London junk-disposal & bulky-item guide

Mattress and box-spring disposal

Mattresses qualify as large/bulky items. If an item is contaminated with bed bugs, London requires it to be wrapped and sealed in plastic before curbside pickup.

Couches and large furniture

Couches and large wooden furniture can be booked. The City generally asks residents not to dismantle furniture unless a specific instruction says otherwise; glass or sharp components need safe preparation.

Fridges, freezers and appliances

Appliances and electronics are specifically excluded from the large-furniture booking route, so a fridge, stove or TV should be checked against the appropriate separate program.

Drywall and renovation debris

Renovation materials are not accepted through the large-furniture booking service. Keep drywall, lumber, tile and similar debris separate from the bulky household-item pile.

Does your property type change the answer?

This booking service is for curbside residential households. Businesses are not eligible, and residents of buildings using a different waste arrangement should follow their property-specific instructions.

London: reserve a collection date before setting out furniture

Four items per garbage day, with advance notice

London's eligible curbside households can book collection of up to four large furniture or bulky items for a garbage day without an additional pickup fee. The request lists the address, items and preferred garbage collection date for the zone. There is no annual limit on the number of requests for a residential address, but each pickup still has the four-item cap. An urgent apartment move cannot be solved by putting furniture out the night before if the booking was never accepted.

Observe the short set-out window

Accepted items go out by 7 a.m. on the confirmed day, no earlier than 6 p.m. the prior evening. A booked couch and mattress belong where the curbside crew can reach them, without blocking a sidewalk. Appliances, electronics, most metal items, vehicle parts, tires and renovation material are outside the booked bulky-furniture stream. London's EnviroDepots do not take furniture or mattresses as a substitute, so check the City's landfill or another approved route if collection is unavailable.

Describe the access in a private quote

For a building without curbside eligibility, ask management who controls the waste room and loading area. A hauler needs to know whether the item is upstairs, whether the elevator must be reserved and whether the truck can park legally nearby. Those are job details; they do not expand the City's eligibility. For a mixed clean-out, create separate lists for furniture the City might book and excluded materials that need a facility. The booking confirmation and the item list together are more reliable than a blanket claim that “London picks up junk.”

Leave furniture intact, but remove hazards

London generally asks that booked furniture be set out in one piece, not broken down. Remove glass inserts; wrap mirrors or sharp pieces separately in cardboard and label them “Caution - sharps.” Tie sofa-bed springs down after removing the mattress. Items with bedbugs or other contamination must be wrapped and sealed in plastic. These are collection conditions, so preparation belongs in the household's schedule before the chosen garbage day. London's ordinary garbage schedule is bi-weekly, which also affects the preferred date entered in the booking. If a load includes a cracked toilet, the City directs it to an EnviroDepot rather than the intact curbside toilet route.