One of the challenges of city living is getting rid of furniture. When you upgrade your couch, how can you get rid of the old one? Boston trash rules make it relatively easy for residents to dispose of most kinds of old furniture. City trash collectors should pick up items that are left in the appropriate place. Anything that's still in good condition can be donated to one of several Boston charities that accept furniture donations.
Donating Furniture in Boston
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If you're disposing of furniture that's still functional and not badly worn, donate it to an organization like Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston ReStore. They accept donated household materials, including furniture. Habitat for Humanity resells donated items in its ReStores, which are essentially thrift stores with a home improvement focus. The Greater Boston ReStore is located in West Roxbury. Donors can either drop off furniture or pay a service called ReSupply to deliver it to the donation center.
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Like all cities, Boston has many charitable organizations that collect household donations for those in need, such as refugees or families in transitional housing. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Furnishing Hope are two long-standing organizations that welcome furniture donations.
Donated items should be clean and in good condition, or the organization might not accept them. Tackle easy furniture repair projects to make sure tables are level and wood pieces are free of scratches. Use wood cleaner and polish to bring wooden furniture to its best possible condition or an upholstery cleaner to remove any stains or odors from upholstered furniture.
Disposing of Furniture in Boston
Boston trash rules make it pretty simple to dispose of furniture. City trash collectors will take away furniture that's left in your normal trash collection spot on your normal trash collection day. Of course, this only works if you're able to physically move furniture out of your home and out to the street. It's easier (though obviously more expensive) to have a Boston furniture removal service come right to your door to haul things away.
Tip
Boston trash rules are subject to change at any time, so check the current guidelines from the city's department of public works before hauling furniture out to the street.
Disposing of Mattresses in Boston
It tends to be especially challenging to dispose of a used mattress no matter where you live. They're bulky and hard to move, and many charitable organizations won't accept them as donations. Now that boxed mattresses are available inexpensively, there's even less demand for used ones.
Historically, the city of Boston bulk item pickup services have collected old mattresses for disposal in landfills. You'll still have to get your mattress down to the street, but it should be picked up with your other trash on your designated collection day. However, Massachusetts is making a push to expand mattress recycling, even adding mattresses to a waste disposal ban effective November 2022, so Boston residents may see new mattress recycling programs be developed in time.
Other disposal options include listing the mattress on a freecycling platform to see if you can find someone who wants it or hiring a junk removal service to come and take it away.