures are not compactible and are generally not taken with regular trash; contractor-removed fixtures are the contractor's job.
Program basics: 2 compactible large items per household per week at the curb. 4 items per bulk collection appointment. Sanitation Convenience Centers take up to 2 appliances and 4 tires per day with proof of residency. Set items at your regular trash pickup spot on trash day (after 7 p.m. the night before). Mattresses and box springs must be sealed in plastic mattress bags. Keep sidewalks passable.
What the city will not take: Electronics (banned from trash under Pennsylvania law), appliances and large metal items without a bulk appointment, tires without an appointment, construction debris, and household hazardous waste.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: Philadelphia Department of Sanitation: Residential trash and recycling rules, City of Philadelphia: Residential Bulk Collection Program announcement (September 2024), City of Philadelphia: Sanitation Convenience Centers. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why toilets, bathtubs, and sinks are different from ordinary bulk. Porcelain is the sticking point. A whole toilet or pedestal sink is heavy, awkward, and shatters into sharp pieces, so many bulk crews refuse them intact. Some cities accept porcelain if it is broken into pieces and bagged or boxed; others route it to the transfer station as inert C&D material. Clean porcelain is actually recyclable as aggregate, and a growing number of regions accept it at concrete recyclers.
Three mistakes that get toilets, bathtubs, and sinks left at the curb:
When the city classifies fixtures as C&D and no scrap or donation route fits, paid options are the only legal path.
Self-haul to a transfer station or C&D recycler
$10 to $40Transfer stations accept fixtures as C&D by weight or by load. Clean porcelain is accepted at some concrete and aggregate recyclers for less. Break porcelain into bagged pieces to make it easy to handle.
Line the vehicle. Porcelain shards will cut carpet and tires.
LoadUp paid toilet or bathtub pickup
$80+For households who can’t wait for the next available bulk appointment, have items the city won’t take, or live in apartment buildings over 6 units, LoadUp offers professional removal in Philadelphia with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your toilet or bathtub. 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 toilet or bathtub pickup in Philadelphia with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Philadelphia proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Philadelphia junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national toilet, bathtub, and sink disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Philadelphia: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Philadelphia pick up toilets, bathtubs, and sinks for free?
Take it to a Sanitation Convenience Center. Fixtures are not treated as compactible curbside items.
How much does paid toilet and tub removal cost in Philadelphia?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single toilet or bathtub pickup in Philadelphia starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who can’t wait for the next available bulk appointment, have items the city won’t take, or live in apartment buildings over 6 units, LoadUp offers professional removal in Philadelphia with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
Can I put an old toilet out with bulk trash?
It depends on the city. Some accept toilets and sinks with bulk pickup, some accept only broken porcelain in bags with regular trash, and many classify fixtures as construction debris and exclude them. Check the directory below for your city.
Is porcelain recyclable?
Yes, as inert aggregate. Crushed toilets and sinks become road base and fill. Some transfer stations and concrete recyclers accept clean porcelain for less than general C&D rates, and some water utilities run toilet recycling drop-offs.
How do I get a cast iron tub out of a second-floor bathroom?
Either hire scrappers or movers who handle the weight, or break it. Cover the tub with a heavy blanket, wear eye protection, gloves, and long sleeves, and strike the side near the drain with a sledgehammer; cast iron cracks into pieces that two people can carry. Clean up the enamel chips, which are sharp.
Will a ReStore take a used toilet?
Most will if it is a 1.6 gpf or lower model, uncracked, clean, and complete with tank lid and seat. Some require the WaterSense 1.28 gpf label. Older 3.5 gpf toilets are generally refused.
Is this Philadelphia page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Philadelphia guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.