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A public resource guide
Free yard waste removal in Portland, OR
Every free and paid way to get rid of yard waste in Portland, verified October 2026.
Checked against City of Portland
Home › By item › Yard waste › Portland
A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of yard waste in Portland, verified October 2026.
Checked against City of Portland
$18
pickup fee per trip through your assigned garbage company
$21 to $29
per piece of furniture or mattress on top of the trip fee
Free
mattress and electronics drop-off at Metro transfer stations under Oregon programs
Reduced yard debris rate
Metro Central and Metro South transfer stations, reduced yard debris rate
Every route for yard waste in Portland, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Portland guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Portland, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Portland bulky waste pickup through your garbage company: yard waste
FreeYard debris goes in your green cart weekly with food scraps. Extra yard debris bags or cans are collected beside the cart for a small fee, and Metro takes clean yard debris at a lower rate.
Who qualifies: Residential customers of Portland's franchised garbage companies. There is no free city bulky program; every address has an assigned hauler that charges city-set rates.
How to schedule: Call your assigned garbage company (find it at portland.gov) at least a week ahead. The hauler must collect within 7 days of the request. Cost is an $18 pickup fee per trip plus a per-item charge set by the city: $29 for extra-large items, $21 for large, $6 for appliances and electronics, more for coolant appliances.
Limits: No item limit, but each item is charged. Use the city's bulky waste cost calculator before booking.
Set-out: At the curb by 6 a.m. on the scheduled day and no more than 24 hours before. Miss the window and you pay the trip fee twice. Early set-outs soak up rain and attract dumping.
Metro Central and Metro South transfer stations: yard waste
Reduced yard debris rateClean loads only.
Where: Metro Central: 6161 NW 61st Ave, Portland. Metro South: 2001 Washington St, Oregon City.
How it works: Self-haul, $30 minimum for public loads weighed by the ton. Mattresses and electronics (up to 7 items a day) are free under Oregon state programs. Coolant appliances $30 each, limit 5 a day. Other metal appliances free. Household hazardous waste free. Tires accepted for a per-tire fee.
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 Portland: 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 yard waste, 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 Portland: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Portland’s system is genuinely different from every other major U.S. city covered: there is no city-run bulky item pickup program. Each property is assigned to a specific garbage hauler by neighborhood, and bulky items are picked up by that hauler at City-set rates. Portland also runs the only major U.S. 4-stream curbside collection, trash, recycling, glass (separate yellow bin), and compost, with garbage collected biweekly while the others are weekly. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Portland rule for yard waste: Yard debris goes in your green cart weekly with food scraps. Extra yard debris bags or cans are collected beside the cart for a small fee, and Metro takes clean yard debris at a lower rate.
Program basics: No item limit, but each item is charged. Use the city's bulky waste cost calculator before booking. At the curb by 6 a.m. on the scheduled day and no more than 24 hours before. Miss the window and you pay the trip fee twice. Early set-outs soak up rain and attract dumping.
What the city will not take: Nothing is free curbside. Hazardous waste, tires, and construction debris go to Metro transfer stations instead. Mattresses and electronics are free at Metro stations under Oregon programs.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Portland BPS: Bulky waste collection rates, Metro: Garbage, recycling, and hazardous waste disposal (transfer stations). Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why yard waste are different from ordinary bulk. Bundling rules are where most yard waste gets skipped. Branches typically must be under 4 feet long and 4 to 6 inches in diameter, tied in bundles under 40 to 50 pounds, and limited to a number of bundles per week. Leaves go in paper bags or carts, not plastic, in most programs because the material is composted. Plastic bags of leaves are the most common curbside rejection.
Three mistakes that get yard waste left at the curb:
Paid options cover stumps, large tree removals, and heavy loads of sod and soil.
Stump grinding
$100 to $400 per stumpGrinding a stump in place to below grade is cheaper and easier than removing it. The grindings can be left as mulch or bagged as yard waste where the program allows wood chips.
Mark utilities first. Call 811 before grinding near service lines.
LoadUp paid yard waste pickup
$80+For households who need same-day service, want full-service in-home pickup (no curbside drag-out), live in 5+ unit buildings, or have items their hauler won’t accept, LoadUp offers professional removal in Portland with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your yard waste. 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 yard waste pickup in Portland with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Portland proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Portland junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national yard waste disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Portland: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Portland pick up yard waste for free?
Yes, in the weekly green cart; extras for a small per-bag fee.
How much does paid yard waste removal cost in Portland?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single yard waste pickup in Portland 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, want full-service in-home pickup (no curbside drag-out), live in 5+ unit buildings, or have items their hauler won’t accept, LoadUp offers professional removal in Portland with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
How do I put yard waste out for pickup?
Leaves and clippings in paper lawn bags or the green cart, not plastic. Branches cut to the length limit (usually 4 feet), under the diameter limit (usually 4 to 6 inches), tied in bundles under 40 to 50 pounds. Check your city’s weekly bundle limit and season in the directory below.
Why can’t I use plastic bags?
Because yard waste is composted or ground into mulch, and plastic contaminates the product. Most programs require paper bags or carts; a few accept plastic bags that crews empty and leave behind.
Which states ban yard waste from landfills?
More than 20 states ban some or all yard waste from landfills, including Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Delaware among others. That is why curbside programs are so common.
What do I do with a tree stump?
Grind it in place ($100 to $400), dig it out and take it to a transfer station as inert material, or list it free for someone who wants firewood or a planter. Most curbside programs exclude stumps and root balls.
Is this Portland page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Portland guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.