What to Do with Your Old Trampoline

A trampoline is a lot of fun right up until nobody’s using it anymore, and then it’s just a few hundred pounds of galvanized steel and rusting springs taking up half the yard.

There are five real paths from here: repurpose it, recycle the frame, sell it, donate it, or have it removed. Which one makes sense depends on its condition and how much effort you’re willing to put in.

Trampolines are more of a project to get rid of than most people expect. Between the steel tubing, the springs, the mat, and the enclosure netting, there’s a lot holding the thing together, and most of it doesn’t come apart easily once it’s been sitting outside for a few years.

Before you get rid of it entirely, it’s worth asking whether your old trampoline still has some life left in it, just not as a trampoline.

Turn the trampoline over

Flipped upside down, a trampoline frame makes a surprisingly solid base for a hammock or a swing bed. Some people have taken it a step further and turned the frame into a kids’ climbing structure instead.

Are your kids done with backyard toys entirely? Our guide on what to do with an old swing set covers the next thing you’ll probably be getting rid of.

Repurpose the mesh

Once the mesh comes off the frame, it’s genuinely useful material: a garden net, a soccer goal backstop, or even a pitch-back for a kid working on their throwing arm.

If you’re repurposing anything for continued use, check the metal for rust first. Rusty tubing means weakened tubing, and that matters a lot more once kids are climbing on it again.

Turn it into an outdoor movie screen

Tip the frame on its side, stretch a white sheet or light-colored tarp over the jumping mat, and secure the frame to a tree or deck. It’s a genuinely inexpensive way to get an outdoor screen for movie night.

Trampolines make great homes for pets

The frame and mesh are durable by design, which makes them a solid foundation for a chicken coop, a rabbit hutch, or a dog enclosure. A quick search will turn up plenty of specific builds if you want to see how other people have done it.

If repurposing isn’t for you, the frame itself is worth more than it looks. Trampoline frames are galvanized steel, and steel is exactly what scrap metal recyclers want, sometimes enough that they’ll pay you for it.

Call your local scrap yard before you haul anything over. Some want the frame broken down into specific lengths first, and skipping that step is the most common reason people show up and get turned away. If you’d rather not deal with cutting it down and hauling it yourself, LoadUp’s scrap metal removal service can take the whole thing as-is. Our guide to making money with scrap metal recycling walks through what that process actually looks like.

The mat and netting are a different story, most curbside recycling programs won’t take them, since they’re not a material local facilities are set up to process. Check with your specific recycling center before assuming otherwise.

A trampoline in decent shape, no major rust, mat and springs intact, can still be worth something. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and local classifieds are the easiest places to list it, and pricing depends heavily on size and condition. Don’t expect a huge return, a trampoline that cost $300 new might realistically sell for $30 to $75 used, but that’s still better than paying to have it hauled away.

To sell it:

1. Check the condition honestly. Rips, rust, and missing grommets all affect what someone’s willing to pay.
2. Take real photos. Buyers want to see the actual trampoline, not a stock image.
3. Write a straightforward listing. Size, age, and condition matter more than clever wording.
4. Decide on pickup vs. delivery. Most buyers expect to pick it up themselves; charge extra if you’re willing to deliver it.
5. Respond quickly. A trampoline listing that sits unanswered for days tends to just sit, period.

There’s no guarantee someone’s lining up to buy it, but a little effort here can turn a yard eyesore into a little cash instead of a removal fee.

If it still works and you’d rather give it away than sell it, local schools, churches, and community centers are worth a call, a lot of them are actively looking for playground equipment donations.

If you’d rather skip the phone calls, LoadUp’s donation pickup service can pick it up and get it to a donation partner for you.

Putting it out at the curb with a “free” sign works sometimes, especially on a street with real foot traffic. It also sometimes just sits there for a week looking like an eyesore. There’s no way to guarantee which one you’ll get.

If nothing else has worked, or the trampoline is too rusted or broken to repurpose, sell, or donate, removal is the straightforward option left.

A standard trampoline weighs anywhere from 150 to 300 pounds once you count the frame, springs, and mat, and taking it apart yourself usually means fighting with rusted bolts and dozens of tension springs that don’t want to let go after a few years outside. LoadUp’s trampoline removal service handles the disassembly and hauling in one visit, and routes what can be recycled to the right place instead of a landfill.

Pricing is upfront before you book, typically 20 to 30% lower than average junk removal rates, with no on-site estimate required.