Trying to dispose of old furniture in Atlanta can be a huge pain – but it doesn’t have to be! Learn how to properly dispose of furniture in Atlanta GA, including where to donate or recycle, Atlanta landfill information, and where to get the best and most affordable furniture pickup and removal services in the Greater Atlanta Metro area.
How to Dispose Furniture in Atlanta
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Furniture Disposal in the Metro Atlanta Area
Atlanta is already one of the most major cities in the US and is growing larger every day. With so many people living and working in such a small space, this can make for quite a bit of junk and garbage. When the time comes to get rid of some of your old furniture in Atlanta, figuring out how to dispose of it properly can be very confusing.
Beware of Illegal Dumping
If you’re wondering where to dump old furniture near you, the answer isn’t exactly cut and dried. Sadly, many people decide that the answer to this dilemma is by just dumping their old bed frame and recliners on the streets, making it the neighborhood’s problem instead.
Hauling your old furniture items to the curb isn’t just an eyesore, it can also result in fines. Not only could you get fined by your local trash pickup service, but you can also be charged by your Homeowners Association on top of it. Even if you rent your home in Atlanta, HOA fees can be charged to your rental agency, which will then be added to your rent.
It can also be tempting to throw your old furniture away in a dumpster. Unless you live in an apartment complex with a dumpster or have permission to use a dumpster elsewhere, throwing furniture – or anything at all – in someone else’s dumpster is illegal in Atlanta.
Illegal dumping in Georgia can carry fines up to $25,000 and/or up to two years of prison time for a second offense. For first offenders, fines start at $100.
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The majority of apartment complexes in Atlanta don’t even allow their own residents to throw their old furniture items in the dumpster, let alone non-residents. Using someone else’s dumpster isn’t only illegal, but it causes the dumpster to fill up too quickly, which ends up costing the complex money to have the dumpster emptied more often.
There are many solutions to getting rid of your unwanted furniture in the city of Atlanta and the Greater Metro Area that don’t have to include making an eyesore for your neighbors or risking a fine by using someone else’s dumpster, including recycling, donation and affordable eco-friendly furniture pickup services like LoadUp.
Recycling Furniture in Atlanta
Furniture is often recyclable, and shouldn’t just be dumped in a landfill. In many cases, recycling your furniture is less expensive than hauling it to the landfill and paying a dump fee.
CHaRM (The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) is a drop-off facility located on Hill Street in Atlanta. They are a great eco-friendly resource for recycling your old furniture that doesn’t qualify for donation. However, CHaRM is only open by appointment, so you’ll have to contact them to set up a date and time that you can haul your furniture to their facility.
Since CHaRM is appointment-only, you’ll need to procure a large enough vehicle to haul all of your old furniture items in one load to avoid needing to make multiple appointments and trips, which would cost way more gas and time than your old furniture is probably worth. In that case, hiring an eco-friendly junk removal company like LoadUp would be a more convenient and affordable option.
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Atlanta Furniture Donation
Furniture items such as a used sofa or unwanted recliner should be in very good working condition in order to be donated.
Where to Donate Furniture in Atlanta
There are several local and nationwide charities around Atlanta that accept furniture and small household appliances. Keep in mind that furniture donations must be in excellent condition, or they could potentially be turned away.
Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta
LoadUp partners with the Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta to provide affordable donation pickups to customers around the Greater Atlanta area. When you hire LoadUp to dispose of old furniture in Atlanta, we’ll take care of evaluating and delivering your furniture donations, and then provide eco-friendly disposal of any items that aren’t in good enough condition for donation.
Goodwill
Goodwill accepts most furniture items, but you’ll have to haul them to a nearby donation center yourself. Make sure that your furniture is in good condition, as Goodwill cannot accept items that are in need of repair or water-soaked or stained items. Some Goodwill stores offer furniture pickup services, but you’ll have to contact your local store directly to inquire.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army accepts most furniture items, as long as they aren’t stained, ripped or torn. Depending on where you live in Atlanta and how quickly you need your furniture picked up, The Salvation Army might pick up your furniture for free. However, if your furniture doesn’t meet their standards, including being clean and in working condition, it won’t be accepted.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore accepts gently used furniture items with no stains or tears. Since the ReStore locations are run by volunteers, they are unable to accept furniture that needs to be cleaned.
American Kidney Fund
The American Kidney Fund provides furniture donation pickups for small furniture items, as well as multiple drop-off locations and boxes around the Metro Atlanta area. All furniture items must be in good condition and not in need of repair to qualify for a pickup. Please remember, donation pickups do cost the charity money, so make sure that your furniture qualifies for donation first.
Last Chance Thrift Store
Last Chance takes furniture donations, but you will be responsible for hauling everything yourself. Loading and hauling furniture items is difficult work and could damage your vehicle if not properly loaded or secured. Plus, if your furniture isn’t acceptable for donation, you’ll be turned away, and will have to spend even more time and gas hauling your rejected furniture back home.
Furniture Pick Up in Atlanta for Donations
Some charities in Atlanta also offer pickup of furniture donations, depending on their service area and volunteer schedule.
Charities in Atlanta that will pick up your old furniture items for free or for a small fee are usually very picky about what they accept. If your old furniture has scratches, dents, or noticeable wear and tear, it’s unlikely the charity will accept your donation.
📓 Check out our Disposal Guides for tips to determine if your old furniture can be donated.
When furniture donation pickup is free in Atlanta, it often comes with non-refundable fees. There are fees for cancellations, missing or being unavailable/unreachable at the time of pickup and/or if your furniture is declined at the time of pickup.
Yep, that’s right. They will charge you for trying to be charitable.
You’ll also need to do a little detective work to find out which of your unwanted furniture items you’ll be able to donate. What items an organization already has and what they are in need of can play a big role in what items they will accept.
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Call around to a few charities in Atlanta and ask them if they are in need of the types of furniture you are looking to donate.
When you call around to find out if they will take your dresser or dining set, remember to also ask if they offer pickup of furniture donations. If they do, also find out if they charge a fee for pickup and if there is a waiting list for pickup in your area.
City of Atlanta Landfills for Furniture Disposal
In Atlanta, you can’t just set your old furniture out on the curb with the rest of your trash. Doing this can actually be very risky.
In most neighborhoods of Atlanta, if you leave your old furniture on the curb or beside a dumpster, it won’t get picked up, and you could get a ticket and be charged a hefty fine. If you want to have your used furniture picked up by your garbage disposal service, you have to call them well in advance to set up an appointment.
This can take anywhere from days to weeks, though. You also may have to pay an additional fee for this service, which can be quite expensive depending on the size, weight, and number of furniture pieces you’re having hauled away.
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You should call your trash service to find out what furniture they will take, any rules or regulations you need to be aware of, and how much they will charge you for pickup.
You can haul your old furniture to the landfill yourself if you’d rather not deal with scheduling a pickup. You’ll probably want to find the one nearest you and call to double-check if they will accept your furniture before heading there.
There are a few landfills around Atlanta that accept scrap furniture (a.k.a. “brown goods”). It’s important to understand that dumping furniture in a landfill:
- Isn’t free.
- Isn’t eco-friendly.
- Isn’t convenient.
If dumping your furniture still sounds like something you’re interested in, you can haul items yourself to one of the landfills or transfer stations in Atlanta that accept furniture. Make sure to contact the landfill or transfer station directly so you’ll know exactly what to expect and what you’ll need to bring with you.
- Donzi Lane Landfill: 1060 Moreland Industrial Blvd., Atlanta
- Bolton Road Landfill: 2236 Bolton Rd. NW, Atlanta
- Chadwick Road Landfill: 13700 Chadwick Farm Blvd., Roswell
- Merk Miles Transfer Station: 3225 Merk Rd. SW, College Park
- Mauldin Drive Transfer Station: 175 Mauldin Dr., Alpharetta
If you decide to take your used furniture to the dump, you should be prepared to provide proof of residence and pay a fee when you get there.
You can expect to pay somewhere around $500 to drop off a truckload of furniture since the fee is based on volume or weight, depending on what you’re dropping off and how they decide to measure the load.
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When you think about the price of renting a truck and the cost of the gas you’ll use, this can easily turn into an expensive project. Renting the truck, getting everything to the truck, loading, and unloading it can easily eat up an entire day. You’ll also have to convince a friend or two to help you lift and haul all that bulky, unwanted furniture.
Old Furniture Pick Up in Atlanta
There are some junk removal services in Atlanta that specialize in picking up and disposing of old furniture. However, it’s important to understand that not all junk removal companies are created equal, and most require multiple visits and on-site estimates.
The way this works is that you call one of these junk removal companies to schedule an on-site estimate, they come out to see what items you need to have disposed of, give you a quote, schedule a pickup day, then come back to pick up and haul away your furniture.
Hiring a junk disposal service can be a great solution for getting rid of your used furniture. However, there are a few drawbacks involved.
You will have to schedule them to come out and give you a quote when you are both available. It can take a few days and sometimes weeks, between the time you call a junk removal service and when they pick up your furniture. Then you will have to schedule another day and time for them to come out to pick up your items.
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You also have to be at home for both of these appointments, which means you’ll probably have to take time off work or shift your personal schedule around to accommodate them. The person who provides the estimate will usually “low-ball” it so that you get a price that is low enough for you to want to book their service.
When the pickup crew comes out to pick up your items and everything is loaded onto the truck, however, you are charged a higher price than you were quoted, which you’re expected to pay immediately.
Best Furniture Removal Service in Atlanta
When you book a pickup with LoadUp to dispose of your unwanted furniture, you are given a set price upfront, with no hidden fees or surprise charges on the day of pickup.
You also don’t have to wait around for someone to come out and give you a price estimate and then wait around again for the pickup to happen. LoadUp offers pickup in Atlanta as soon as the morning after booking, making disposing of your old furniture quick and easy, as well as affordable.
You don’t even have to be at home for the pickup when you book with LoadUp. The service is paid for upfront when you book, so you don’t have to worry about being there to pay someone when your items are hauled away.
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LoadUp also offers discounted curbside pickup, so as long as your items are outside at the scheduled time, they can be picked up without anyone being there. If you’d rather have your old furniture picked up from where it is inside your home, they can do that too at no additional charge.
Unlike with other junk disposal companies in the area, calling LoadUp to dispose of your furniture means that it won’t be going straight to the dump. LoadUp is all about green living, so once your furniture is picked up, they do everything they can to make sure it gets donated or recycled.
LoadUp makes sure that nothing gets dumped in a landfill if it doesn’t have to be. You can see the proof from the over 3 million pounds of junk that LoadUp has already kept out of local dumps.
If you’re looking for fast, easy furniture pickup and disposal in Atlanta at an honest and affordable price, look no further than LoadUp!
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