Honestly, Franklin County has more disposal options than most places in Ohio. The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, known as SWACO, runs a year-round hazardous waste drop-off, a Recycling Convenience Center that takes appliances and mattresses, and the county landfill. Through November 30, 2026, SWACO is even taking mattresses for free.
Curbside bulk pickup is where it gets complicated. Columbus runs its own crews and makes you schedule through 311. Most suburbs contract with Local Waste Services or Rumpke, and each contract has its own rules and its own fee for refrigerators. Some townships let you pick your own hauler.
We pulled the rules from SWACO and each community’s official pages and put them in one place. Where a rule comes from the hauler rather than the city, we say so.
Rules and fees checked September 2026. Programs, fees, and haulers change, especially when contracts renew. Always confirm with your city, your hauler, or SWACO before you load up.
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SWACO: Three Places Franklin County Residents Can Take Things
Household hazardous waste drop-off. SWACO contracts with EEI to take household hazardous waste from Franklin County residents at 645 E. 8th Ave. in Columbus. SWACO says most items are free, except latex and other water-based paints, which are typically $1 per gallon. The City of Columbus lists hours of Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the first Saturday of each month, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Call EEI at (614) 294-1300 to confirm before you go.
Recycling Convenience Center. SWACO’s center at 2566 Jackson Pike in Columbus is for Franklin County residents only. It’s open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It takes appliances, including refrigerators, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers, plus tires, TVs, and mattresses. Some items have fees. SWACO’s Recycle Right site lists $5 per tire and $15 for an LCD TV.
Free mattress drop-off, through November 30, 2026. SWACO is accepting mattresses and box springs of all sizes for free, as long as they’re dry and free of bedbugs, mold, blood, or heavy staining. No waterbeds.
Franklin County Sanitary Landfill. Residents can bring waste to the landfill at 3851 London Groveport Rd. in Grove City, as long as the load is fully tarped. It’s open Monday through Friday, 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, 6:00 a.m. to noon. The in-district rate is $39.75 per ton. It doesn’t take yard waste, liquids, or anything hazardous. SWACO’s transfer stations are for registered haulers only, not residents.
Oil-based paint goes to SWACO’s hazardous waste drop-off, where most items are free. SWACO says to look for container labels that say poison, danger, caution, flammable, corrosive, or “use in a well-ventilated area.” Those items belong at the hazardous waste drop-off, not in your trash.
For medications, SWACO points residents to DEA drop sites, which take dry prescription pills with no questions asked. Call first for liquids, inhalers, needles, creams, or patches.
What Goes Where in Franklin County
- Latex paint. SWACO says latex and water-based paints aren’t hazardous, and once dried or solidified they can go in your household trash. Westerville, Gahanna, and Worthington allow dried latex paint at the curb. Columbus lists paint as household hazardous waste and says never to put it in your regular trash. If you’d rather not dry it, the hazardous waste drop-off takes latex paint, typically for $1 per gallon.
- Oil-based paint and stain. Take them to SWACO’s hazardous waste drop-off on E. 8th Ave., where most items are free.
- Mattresses. Free at SWACO’s Recycling Convenience Center through November 30, 2026, if they’re dry and free of bedbugs, mold, and heavy staining. At the curb, almost every community requires mattresses wrapped or sealed in plastic.
- Refrigerators and air conditioners. SWACO’s Recycling Convenience Center takes them. At the curb, rules and fees vary a lot. Columbus won’t collect them at all. Suburban haulers charge anywhere from $50 to $125 per appliance, depending on the contract.
- Tires. SWACO’s Recycling Convenience Center takes them for a fee. Most cities won’t collect tires at the curb. Ohio requires anyone transporting more than 10 scrap tires to register with Ohio EPA.
- Construction and remodeling debris. Most cities won’t take it at the curb. As of September 2025, SWACO’s transfer stations no longer accept construction and demolition debris. It goes to the landfill instead.
Township Residents: Who Hauls Your Trash?
SWACO runs a consortium program that lets communities team up to contract for trash service. Its 25 members include Bexley, Dublin, Gahanna, Grove City, Groveport, Hilliard, New Albany, Reynoldsburg, Westerville, Whitehall, and many townships. Other townships leave it to residents.
- Prairie Township: The township doesn’t provide trash removal or require a vendor. Residents choose their own licensed hauler.
- Franklin Township: Not part of the SWACO consortium. Residents select their own hauler and contact that hauler about bulk items.
- Madison Township: Contracts with Local Waste Services for unincorporated Madison Township, January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2030.
If your hauler isn’t your city’s contract hauler, your bulk rules come from your hauler. Check your bill, then call and ask before you set anything out.
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Quick Look: Franklin County Communities
| Community | Who collects | Bulk items | Refrigerators and AC units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | City Division of Refuse Collection | Free, but must be scheduled through 311 | Not collected |
| Dublin | Rumpke | Schedule through the GoDublin app | $65 per appliance; contact Rumpke |
| Westerville | Rumpke | With regular trash, in neat piles | Not accepted |
| Hilliard | Local Waste Services | With regular trash; large pickups scheduled with the hauler | Hauler guidelines: $50 per appliance |
| Upper Arlington | Local Waste Services | Most items on your normal day; large items scheduled | Must be scheduled; hauler guidelines list $125 |
| Gahanna | Local Waste Services | With regular trash | City lists as not acceptable; call the hauler |
| Grove City | Local Waste Services | With regular trash | City lists as not collected; call the hauler |
| Reynoldsburg | Local Waste Services | Call the hauler 24 hours ahead | Contact the hauler; guidelines list $100 |
| Worthington | Local Waste Services | Alert the city in advance | Requires disposal by certified professionals |
| Bexley | Rumpke | Mondays, with 48 hours’ notice to Rumpke | Refrigerant recovery statement required |
| Whitehall | Local Waste Services | 1 item a week, plus set unlimited days | Refrigerators and freezers not accepted |
| Grandview Heights | City Service Department | Free on your regular trash day | Not accepted |
| New Albany | Rumpke | Regular collection day, within size and weight limits | CFC removed by a certified technician; Rumpke charges $65 |
| Canal Winchester | Rumpke | Up to 2 items a week, scheduled 24 hours ahead | CFC removal certification attached |
Rules come from each community’s official website and, where noted, its hauler’s published guidelines for that community.
City-by-City Details
Columbus Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: The city’s Division of Refuse Collection picks up many bulk items for free, but nothing is collected unless you schedule it online through 311 or by calling (614) 645-3111. Bags, boxes, storage tubs, luggage, and open containers of trash don’t count as bulk.
- Mattresses and upholstered furniture: The city’s rules say mattresses, upholstered furniture, and any item containing fabric must be completely sealed in plastic wrap.
- Move-outs and clean-outs: Not eligible. The city’s rules say bulk from a move-out or house clean-out is the resident’s responsibility to remove and dispose of through a licensed waste hauler.
- Not collected: Refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, heat pumps, water coolers, and air conditioners; furnaces, pianos, spas, hot tubs, and pool tables; tires and auto parts; hazardous materials; and excavating and building materials. For these, the city tells residents to call a private hauler.
- Drop-off: Two city Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers, at 2100 Alum Creek Dr. and 1550 Georgesville Rd., are open to Columbus residents Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They take furniture and mattresses, but not refrigerated appliances, tires, or construction waste.
Check current rules: https://www.columbus.gov/Services/Trash-Recycling-Bulk-Collection/Bulk-Collection
3-1-1 or (614) 645-3111.
Dublin Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: Rumpke collects under a city contract. Schedule bulk pickup through the GoDublin app. Boards, fencing, paneling, and carpet must be cut to 3-foot lengths and tied in 18-inch bundles of 50 pounds or less.
- Mattresses and upholstered items: Must be wrapped in plastic.
- Refrigerators and large appliances: The city says disposal costs $65 per appliance. Contact Rumpke.
- Not collected: Commercial refuse, including waste from contractors hired by homeowners.
Check current rules: https://dublinohiousa.gov/city-services/trash-and-recycling-collection/
Rumpke: (800) 828-8171.
Westerville Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: Rumpke collects bulk items with your regular trash. Set them out in neat, manageable piles on your scheduled trash day. Cans and bundles should weigh under 50 pounds.
- Appliances with refrigerant: Not accepted.
- Construction debris: No contractor debris. Small amounts from a resident’s own remodeling job are OK if they fit in the cart or your cans, or are tied in bundles no more than 4 feet long and 2 feet in diameter.
- Latex paint: Once dried or hardened, it can go out with regular curbside trash.
Check current rules: https://www.westerville.org/services/public-service/trash-recycling/bulk-items
Public Service: (614) 901-6740.
Hilliard Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: Local Waste Services collects furniture, carpet, mattresses, box springs, and other bulk items with your regular trash. The city says large bulk pickups can be scheduled with the hauler, but the hauler’s guidelines list large bulk items as uncollectible, so call first.
- Mattresses and upholstered items: Must be wrapped in plastic.
- From the hauler’s Hilliard guidelines: Freon appliances are collected by arrangement for a $50 disposal fee per item. The hauler lists move-in and move-out piles, construction debris, liquid paint, and tires as uncollectible. Containers shouldn’t weigh more than 50 pounds.
Check current rules: https://hilliardohio.gov/trash-recycling/
Local Waste Services: (614) 409-9375.
Upper Arlington Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: Local Waste Services picks up most items on your normal collection day. Large or specialty items must be scheduled, and additional charges may apply. Carpet must be rolled to no more than 50 pounds per roll.
- Upholstered furniture: All soft and upholstered furniture must be wrapped in plastic.
- Freon appliances: Must be scheduled for collection, and additional charges may apply. The hauler’s guidelines list a $125 disposal fee per item.
- Not accepted: Concrete, rocks, bricks, bathtubs, shower stalls, sinks, toilets, pipes, tires, and electronic waste at the curb.
Check current rules: https://www.upperarlingtonoh.gov/322/Bulk-Items
Local Waste Services: (614) 583-5370.
Gahanna Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: Local Waste Services collects bulk items with your regular trash at the curb. Carpet must be tied or taped, with large pieces cut into 4-foot lengths. Each bag or container must weigh less than 50 pounds.
- Mattresses and upholstered items: Must be wrapped in plastic.
- Not acceptable: Appliances containing Freon, and tires. The city says trash considered a move-out pile won’t be collected and may be subject to additional fees.
- Paint: Only latex or water-based paint, and only once it’s solid.
Check current rules: https://www.gahanna.gov/217/Waste-Collection
Local Waste Services: (614) 409-9375.
Grove City Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: Local Waste Services collects furniture, carpet, mattresses, box springs, and other bulk items with your regular trash. Items go out by 7:00 a.m. and no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the day before. Bags and containers must be under 50 pounds.
- Mattresses and upholstered items: Must be wrapped in plastic.
- Not collected: Appliances containing Freon, and liquid waste including used motor oil and paint. The hauler’s guidelines also list move-in and move-out piles, construction debris, and tires as uncollectible.
Check current rules: https://www.grovecityohio.gov/370/Trash-Yard-Waste
Local Waste Services: (614) 409-9375.
Reynoldsburg Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: Call Local Waste Services 24 hours in advance to schedule a bulk pickup. Bulky items like appliances, carpet, furniture, and toys are collected from the curb on your trash day. Bags and cans can’t weigh more than 50 pounds.
- Mattresses and upholstered items: Must be fully wrapped in plastic.
- TVs: Screens must be taped. Any TV over 32 inches must be a flat screen and scheduled as a bulk item at least 24 hours before trash day.
- Freon appliances: Contact Local Waste Services. Its guidelines list a $100 disposal fee per item.
Check current rules: https://www.reynoldsburg.gov/230/Trash-and-Recycling-Services
Local Waste Services: (614) 409-9375.
Worthington Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: Local Waste Services collects under a city contract. Let the city know in advance to arrange pickup of bulk items like furniture. Bags and cans must weigh less than 50 pounds.
- Mattresses and upholstered furniture: Must be sealed in plastic.
- Freon appliances: The city says appliances containing Freon, like refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers, require disposal by certified professionals.
- Construction debris: Collected only in extremely small amounts, and only from your own home remodeling projects.
- Tires: Not collected.
Check current rules: https://www.worthington.org/304/Garbage
Service and Engineering: (614) 431-2425.
Bexley Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: Rumpke collects bulk items on Mondays, but you must contact Rumpke at least 48 hours before your regular collection. Cans and bags shouldn’t exceed 50 pounds.
- Mattresses and upholstered furniture: Must be completely sealed in disposable plastic. Additional fees may apply.
- Freon appliances: Complete a refrigerant recovery statement and contact Rumpke before pickup.
- Not accepted: Drywall, concrete, bricks, dirt, rocks, batteries, tires, liquids, and hazardous items. TVs larger than 32 inches aren’t collected at the curb.
Check current rules: https://bexley.org/trash/
Rumpke: (800) 828-8171.
Whitehall Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: Local Waste Services takes one bulk item per week alongside your regular collection. In 2026, the city also scheduled unlimited collection days, with the last ones on October 14 and December 30. For extra items, email a photo to Local Waste Services or call for a quote.
- Mattresses and upholstered items: Must be wrapped in plastic.
- Not accepted: Construction debris, refrigerators and freezers, and household hazardous waste.
Check current rules: https://oh-whitehall.civicplus.com/222/Garbage-Yard-Waste-and-Recycling-Collect
Local Waste Services: (614) 409-9375.
Grandview Heights Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: The city collects bulk items itself, at no cost, on your regular trash day. You can also call to schedule. Containers can’t weigh more than 50 pounds when full.
- Mattresses: Must be wrapped in plastic.
- Not accepted: Construction debris, soil, and anything containing coolant, like refrigerators, dehumidifiers, and air conditioners.
Check current rules: https://www.grandviewheights.gov/90/Service
Service Department: (614) 488-4728.
New Albany Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: Rumpke collects and bills residents directly. Bulk items that meet the size and weight limits are collected on regular collection days. Boards, fencing, paneling, and carpet must be cut into 4-foot lengths and tied in 18-inch bundles of 50 pounds or less.
- Mattresses and upholstered items: Must be wrapped in plastic.
- Freon appliances: A certified technician must remove the CFCs from refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners. Rumpke can remove them for a $65 fee.
- Not collected: Commercial trash, including from contractors hired by homeowners; liquid waste including paint and motor oil; and tires.
Check current rules: https://newalbanyohio.org/public-service/recycling-and-waste/
Rumpke: (800) 828-8171.
Canal Winchester Bulk Pickup and Hazardous Waste Rules
- Bulk items: Rumpke collects up to two items a week, scheduled 24 hours ahead. Extra items can be collected for a charge. Items must be less than 50 pounds and 1 cubic yard in size.
- Mattresses and upholstered items: Must be wrapped securely in plastic.
- Freon appliances: Must have the CFC removal certification attached at the time of collection.
- Big jobs: Move-outs, clean-outs, evictions, items over 50 pounds, and construction materials can be scheduled 48 hours ahead, and charges may apply.
Check current rules: https://www.canalwinchesterohio.gov/477/Trash-and-Recycling-Service
Rumpke: (800) 828-8171.
When It Makes Sense to Call Us
Between SWACO and your city or hauler, a lot of stuff has a place to go. Here’s where we come in:
- It’s a move-out or a house clean-out. Columbus won’t take it as bulk, and Gahanna won’t collect move-out piles.
- It’s a piano, hot tub, spa, or pool table. Columbus won’t collect any of them. We remove pianos and hot tubs.
- It’s a refrigerator or air conditioner, and you don’t want to pay $50 to $125 at the curb or haul it to Jackson Pike yourself. We take them to metal recyclers, who remove the refrigerant.
- It’s construction or remodeling debris your city won’t take. We take it to transfer stations and landfills that accept it.
- You’re over your limit, or you can’t wait for a scheduled pickup day.
When your furniture is still in good shape, we take it to the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio instead of the landfill. We can take dried-out paint cans, but not liquid paint or hazardous waste. For that, SWACO’s drop-off on E. 8th Ave. is the place.
The number you get on the phone or online is an estimate, built from your description. When the crew arrives, they see the actual items and give you a firm quote before anything is touched. That’s the number you pay. If it doesn’t work for you, you owe nothing and we leave.
Same-day or next-day service is typically available, and we never charge a rush fee.
Every job is backed by our Amazing Service Guarantee: we promise to be friendly, professional, and dependable, or it’s FREE!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I drop off household hazardous waste in Franklin County?
SWACO, the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, contracts with EEI to take household hazardous waste from Franklin County residents at 645 E. 8th Ave. in Columbus. SWACO says most items are free, except latex and other water-based paints, which typically cost $1 per gallon. The City of Columbus lists hours of Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the first Saturday of each month, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Call EEI at (614) 294-1300 to confirm before you go, and look for labels like poison, flammable, or corrosive to tell what counts as hazardous.
Can I drop off a mattress for free in Franklin County?
Yes, for now. Through November 30, 2026, SWACO is accepting mattresses and box springs of all sizes for free at its Recycling Convenience Center, 2566 Jackson Pike in Columbus. They must be dry and free of bedbugs, mold, blood, or heavy staining, and waterbeds aren’t accepted. The center is for Franklin County residents only and is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Columbus residents can also take mattresses to the city’s Alum Creek and Georgesville Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers.
How do I schedule a bulk pickup in Columbus, Ohio?
Columbus picks up many bulk items for free, but only if you schedule it online through 311 or by calling (614) 645-3111. Nothing is collected without scheduling. Bags, boxes, tubs, luggage, and open containers of trash don’t count as bulk. The city’s rules require mattresses, upholstered furniture, and anything with fabric to be completely sealed in plastic wrap. Columbus doesn’t collect refrigerated appliances, pianos, hot tubs, pool tables, furnaces, tires, or building materials. For those, the city tells residents to call a private hauler.
Will Columbus pick up furniture and junk from a move-out or house clean-out?
No. The City of Columbus’s refuse rules say bulk from a move-out or house clean-out isn’t eligible for bulk collection. The rules say it’s the resident’s responsibility to remove it and dispose of it properly through a licensed waste hauler. For rentals, the rules put that responsibility on the owner or agent in charge. Columbus residents can also take furniture and mattresses themselves to the city’s Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers at 2100 Alum Creek Dr. and 1550 Georgesville Rd., open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
How much does it cost to get rid of a refrigerator in Franklin County?
It depends on where you live. At the curb, Dublin charges $65 per appliance through Rumpke, and New Albany residents can have Rumpke remove the CFCs for $65. Local Waste Services’ guidelines list $50 per appliance in Hilliard, $100 in Reynoldsburg, and $125 in Upper Arlington. Columbus, Westerville, Grandview Heights, and Whitehall won’t collect refrigerators at the curb. SWACO’s Recycling Convenience Center at 2566 Jackson Pike takes refrigerators, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers from Franklin County residents. Ohio Junk Force also takes refrigerators to metal recyclers, who remove the refrigerant.
Can I put dried latex paint in the trash in Franklin County?
SWACO says latex and water-based paints aren’t hazardous and, once dried or solidified, can go in your household trash. Westerville, Gahanna, and Worthington all allow dried latex paint at the curb, and Worthington says to stir in sand, kitty litter, or a paint hardener first. Columbus is stricter: its household hazardous waste page lists paint and says never to put hazardous waste in your regular trash. If you’d rather skip the drying, SWACO’s hazardous waste drop-off on E. 8th Ave. takes latex paint, typically for $1 per gallon.
How do I get rid of old tires in Franklin County?
SWACO’s Recycling Convenience Center at 2566 Jackson Pike takes tires from Franklin County residents for a fee. SWACO’s Recycle Right site lists $5 per tire. Most cities won’t collect tires at the curb, including Columbus, Worthington, Bexley, and New Albany. When SWACO schedules tire take-back events, they have a 10-tire limit per household, and the tires must be off the rim. Ohio requires anyone transporting more than 10 scrap tires to register with Ohio EPA first.
Do I have to wrap a mattress for curbside pickup in Franklin County?
Almost everywhere, yes. Columbus requires mattresses and anything with fabric to be completely sealed in plastic wrap. Dublin, Hilliard, Gahanna, Grove City, Grandview Heights, New Albany, and Whitehall require mattresses or upholstered items to be wrapped in plastic. Reynoldsburg requires them fully wrapped, and Worthington and Bexley require them sealed in plastic. Bexley says additional fees may apply. Mattress bags are one option, or you can drop dry, clean mattresses at SWACO’s Recycling Convenience Center for free through November 30, 2026.
Can I take my own trash to the landfill in Franklin County?
Yes. SWACO says residents may bring waste to the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill at 3851 London Groveport Rd. in Grove City, as long as the load is fully tarped. It’s open Monday through Friday, 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, 6:00 a.m. to noon, and the in-district rate is $39.75 per ton. The landfill doesn’t take yard waste, liquids, or anything hazardous. SWACO’s transfer stations on Jackson Pike and Morse Road are a different story: they’re for registered haulers only, not residents.
When does it make sense to hire a junk removal company in Franklin County?
Honestly, if SWACO or your city will take it and you have the time and a truck, use them. Hiring someone makes sense for a move-out or clean-out Columbus won’t collect, for a piano, hot tub, or pool table, for a refrigerator you don’t want to pay the curbside fee on, or for remodeling debris. With Ohio Junk Force, the number you get on the phone or online is an estimate, built from your description. When the crew arrives, they see the actual items and give you a firm quote before anything is touched. That’s the number you pay. If it doesn’t work for you, you owe nothing and we leave.
Still Not Sure What Your City Will Take?
Call your city’s service department first. If it’s more than bulk day can handle, we’re here.
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Or call or text us at (614) 344-0332 — a real person will answer. |
— Chris & Shawna, Ohio Junk Force