Community members, particularly those in underserved communities, can struggle with disposal of bulky items. Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) supports community collection events and bulky disposal vouchers that make it easier to dispose of these items including furniture, mattresses, and other large items that cannot fit in curbside containers. There were 11 dumpster days FY 24-25 that were free for the general public. There were also community collection projects led in partnership with eight non-profit organizations serving priority multifamily and low-income communities. Pounds of material collected is a metric for success for these projects designed to make bulky waste disposal more accessible.

The numbers show that there is a continued need for easy and affordable access to bulky waste removal for community members. BPS has this year improved bulky waste collection services through both our residential and commercial collection systems by creating a rate sheet for residential customers and updating our commercial administrative rules to require haulers to offer regular bulky waste collection to multifamily properties. These changes have made it easier for community members to understand the cost of bulky waste disposal and simplify the process for securing the service. 

For each collection event a final report is submitted, which includes the pounds of material. The reports are compiled and used to create a program report. These amounts are taken mainly from the weights reported by the trash hauler after they have delivered the materials to a disposal facility. Some data, such as mattresses, are based on estimates of how much an average mattress weighs.

Readers can learn how to dispose of household bulky waste on our Bulky Waste page and can find curbside rates on our Bulky Waste Collection Rates page. Readers can also find community-led collection events open to the general public at the  BPS Dumpster Days event page.