Can I dump this?

Mattress or box spring

Landfill, per-item fee

Landfill or transfer station: accepted with a per-item surcharge or special lane.

Most landfills and transfer stations take mattresses but charge a flat per-item fee because they jam compactors. In California, Connecticut, Oregon and Rhode Island a statewide recycling program (Bye Bye Mattress) runs separate collection sites.

Before you go

• Keep it dry; some sites refuse wet or soiled mattresses.
• Count box springs separately; the fee is usually per piece.
• In CA, CT, OR or RI check byebyemattress.com for a recycling site first.

Sources: Garfield County, CO: Landfill fees (effective Jan 1, 2026) ; Erie County, OH: Landfill rates ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF) ; Larimer County, CO: 2026 landfill fee schedule ; Mattress Recycling Council: Bye Bye Mattress

Tires

Landfill, per-item fee

Landfill or transfer station: accepted with a per-item surcharge or special lane.

EPA's archived scrap-tire summary reports that 38 states ban whole tires from landfills, so facilities that take them charge a per-tire fee and send them to a processor. EPA notes most garages are required to accept your old tires when they install new ones.

Before you go

• Take tires off the rim; rims add $10-$30 at the cited counties.
• Most sites cap passenger-vehicle loads at about 10 tires without a permit.
• Ask the tire shop first; take-back with a new purchase is often cheapest.

Sources: EPA (archived): Scrap tires basic information ; EPA: How do I recycle common recyclables ; Garfield County, CO: Landfill fees (effective Jan 1, 2026) ; Loudoun County, VA: Landfill fees ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF)

Paint, stain and varnish

HHW event or facility

Household hazardous waste (HHW) event or permanent HHW facility.

EPA lists paint as household hazardous waste: take it to an HHW event or permanent facility, not the trash. In the 13 PaintCare states and DC, retailers accept architectural paint, stain, primer and varnish at no additional cost. Wake County, NC convenience centers list paint as not accepted.

Before you go

• Keep paint in its original labeled can with the lid on.
• PaintCare does not take thinners, aerosols, auto paint or two-part coatings; those go to HHW.
• Many HHW programs let you dry out small amounts of latex for the trash; ask first.

Sources: EPA: Household hazardous waste (HHW) ; PaintCare: Products we accept ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers

Electronics and TVs

Special recycler / take-back

Special recycler, retailer take-back or stewardship program.

EPA says electronics cannot be recycled curbside but can be dropped at collection sites, and recommends deleting personal data first. Some landfills run an e-waste lane with per-item fees; Wake County, NC convenience centers accept electronics only at certain sites on weekends.

Before you go

• Wipe or remove drives and sign out of accounts.
• Keep CRT glass intact; broken tubes are often refused.
• Check the manufacturer or retailer take-back program before paying a fee.

Sources: EPA: Electronics donation and recycling ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers ; Garfield County, CO: Landfill fees (effective Jan 1, 2026) ; Larimer County, CO: 2026 landfill fee schedule

Refrigerator, freezer, AC or dehumidifier (refrigerant)

Landfill, per-item fee

Landfill or transfer station: accepted with a per-item surcharge or special lane.

Under EPA Section 608 rules the final disposer must recover the refrigerant, so landfills that accept these appliances charge a flat fee for the technician. EPA also suggests checking your electric utility for a rebate or bounty program and warns that appliances left curbside may be disposed of unsafely. Some sites refuse them outright (Garfield County, CO lists refrigerators as not accepted).

Before you go

• Do not cut the lines or vent the refrigerant yourself.
• Remove doors or secure them shut; remove food.
• Keep any tag from a technician who already recovered the refrigerant.

Sources: EPA Section 608: Appliance disposal ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF) ; Erie County, OH: Landfill rates ; Loudoun County, VA: Landfill fees ; Larimer County, CO: 2026 landfill fee schedule ; Garfield County, CO: Landfill fees (effective Jan 1, 2026)

Washer, dryer, stove, water heater (no refrigerant)

Landfill, per-item fee

Landfill or transfer station: accepted with a per-item surcharge or special lane.

Metal appliances without refrigerant go to a landfill's scrap-metal or white-goods area, often for a small flat fee or by weight. Convenience centers frequently exclude them: Wake County, NC lists washers, dryers, stoves and water heaters as not accepted at convenience centers.

Before you go

• Drain water heaters and washers.
• A scrap-metal yard may take them for free or pay by weight.
• Retailers often haul the old unit when delivering a new one.

Sources: Wake County, NC: Convenience centers ; Garfield County, CO: Landfill fees (effective Jan 1, 2026) ; Larimer County, CO: 2026 landfill fee schedule ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF)

Batteries (lithium, lead-acid, rechargeable)

HHW event or facility

Household hazardous waste (HHW) event or permanent HHW facility.

EPA says lithium-ion batteries should not go in household garbage or recycling bins and should be taken to separate recycling or HHW collection points; lead-acid batteries go back to a battery retailer or HHW program. Wake County, NC convenience centers list batteries as not accepted.

No authoritative posted fee found for this item; many programs take it free or quote at the gate.

Before you go

• Tape the terminals or bag each lithium battery separately to prevent fires.
• Do not puncture swollen or damaged batteries; keep them in sand or a metal can.
• Alkaline batteries: follow your local program; EPA gives no national rule.

Sources: EPA: Used lithium-ion batteries ; EPA: How do I recycle common recyclables ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers

Yard waste, brush and leaves

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

EPA notes lawn materials cannot be recycled but can be composted, and suggests asking about local yard-trimming collection. Many landfills run a separate, cheaper green-waste lane; convenience centers often exclude it (Wake County, NC lists yard waste as not accepted).

Before you go

• Keep it free of plastic bags, dirt and trash or it gets charged as MSW.
• Cut branches to the posted length; Fairfax keeps the flat rate only if brush is not heaped above the cab.
• Treated or painted wood is not yard waste.

Sources: EPA: How do I recycle common recyclables ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers ; Larimer County, CO: 2026 landfill fee schedule ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF) ; Loudoun County, VA: Landfill fees

Concrete, brick, block and asphalt

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

Clean rubble is construction and demolition (C&D) debris. Landfills take it at a C&D rate that is usually priced per ton or per cubic yard and often higher than household trash; convenience centers typically refuse it (Wake County, NC lists concrete, bricks and pavers as not accepted). A C&D recycler may take clean concrete for less.

Before you go

• Keep it clean: no rebar sticking out, drywall or trash mixed in.
• It is heavy: a level pickup bed of rubble can exceed a ton, so weigh the cost before loading.
• Ask for a C&D recycler or 'clean fill' site; some take concrete free.

Sources: Wake County, NC: Convenience centers ; Larimer County, CO: 2026 landfill fee schedule ; Loudoun County, VA: Landfill fees ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF)

Drywall and plaster

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

Drywall is C&D debris and goes to a landfill or transfer station that takes construction waste, billed at the C&D rate. Some counties price it per cubic yard; wet drywall is heavy and may be refused by recyclers.

Before you go

• Keep it dry and separate from trash.
• Remove screws and corner bead if the site recycles gypsum.
• Plaster with lath may be treated as mixed C&D.

Sources: Larimer County, CO: 2026 landfill fee schedule ; Loudoun County, VA: Landfill fees

Roofing shingles

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

Asphalt shingles are C&D debris and are among the heaviest loads a homeowner hauls. Landfills take them at the C&D rate; some price shingles separately per cubic yard. Pre-1980s roofing can contain asbestos; if in doubt, test before hauling.

Before you go

• Pull nails or flag the load; loose nails are a hazard at the tipping face.
• Keep shingles separate from wood and trash.
• Weigh before you go; a pickup of shingles is usually over a ton.

Sources: Larimer County, CO: 2026 landfill fee schedule ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF)

Carpet and padding

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

Carpet is accepted as bulky household waste at most landfills and transfer stations, by weight or as a flat single-item fee. EPA's conversion table puts carpet at about 147 lb per cubic yard, so a room of carpet is heavier than it looks.

Before you go

• Roll and tie it; many sites refuse loose carpet.
• Keep it dry; wet carpet weighs far more and may be refused.
• Ask the installer about take-back when buying new carpet.

Sources: EPA: Volume-to-weight conversion factors (2016, PDF) ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF)

Couch, sofa, chairs and other furniture

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

Furniture is bulky household waste and goes to the landfill or transfer station, usually by weight or as a flat per-item fee. Sleep sofas may carry the mattress surcharge. Convenience centers accept bulky items only if they fit the container (Wake County, NC: under 8 feet).

Before you go

• Break down large pieces to fit the container or truck bed.
• Donate usable pieces first; many charities pick up free.
• Remove glass tops and bag any loose hardware.

Sources: Wake County, NC: Convenience centers ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF) ; Erie County, OH: Landfill rates

Propane and gas cylinders

HHW event or facility

Household hazardous waste (HHW) event or permanent HHW facility.

Pressurized cylinders are refused by most transfer stations and convenience centers (King County, WA: transfer stations do not accept propane tanks of any size; Wake County, NC: not accepted). The usual routes are a cylinder exchange or dealer, or an HHW facility for small tanks. A few landfills take them for a flat fee.

Before you go

• Never put a cylinder in a trash bag or dumpster; compactors can rupture it.
• Exchange cages take 20 lb grill tanks even when nearly empty.
• King County, WA routes tanks of 8 gallons or less to its hazardous waste facility.

Sources: King County, WA: Propane and butane tanks ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers ; Loudoun County, VA: Landfill fees

Fluorescent tubes and CFLs

Special recycler / take-back

Special recycler, retailer take-back or stewardship program.

These bulbs contain mercury. EPA recommends local recycling options, notes many hardware retailers offer in-store recycling, and says some states prohibit putting them in the trash. Where trash disposal is allowed, EPA says to seal the bulb in a plastic bag first. Wake County, NC convenience centers list fluorescent bulbs as not accepted.

Before you go

• Keep bulbs unbroken; tape tubes together or use the original sleeve.
• Call the retailer first; not every store location participates.
• LED and incandescent bulbs are ordinary trash.

Sources: EPA: Recycling and disposal of CFLs and other bulbs that contain mercury ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers ; Garfield County, CO: Landfill fees (effective Jan 1, 2026)

Needles and medical sharps

Never in household trash

Never in household trash; requires a licensed handler or special facility.

FDA recommends placing used needles immediately in an FDA-cleared sharps container, or a heavy-duty plastic household container with a tight, puncture-resistant lid, and following your community's disposal rules when it is three-quarters full. Convenience centers refuse infectious and medical waste (Wake County, NC).

No authoritative posted fee found for this item; many programs take it free or quote at the gate.

Before you go

• Never drop loose needles in a trash bag.
• Ask your pharmacy, health department or HHW program about drop-off or mail-back.
• Label the container and keep it closed.

Sources: FDA: Sharps disposal containers ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers

Unused medications

Special recycler / take-back

Special recycler, retailer take-back or stewardship program.

DEA's take-back program is free and anonymous: two National Take Back Days a year plus year-round drop boxes at thousands of pharmacies, hospitals and police departments, listed at DEATakeBack.com. DEA advises against flushing or trashing prescription drugs; syringes and illicit drugs are not accepted at take-back sites.

No authoritative posted fee found for this item; many programs take it free or quote at the gate.

Before you go

• Keep pills in their original bottle or a sealed bag; liquids sealed in the original container.
• Sharps go in a sharps container, not the medicine box.
• If no drop box is near you, ask the pharmacy about mail-back envelopes.

Sources: DEA: 28th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day results (2025)

Dead animals

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

Rules vary more here than for any other item. Some permitted landfills accept bagged small carcasses by weight; convenience centers generally refuse them (Wake County, NC lists dead animals as not accepted). Livestock disposal is governed by state agriculture or environmental agencies, which publish burial setbacks and rendering options.

No authoritative posted fee found for this item; many programs take it free or quote at the gate.

Before you go

• Call the landfill before you load; many require double-bagging and a scale-house heads-up.
• For livestock, check your state environmental or agriculture agency's carcass-disposal guidance before burying.
• Many cities collect dead animals from the roadside or yard by request.

Sources: Wake County, NC: Convenience centers ; TCEQ (Texas): Disposal of livestock carcasses (RG-419, PDF)

Used motor oil and filters

Special recycler / take-back

Special recycler, retailer take-back or stewardship program.

EPA says never dump used motor oil down the drain and notes many garages and auto-supply stores that sell oil also accept it for recycling. HHW facilities take it as well. Convenience centers may not: Wake County, NC lists motor oil and oil filters as not accepted.

No authoritative posted fee found for this item; many programs take it free or quote at the gate.

Before you go

• Use a clean, sealed container; do not mix with antifreeze, gas or solvents.
• Drain filters and bring them along; many sites take them.
• Most drop-offs cap the volume per trip; call if you have more than a few gallons.

Sources: EPA: How do I recycle common recyclables ; EPA: Household hazardous waste (HHW) ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers

Antifreeze and automotive fluids

HHW event or facility

Household hazardous waste (HHW) event or permanent HHW facility.

Automotive fluids are household hazardous waste under EPA's definition: take them to an HHW collection or a shop that accepts them, never the drain, the ground or the trash. Wake County, NC convenience centers list antifreeze, fuel and other flammables as not accepted.

No authoritative posted fee found for this item; many programs take it free or quote at the gate.

Before you go

• Keep each fluid in its own labeled container.
• Old gasoline is usually accepted only at HHW events, in approved cans.
• Never pour antifreeze where pets can reach it.

Sources: EPA: Household hazardous waste (HHW) ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers

Asbestos (siding, floor tile, pipe insulation)

Never in household trash

Never in household trash; requires a licensed handler or special facility.

EPA says removal is complex and must be done only by a trained and accredited asbestos professional, with material wetted and disposed of in sealed, leak-proof, labeled heavy-duty plastic bags. Only certain landfills accept it, usually by appointment: Escambia County, FL accepts friable asbestos by appointment only, in sealed 6-mil bags labeled CAUTION CONTAINS ASBESTOS.

No authoritative posted fee found for this item; many programs take it free or quote at the gate.

Before you go

• Do not break, sand or dry-sweep suspected material.
• Call the landfill before removal; most need an appointment and paperwork.
• Your state environmental agency lists which landfills are permitted for asbestos.

Sources: EPA: Protect your family from exposures to asbestos ; Escambia County, FL: Asbestos procedures

Treated lumber and railroad ties

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

An EPA memo explains that discarded CCA-treated wood is generally not a federal hazardous waste and that homeowner quantities can often go with household trash to a lined municipal landfill, with state and local rules deciding the details. Railroad ties are frequently excluded (Wake County, NC lists them as not accepted). Treated wood is never yard waste and should not be burned.

No authoritative posted fee found for this item; many programs take it free or quote at the gate.

Before you go

• Cut to the facility's maximum length (Nebraska guidance suggests 8 ft or less) and call ahead.
• Keep it out of the brush or wood-chip pile.
• Do not burn it in a stove, fire pit or burn pile.

Sources: EPA RCRA memo 14707: Disposal of CCA-treated wood ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers ; Nebraska DEE: Treated wood disposal guidance (PDF)

Fence posts and fencing

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

Wood fence posts are treated lumber: landfill, not the brush pile. Chain link and wire fencing is scrap metal and is often accepted free at the metal pile. Posts set in concrete count as rubble and may be charged at the C&D rate.

Before you go

• Knock concrete off the posts, or expect the C&D rate for the whole load.
• Roll wire fencing tightly and separate it from wood.
• Treated posts are not accepted as yard waste.

Sources: EPA RCRA memo 14707: Disposal of CCA-treated wood ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF)

Cardboard

Recycling, usually free

Curbside or drop-off recycling; usually free.

EPA says to flatten boxes and put them in the recycling bin. Drop-off recycling at convenience centers is normally free (Wake County, NC accepts clean, flattened cardboard with packing removed). Paying to landfill cardboard is rarely necessary.

Before you go

• Flatten and remove packing foam and plastic.
• Wet or greasy cardboard (pizza boxes) is usually trash.
• Waxed produce boxes are not recyclable in most programs.

Sources: EPA: How do I recycle common recyclables ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers

Glass bottles, jars and window glass

Recycling, usually free

Curbside or drop-off recycling; usually free.

EPA says most curbside programs accept bottle and jar glass with colors mixed, but broken glass should not go in the recycling bin because it injures workers. Window panes, mirrors and ceramics are not container glass; they go in the trash, boxed and labeled.

No authoritative posted fee found for this item; many programs take it free or quote at the gate.

Before you go

• Remove metal caps and recycle them separately.
• Box or wrap window glass and mark it 'glass' for the crew.
• Rinse containers; labels can stay on.

Sources: EPA: How do I recycle common recyclables ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers

Scrap metal

Recycling, usually free

Curbside or drop-off recycling; usually free.

Most landfills and convenience centers keep a free scrap-metal pile, and scrap yards pay by weight. Wake County, NC accepts scrap metal at convenience centers as long as power equipment is drained of gas and oil. EPA notes metal recycling options vary by locality.

Before you go

• Drain gas and oil from mowers and engines.
• Separate metal from wood, plastic and rubber for a better rate at a scrap yard.
• Appliances with refrigerant are a different item; see refrigerated appliances.

Sources: EPA: How do I recycle common recyclables ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers

Hot tub or spa

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

A hot tub is oversized bulky waste. Convenience centers refuse it when it does not fit their containers (Wake County, NC lists hot tubs as not accepted and sends oversized items to the landfill at posted tipping fees). Expect to pay by weight at the landfill, often with the C&D rate for the shell and frame.

No authoritative posted fee found for this item; many programs take it free or quote at the gate.

Before you go

• Drain it fully and cut the shell into pieces with a reciprocating saw.
• Pull the pump, heater and wiring; motors are scrap metal.
• Call ahead: some sites want it cut to a maximum size.

Sources: Wake County, NC: Convenience centers

Piano

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

Pianos are accepted as bulky waste at landfills and transfer stations and billed by weight; an upright weighs several hundred pounds, so expect the minimum charge or more. Convenience centers accept bulky items only within their size limits (Wake County, NC: under 8 feet).

Before you go

• Try donation or a piano mover first; many schools and churches take working uprights.
• Remove the cast-iron plate for the scrap pile if you can; it is most of the weight.
• Bring help and a dolly; most sites will not unload for you.

Sources: Wake County, NC: Convenience centers ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF)

Christmas trees

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

Real trees are yard waste: most cities run free January curbside pickup or a mulching drop-off, and landfills take them in the green-waste lane. Where a fee applies it is small (Fairfax County, VA charges $11 as a small single item). Artificial trees are trash.

Before you go

• Strip every ornament, light, hook and the stand.
• Flocked or sprayed trees are usually trash, not mulch.
• Bag it only if your hauler asks; most mulch programs want it bare.

Sources: EPA: Volume-to-weight conversion factors (2016, PDF) ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF)

Dirt, soil, sod and rock

Landfill / transfer station

Landfill or transfer station: usually accepted as household or bulky waste.

Clean soil is treated as rubble or C&D at most landfills and charged per ton or per cubic yard; it is extremely heavy, so a small trailer can top a ton. Clean fill sites and landscapers often take it free. Contaminated soil (fuel, chemicals) is a regulated waste; call the facility.

Before you go

• Keep roots, trash and concrete out of the load unless the site allows mixed rubble.
• Post 'free fill dirt' locally before paying to dump it.
• Tarp the load; most states fine uncovered loads.

Sources: Larimer County, CO: 2026 landfill fee schedule ; Fairfax County, VA: FY2027 residential disposal rates (PDF)

Household hazardous waste (cleaners, solvents, pool chemicals)

HHW event or facility

Household hazardous waste (HHW) event or permanent HHW facility.

EPA defines HHW as leftover household products that can catch fire, react, explode, or are corrosive or toxic, and says to contact your local solid waste agency about permanent collection sites or designated collection days rather than pouring them down drains or putting them in the trash. Convenience centers refuse them (Wake County, NC lists acids, solvents, paints and pesticides as not accepted).

No authoritative posted fee found for this item; many programs take it free or quote at the gate.

Before you go

• Keep products in original labeled containers; never mix them.
• Pack upright in a box in the trunk, away from passengers.
• Many HHW days are free for residents and limited to a set number of gallons.

Sources: EPA: Household hazardous waste (HHW) ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers

Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer

HHW event or facility

Household hazardous waste (HHW) event or permanent HHW facility.

EPA names pesticides as household hazardous waste and routes them to HHW programs, not the trash or drain. Wake County, NC convenience centers list fertilizers, pesticides and poisons as not accepted. Using the product up as labeled is the other legal option.

No authoritative posted fee found for this item; many programs take it free or quote at the gate.

Before you go

• Keep the original container and label; unknown liquids are often refused.
• Empty containers: follow the label (many say triple-rinse, then trash).
• Do not pour leftovers on the ground or into a storm drain.

Sources: EPA: Household hazardous waste (HHW) ; Wake County, NC: Convenience centers