5 Ways to Get Rid of Junk for Free in CT

Ready to get rid of your unwanted things? Declutter and free up your space with these useful resources.

Connecticut has numerous locations and opportunities to get rid of all kinds of items for free.

Find other cost-saving ways to get rid of your junk while also keeping it out of landfills and ultimately protecting our local environment.

If you need it gone soon and would like to book a free pickup, fill out the “Request Free Pickup” form and schedule a pickup.

Request Free Pickup

Schedule a pickup with an insured hauler in your area:

Donation Pick-Up Services

Habitat for Humanity will send a truck to pick up furniture for resale in their salvage store. Wait times for pickup can be days to weeks depending on the time of the year. Be sure your items are in good enough condition or they may be unexpectedly turned away.

Salvation Army has a pickup service that will send a box truck to haul away donatable goods for sale in their non-profit thrift stores throughout the country.

Check Your Local Municipal Bulk-Pickup

First, be sure that what you need removed doesn’t already fit in your trash can. Many items can be disassembled and broken down into manageable pieces.

If your trash pickup is weekly, then it may take a several weeks to get rid of everything. While timely, this method can save you some money.

Many towns in CT like New Haven and Manchester offer their residents with free annual bulk pickup services by request.

You can check to see if your town offers free bulk-pickup services by contacting your Local Municipal Recycling Coordinator.

Free Junk Removal Services

Some junk removal companies will come and pick up your items for free. In most cases, they will only do so if the costs of the removal job can be recuperated from the liquidation of the items being removed.

This creates a win-win for both the junk removal company, as well as the client. At no cost, who’s to complain?

Be sure the company you are dealing with is properly vetted and insured. To request a pickup, fill out the “Request Free Pickup” form to schedule a pickup from one of our trusted haulers.

Book a Free Pickup

Schedule a pickup with an insured hauler in your area.

Go to Request Form

Find Free Drop-Off Locations in CT

Household Items — Donating clothing, books, toys, and extra household items is great way to free up space in your home while also contributing to your local community.

Goodwill and Salvation Army are some of the better known donation stations in CT. Clothing, shoes, and linens can be brought to various clothing donation drop-boxes in your area. Some drop-boxes will accept bric-brac and household goods but be sure to check any signs on the box.

Don’t forget about local thrift stores, like Savers, which could provide a convenient option for offloading your unwanted goods if there isn’t a Goodwill close by.

Furniture — Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore is located in multiple locations throughout Connecticut and is a great option for those with unwanted furniture, doors, and cabinetry to give away. Be sure to have access to an appropriate sized vehicle for hauling the bulky items or check their availability for a pickup.

Electronics — Some Connecticut electronic recyclers have facilities that will allow you to drop off your broken electronics to be recycled, all for free.

Metal — Find a nearby scrapyard that will accepts your heavy and bulky metal items like fridges and stoves. You’ll even get paid for your efforts as these items have scrap value when recycled.

Recyclables — Be sure to check your local transfer station or recycling facility to see if they take anything for free. You may be surprised to find that many locations will take recyclable items like cardboard, electronics, and mattresses for no fee.

Paint — There are some locations that will accept most kinds of used paint at no charge. These locations include many paint stores throughout CT. Also check your local transfer station to see if they can recycle your paint.

Find Drop-Off Locations

Explore local Connecticut donation spots, electronic recyclers, transfer stations, scrapyards, and more.

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Give Your Junk Away for Free

Have you tried giving it away? Remember, one man’s (or women’s) trash is another’s treasure. Check with friends and relatives to see if they might want what you don’t.

Try putting it on the side of the road. You may be surprised to find your junk gone before the next morning. It’s worth trying before paying for bulk pickup!

If your items are of any value to anyone, online classifieds are certainly worth a try. Craigslist, Facebook, and Freecycle are just some online avenues to list your junk for free.

Tips and Best Practices

Put it on the curb with a free sign — Generally speaking, it’s okay to put your free things on the side of the road. If you do decide to go this route, be sure that you either own the property or have permission from the property owner to use their frontage. Be sure your sign is BOLD and clearly visible from the road. Don’t leave it sitting too long or you might get a complaint for the eye-sore.

Lots of extra blankets? — Your local animal shelter may accept unsoiled blankets and quilts. The animals would welcome the warming gifts as shelters are always in need of unsoiled blankets.

Try your local transfer station — Some CT transfer stations will accept single-stream recyclable materials like cardboard, paper, and other packaging materials. They may even take mattresses, electronics, and paint at no cost. Your transfer station will require you to be a local resident and in some cases require an annual permit fee for access.

Goodwill won’t take everything — Thrift stores won’t take all of your donations. Items need to be in good enough condition to be sold and reused. Expect items that are dirty, bulky, or broken to be turned away. Increase your odds of having your items accepted by making sure they are functional, relatively clean, and presented well (boxed, bagged, folded, and not a mess!). Bulky furniture is usually not accepted, however you may have better luck offloading your bulky items in thrift stores like Savers with more floor-space. Seasonal items like ornaments and fake Christmas trees are usually not accepted off-season.

Hazardous Waste Collection — When trying to get rid of hazardous liquids like oils and paints, consider waiting for your town’s annual hazardous waste collection event put on by the MDC. State-partnered programs like PaintCare CT offer numerous drop-off locations that will collect up to 5 gallons of paint per visit.

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