Bulk Trash Pick Tips for Metro Phoenix
Everything You Should Know about Phoenix’s Bulk Trash Pickup Procedures
Whether you agree with it or not, no city-wide effort can be completed without the cooperation and support of all of its residents. That’s why it’s important to understand the best practices and some tips for Phoenix's garbage pickup services.
While Arizona Junk Removal offers limitation free bulk trash pickups, the city is not able to. So, if you want your next curbside pickup to go as smoothly as possible, follow the directions laid out by the Phoenix Public Works Department.
We’ll break it down by geographic location for you!
Phoenix Public Works' Regulations' Outlined
City of Phoenix
- Bulk trash pickup services are offered four times a year.
- Residents may place their bulk trash at their curbs no sooner than nine days
before the scheduled collection date. - Pickup times vary throughout the city, so check online to make sure you’re prepared.
- Hazardous chemicals, remodeling and building materials, and car tires are among the materials that are not accepted for bulk trash collection. Unacceptable items will at best not be removed from the property and at worst result in a fine.
- All hedge clippings and yard waste must be secured and packed together in order to be picked up.
- Phoenix is very cautious of illegal dumping, or the disposal of garbage in locations where that garbage was generated, and encourages residents to report any suspicious activity.
For more information on Phoenix's regulations, visit the city page @: https://www.phoenix.gov/publicworks/garbage/bulktrash
FOR ALL YOUR HAULING NEEDS
CALL US @ 602-799-4181
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Schedule a Pickup
(weekday same day pickup available, weekends by appt.)
Town of Anthem
- Here, bulk trash is defined as any material that is too large to be placed into a typical trash or recycling container. This includes furniture, appliances that do not contain Freon or refrigerants. No large amounts of yard waste or vegetation.
- Bulk trash is collected every other month for a total of six times per year.
- Bulk trash may be placed outside at your curb starting on the weekend before the scheduled collection day. No earlier.
- Bulk trash loads must be placed at least five feet away from fixed objects, including but not limited to: parked cars, a telephone pole, a fire hydrant, or a water meter. This is mostly about collection trucks having room to maneuver.
- Bulk trash collection is not an excuse to dispose of hazardous materials that are not allowed during the normal garbage pickup season.
Items that are not allowed include hazardous chemicals. Heavy things such as earth, bricks, asphalt, construction materials are also frowned upon. Additionally, no auto parts or unsecured glass (not sure what this means exactly). Nothing over four feet in length is to be accepted.
City of Buckeye
Although they are on the far end of the West Valley, Buckeye is one of the fastest growing cities in Arizona, that means they have a lot of ground to cover when it comes to collecting large items. Right now they round up bulk trash once every quarter, only 4 times a year. But as their city grows they'll need to rethink their plans or they are bound to see a lot more illegal dumping.
City of Casa Grande
Casa Grande has a quasi-similar policy, if you are lucky enough to have your solid waste picked up in the alley then you can expect to have bulk trash picked up once every six weeks. However, if you have curbside pick up, then you have to call and schedule a pick up. The double standard seems odd to us too, so if you don't have an alley expect your hassle to be doubled.
City of Tempe
Just like Chandler’s test instructions, the rules to follow in Tempe are strict. Size and weight limits and improper or unacceptable items abound. The only difference is, here in Tempe, bulk trash services will see you once every other month. The wait just keeps getting longer and longer.
City of Avondale, Goodyear, Gilbert, and Scottsdale
While it's not the best system pre-scheduled bulk trash pick ups are definitely the most popular policy. Many of the Valley cities subscribe to the policy that once a month is good enough. And that may be true but it's at their convenience, not yours. With service only once a month you could end up storing junk for weeks at a time before you can get rid of it. Each city has very specific rules about what you can throw out, where to place it, how big it can be and all that. If you’re willing to wait it out then make sure you carefully read through their guidelines or you'll either find a surprise charge to your account or come home to find your pile was left behind. Avondale, Goodyear, Gilbert, and Scottsdale are all patrons of the once a month policy.
City of Glendale
- Glendale reserves the right to not pick up items that are unsafe or improperly placed. Residents are to leave a minimum of two feet between to the bulk trash objects and water meters, city-owned containers or bins, telephone boxes, or any other fixed object that will interfere with foot traffic.
- Residents may place bulk trash on their curbs between the hours of 6 a.m. on the Thursday before and 6 a.m. on the Monday of the scheduled collection week.
- Glendale residents of single-family homes and duplexes may request additional bulk trash collection services for the price of $99, which will be added to the residence’s water bill.
- On regular recycling or garbage collection days, be sure not to block the bulk trash pile with the typical disposal containers.
- All containers will be disposed along with their contents, so do not place any bulk in containers that you are planning to keep, as they will not be returned.
- All containers must be clearly marked for bulk trash pickup (for example, an armchair does not need to be marked, but a box, bin, or bag does).
Alternatively, Arizona Junk has an entire page detected to our hauling and pickup services for the city of Glendale.
City of Litchfield Park, Tolleson, and Queen Creek
Litchfield Park also has once a month pick up but they have contracted their work out to Waste Management. Tolleson contracts with Right Away Disposal, who will also pick up bulk trash once a month but make sure you call ahead and schedule an appointment first. Queen Creek residents have their solid waste handled by the City, they will stop by once a month but again you need to call in advance and schedule a pick up.
City of Apache Junction, Paradise Valley, Carefree, and Cave Creek:
While waiting weeks or months for your bulk trash pickup day is annoying beyond all measure at least the City is making some effort to help out, that is unless you live in one of these lovely towns: Apache Junction, Paradise Valley, Carefree and Cave Creek. Each of these cities requires you to contract with a waste removal service, not just for bulk trash but for everyday waste and recycling. Each city has a few different waste management companies that can service your everyday trash and recycling needs. Bulk trash is a separate service.
City of Peoria & El Mirage:
The policies in place at El Mirage and Peoria are just downright laughable. Why even waste the taxpayers’ money with these ridiculous schemes?
Peoria will make two service calls to your house every year! But that's not all, when they get there they will only take 10 cubic yards of waste. They pick up things such as appliances and household items, but they will not take landscaping debris like rocks or bricks.
What’s fun too is, you can put that trash right on the street. Not on your property or sidewalk, you have to get it all the way out there, in the curb gutter. If you live on a “high capacity road” then you get to sign a liability waiver so you can leave your junk on your lawn. Don’t make any mistakes, if you leave something in your pile that's against the rules or if you place your pile in the wrong spot, Peoria will just leave the whole thing right there or even worse, they'll just start charge you a fine to pick up anything they feel is against the rules.
In El Mirage, the city of illusion, getting reliable bulk trash services is just as impossible as reaching that imaginary oasis in the sand. The city of El Mirage has two bulk trash events a year. Events. They pre-schedule pick ups for their communities, each getting one day in the spring and one day in the fall. They’ll let you know a couple months in advance when you can expect them to come by and grab all your junk, hopefully, you’ve got a place to store it until then.
City of Mesa & Fountain Hills:
Fountain Hills will come to pick up your bulk trash as often as you like. They will charge you a fee for every visit though and you had better make sure you abide by their trash rules or you could find a lot of junk left behind.
Mesa has a similar policy; give them a call and they'll pick it up for a fee. But make sure you know what they are willing to pick up, there are a lot of don'ts on their list, including appliances. If you need to get rid of any household appliances you'll have to work with another program.
City of Surprise:
Surprisingly, Surprise has a policy that might actually prove effective for most residents. They don’t have pre-scheduled pick up days. Meaning you have to call and make an appointment, but they’ll pick up your bulk trash, free of charge. And you can schedule as many pick ups as you like as long as your piles are small. They offer free pick up until you have gotten rid of 20 cubic yards of trash, think 20 washing machines. Once you’ve reached the threshold amount then you'll have to find another solution.
About Arizona Sanitation Services
- Arizona Sanitation Services is a third-party service that allows you to get rid of your bulk trash without holding onto it until the city announces its free services. They also can provide more than one container at additional fees.
- Their unacceptable materials are in accordance with Phoenix laws. Arizona Sanitation Services cannot pick up the following:
- loose litter or yard waste
- tree stumps
- trunks
- branches more than one foot in diameter
- tires
- anything with refrigerants
- more than 20 cubic yards of garbage per household
- chemicals, including batteries, paint, and automobile fluids
- any kind of glass, construction or automobile materials weighing more than 20 pounds and over four feet long
- For more information including pricing, vacation policy, and other details, contact Arizona Sanitation Services at 480-736-0201.