Pre-Paid Bags, Bulky Waste, and Mattress Recycling

Pre-paid bags

Residential (1-4 unit) property owners with curbside collection may purchase a pre-paid bag for the extra garbage or plant debris that will not fit into your cart. Place the pre-paid bags beside your cart on your normal pick-up day. You can purchase a pre-paid bag at one of the locations listed below:

• Customer Service Center
• Transfer Station
• Ace Hardware at 2020 Milvia St.

Bulky waste pickup

Property owners can schedule one free bulky waste pick-up per calendar year for their 1-4 unit residential buildings. Bulky waste pickups happen on Wednesdays.

Please follow the steps below to schedule your bulky waste pickup:

• Call (510) 981-7270 to schedule a bulky waste pickup for an upcoming Wednesday
• If you need to cancel, call by 2pm on the business day before scheduled pickup
• Set materials for pickup at the curb by 7 am on the pickup day
• Put out a maximum of 3 cubic yards (9' x 3' x 3'), the equivalent of 20 large trash bags

Items ok for bulky pickup:

• Bulky household trash (all small items must be bagged or boxed)
• Painted or stained wood smaller than 5' (bundle wood pieces, cut doors in half)
• Rugs rolled at 5' lengths up to 12" diameter
• Small, non-programmable appliances (less than 50lbs and without a circuit board)
• Sinks and toilets (separate tank from toilet base to reduce weight)
• Bed frames

Not ok for bulky pickup:

• No hazardous waste (e.g., treated wood, motor oil, pesticides, cleaners, paint, propane tanks, etc.)
• No recyclable mattresses (see section below about mattress pickups)
• No large appliances, refrigerated appliances, electronic waste, or programmable appliances (e.g., stoves, refrigerators, televisions, microwave ovens)
• No universal waste (e.g., batteries, mercury devices, fluorescent light bulbs, etc.)
• No items longer than 5' or heavier than 50lbs (sofas okay)
• No construction or demolition debris
• No rocks, dirt, or concrete
• No tires or auto parts
• No recyclables or organic waste (please use recycling and compost carts for regular weekly pickup)

All items picked up as bulky waste are sent to the landfill. Please look into alternative ways of disposing of recyclable or reusable materials:

• Urban Ore accepts building materials and household goods in usable condition
• Berkeley Recycling Center accepts appliances, large recyclables, and other materials
• EWaste collective accepts electronic waste
• The City’s Transfer Station accepts mattresses, refrigerated appliances, and other materials for recycling

Mattress recycling

You have three options for recycling your unwanted mattress:

• If buying a new mattress, ask the retailer to take your old mattress
• Drop off up to two mattresses at the Berkeley Transfer Station (free of charge for California residents; commercial customers pay a mattress fee)
• Schedule a curbside pickup (1-9 unit residential properties only)

Please follow the steps below to schedule your mattress pickup:

• The property owner should call (510) 981-7270 to request a pickup
• Pickups will be scheduled for the immediate Thursday 
• Please avoid requesting pickup on a rainy day as wet mattresses may not be able to be recycled
• Place your mattress curbside by 7 am on the pickup day (mattresses will not be collected from private property)
• Call (510) 981-7270 the following Monday to report a missed pickup 
• Single family residences can request up to two mattresses per pickup, and up to two pickups per year
• Multi-family residences can request up to four mattresses per pickup, and up to two pickups per year

Items ok for mattress pickup:

• Twin, full, queen, or king mattress
• Box springs
• Futon mattresses that separate from the frame or base
• Memory foam mattresses

Not ok for mattress pickup:

• No infant/child-sized mattresses
• No air mattresses
• No mattress toppers
• No futon bases/frames
• No excessively wet/moldy/soiled, severely twisted/punctured/crushed, or bed bug-infected mattresses