How to Dispose of Furniture in NYC (Including Bulk Items!)
Getting rid of furniture is never easy, especially when you live in a major city like New York City. The massive population and often crowded curbs make this particularly hard. That’s why so many people struggle with how to dispose of furniture in NYC.
You can dispose of most basic furniture in NYC if you simply put it on the curb. However, this is only allowed on the final trash collection day of the week. You must contact the city to schedule pickup for appliances that contain hazardous materials, such as freon, due to the environmental risk.
Luckily, NYC makes this quite easy as the Department of Sanitation is easy to reach, and they make it clear. Follow along as we explore how to dispose of furniture in NYC whether it’s a small chair or bulky couch.
How Do I Get Rid of Furniture in NYC?
You can get rid of nearly any appliance or piece of furniture in NYC if you’re compliant. The rules vary based on the type of furniture you have, such as:
Basic Furniture
New York City is generous in that you can throw away many basic furniture items without an appointment. The city accepts furniture items that exceed 4ft. x 3ft. in most cases. However, this includes caveats, such as the furniture cannot be recyclable.
You can only put these items out on the curb if it’s the final trash collection day that week. It’s also only valid if you put the furniture on the curb after 4:00 PM, otherwise, it’s a violation. This includes wooden chairs and couches, but not furniture made of metal.
The city also accepts bundled rugs that aren’t taller than 2’ and wider than 4’. You can even put old porcelain toilets on the curb beside the trash on the last collection day of the week.
Hazardous Items
Due to environmental concerns, you cannot throw away furniture and appliances that contain hazardous materials. That includes appliances that contain freon, such as freezers, dehumidifiers, and refrigerators. However, NYC won’t accept appliances that contain all types of freon as some are particularly hazardous.
For example, the Department of Sanitation cannot accept appliances that contain R600a and R3 freon. In that case, you must hire an outside collection service to pick up the appliance. You may also have to hire an outside service to pick up the appliance if it’s a commercial-sized unit.
Stickers with black flames within a yellow triangle indicate the presence of this type of freon. Not only is that type of freon flammable, but it can also cause severe respiratory problems.
Recyclable Items
Luckily, you can get rid of recyclable furniture in NYC, but there are some regulations. For example, you can’t simply recycle wooden chairs and tables. You can only recycle furniture and appliances that primarily contain metal.
That said, you can’t recycle bulk furniture and appliances even if they’re made of metal unless you schedule it. You can only recycle select items, such as:
- Bed frames
- Metal bathtubs
- Dryers and washing machines
- Dishwashers
- Metal cabinets
Keep in mind that you must adhere to the local recycling rules and schedule in your neighborhood. You can only recycle these items on days when recycling is picked up unless you schedule it. Don’t put the recyclable furniture and appliances out until the night before collection.
Electronic Devices
You must be careful when you get rid of electronic devices and appliances in NYC. New York has strict rules about electronics disposal, and you can get fined $100 or more. Luckily, New York City makes it easy to dispose of electronics because you have many options.
You can find many special waste disposal sites that accept electronics all over NYC, and that includes boroughs like Staten Island. Some apartment buildings even offer electronic device pickup through the ecycleNYC program, so make sure to ask your landlord about it.
That includes everything from fax machines, smartphones, tablets, and TVs to gaming consoles, computers, and printers.
Bulk Items
Items that exceed a 3’ height and 4’ width are tricky to get rid of in NYC. That’s because you must likely break them down. They simply cannot fit inside trash trucks without damaging them or taking up too much space. For example, you may need to cut up a bulky couch before you put it on the curb.
It’s also important to note that you must remove metal frames from bulky furniture before you put it out. That’s because metal is recyclable, and the city won’t accept recyclable items in the trash.
What to Do With a Bed Bug-Infested Mattress NYC
Due to the big bed bug problem in New York City, you cannot simply dispose of infested mattresses as usual. Instead, you must seal the mattress in plastic and call the Department of Sanitation. Granted, that is difficult and even unattainable for many people without access to that much plastic.
In that case, you can call a private collection service equipped to handle bed bugs. That said, you must disclose the presence of bed bugs, or else you could face penalties. You can also hire an exterminator to get rid of the bed bugs.
Once that’s done, you can call the Department of Sanitation and put the mattress on the curb for collection.
Other Ways to Get Rid of Furniture in NYC
Sell It
Is your furniture in good condition? If so, you can always sell it through online resources like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. This is a great way to earn some extra money to put towards new furniture to replace it.
Donate It
Today, countless charitable organizations accept old furniture donations. For example, you can donate your furniture to organizations like Habitat for Humanity. Other options, like Goodwill and Salvation Army, are also great, but you must follow the rules.
Each of these organizations has rules about what condition the furniture must be in. They may not always accept each type of furniture, so it’s important to check out what they want that year. That’s because they may have too much of one type of furniture and limited space, so it’s important to check.
Hire a Furniture Disposal Service
If your furniture isn’t in great shape, you may not have many disposal options. Luckily, many companies can pick up your furniture to dispose of it for you. This is a great option if you’re moving and don’t have the time or tools to break your furniture down to make it fit on the curb.
So, What’s the Best Way to Get Rid of Furniture in NYC?
The best way to get rid of furniture is to put it on the curb at night before the final collection day of the week. However, you must contact the Department of Sanitation if you have hazardous appliances you aren’t sure about. You can’t simply get rid of electronics without fines unless you schedule a pickup or visit a designated drop-off location.
NYC is more generous than most major cities when it comes to furniture disposal if you’re compliant. At Optimum Moving, we offer a furniture disposal service to get rid of your old furniture whether you’re moving or not. Call us at (855) 315-6683 to schedule a pickup date for your old sofa, chair, table, and more.