Between the alley, 311, the donation truck, and a hauler, here's how to decide — item by item — plus the one rule to know: Illinois won't let you landfill electronics. The complete 2026 guide, with the real DIY-vs-hauler math and how to keep it out of the alley in winter.
Send a photo — flat price, we carry it down
Upload a Photo & Get Your Price →Illinois bans electronics from landfills — TVs, monitors, computers, printers — so they can't go out with the trash and must be recycled. Furniture itself can be thrown out, and mattresses are best recycled. If your cleanout mixes an old TV with a couch and a mattress, the electronics are the part you legally can't just toss.
Clean and sound? Donate it first. Torn or broken? A hauler carries it down at a flat $126 (loveseat $95, sleeper sofa $149, 3-piece sectional $185) and the foam, wood, and metal are separated for recycling where possible.
Solid dressers ($126), dining tables ($129), and bookshelves ($72) donate well; damaged pieces are broken down to recycle the wood and metal.
Best recycled, not left in the alley to sit in the snow. We carry it out as-is (queen $103, king $114, twin $82, box spring $92) — no bagging, no alley drag — and route it to a recycler that reclaims the steel, foam, and fiber.
Fridges, freezers, and ACs hold refrigerant that must be recovered to EPA standards before the metal is scrapped. We disconnect (a plumber cuts any gas line), carry it down the back stairs, and route it properly — fridge $164, washer $133, dryer $128, dishwasher $109, water heater $131.
Illinois bans electronics from landfills. We dismount the wall set and route everything (TV $62–$73, monitor $58) to a certified e-waste recycler, including the leaded glass in old CRT sets.
Treadmills ($115), Pelotons ($80), and ellipticals ($97) are heavy and often bolted; we break them down and recycle the metal.
Chicago orgs that take furniture in good condition:
Call ahead — they only accept clean, undamaged pieces, and pickup windows fill fast around the May 1 and October 1 lease turnovers.
If you're in a single-family or small building on city collection, you can request bulk pickup through 311 and set items out by the alley. It's fine for a couple of sturdy pieces you can carry down yourself, on the city's schedule — but it won't come up your back stairs, won't take the banned electronics, and bigger buildings on private scavenger service have their own rules.
Electronics go to a certified e-waste recycler; mattresses to a mattress recycler; refrigerant appliances are handled to EPA standards. Getting each to the right place is the hassle — which is exactly what a hauler does automatically in one stop.
When it's heavy, down two or three flights of classic Chicago back stairs, needed before the 311 date, a mess to alley-dump in winter, or more than an item or two, a hauler is worth it. JunkRabbit quotes from a photo, carries it down the back stairs (no stair surcharge), and sorts donation, recycling, and the banned electronics in one trip. Single items are flat ($75 minimum); whole-unit cleanouts are priced by the truckload. See the full Chicago price guide.
Renting a truck sounds cheaper until you add the rental + the transfer-station dump fee + fuel + your day — plus you carry the couch down the back porch yourself, fight for alley access, and make a separate trip for the e-waste you can't dump. Here's the flat hauler side:
| The job | Flat hauler price | DIY reality |
|---|---|---|
| One couch | $126 | Rental + dump fee + you carry it down + a half-day |
| Couch + mattress + dresser | ~$300–$480 | Two trips (e-waste/mattress sorting) + your day |
| One room / small load | 1/4 truck — $241 | A full rental day for one load |
| Studio / 1-bed unit | 1/2 truck — $431 | Multiple trips + sorting + dump fees |
| Furnished 2-bed | Full truck — $732 | A weekend, several trips, the heavy lifting |
$75 minimum. Count the rental, dump fees, the separate e-waste trip, the back stairs, and your time — the flat number is usually close, and you don't lift a thing.
Chicago's big lease-turnover dates are May 1 and October 1 — demand for donation pickups and haulers spikes then, so book early. In winter, the alley is the worst place for a couch to sit (snow, ice, and a quick soaking that kills any donation value), which is when getting it carried out and gone the same day matters most. For a same-day need, a flat-rate hauler is usually the only option that moves on your schedule.
Illinois banned electronics from landfills because they're recyclable and full of recoverable metal. Donation keeps a usable piece in service. Recycling reclaims the steel from box springs and appliances, the foam and fiber from mattresses, the wood from case goods, and the metals and glass from electronics. Whichever route you choose, divert first and dump last — a good hauler defaults to donation, then recycling, and sends only the truly dead material to disposal.
Can I throw out a TV in Chicago?
No — Illinois bans electronics from landfills; they must be recycled.
Does the city pick up furniture?
Yes, via 311, by the alley, for a couple of items — not from inside, not e-waste.
Where can I donate?
Salvation Army, Brown Elephant, Habitat ReStore — clean pieces, call ahead.
How much to haul a couch?
A flat $126, carried down the stairs, $75 minimum.
How much for a full apartment?
By truck: 1/4 $241, half $431, full $732.
What about the mattress?
Best recycled — we take it as-is, no alley pile.
Is DIY cheaper?
Often not, once you count rental, dump fees, the e-waste trip, and your day.
When should I hire it out?
Heavy items, back stairs, the 311 wait, winter alleys, or multiple items.
Do you handle appliance refrigerant?
Yes — recovered to EPA standards before the metal is recycled.
When are the busy moving dates?
May 1 and October 1 — book early.
No — Illinois bans electronics, including TVs, monitors, and computers, from landfills, so they must be recycled rather than set out with the trash. Furniture itself can be thrown out, but electronics and (for recycling) mattresses are better routed to the right stream. A hauler handles that sorting.
For single-family and small residential buildings on city collection, you can request bulk pickup through 311, and items go out by the alley. It works for a couple of sturdy pieces you can carry to the alley yourself, on the city's schedule — it won't come up your back stairs or take banned electronics. Larger buildings on private scavenger service have their own rules.
Usable furniture can go to the Salvation Army, the Brown Elephant, or a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, among others. Some offer pickup for larger pieces in good condition — call ahead, since they can't take damaged items.
Donation is free if it qualifies and you can deliver it. A flat-rate hauler is $126 for a couch, carried down the front or back stairs, with a $75 minimum — usually worth it for a no-elevator walk-up or anything heavy.
By how much of the truck the load fills: 1/4 truck $241, half $431, three-quarters $587, a full 16-cubic-yard truck $732. A studio is often 1/4–1/2 a truck; a furnished one-bedroom runs 1/2 to a full truck.
It's best recycled rather than left in the alley to sit in the snow. A hauler carries it out as-is and routes it to a mattress recycler that reclaims the steel, foam, and fiber — no bagging, no curb drag.
Refrigerators, freezers, and ACs contain refrigerant that must be recovered to EPA standards before the metal is recycled. A hauler disconnects the unit (a plumber cuts any gas line) and routes it to a recycler that handles the refrigerant.
Often not, once you add the rental, the transfer-station dump fee, separate trips for the e-waste you can't dump, alley/permit headaches, and your own day carrying it down the back stairs. A flat-rate hauler is frequently close on price and does the lifting and sorting.
When the piece is heavy, when it's down two or three flights of classic Chicago back stairs, when you can't wait for the 311 date, in winter when alley dumping is a mess, or when you have more than a piece or two.
For one sturdy item you can get to the alley and aren't in a hurry on, donation or your 311 bulk pickup is cheapest. For heavy items, walk-ups, e-waste, or a whole unit, a flat-rate hauler is faster and often not far off once you count rental, dump fees, and your time.