Can You Throw Away a Bed Frame?

  • By: greenorb
  • Date: April 23, 2022
  • Time to read: 4 min.

You can throw away a bed frame in the regular trash. This shouldn’t be too much of an issue. 

However, you should check with your local trash removal services before you go tossing it. Some areas consider these “big trash” and have a separate schedule altogether.

Also, some municipalities will not allow you to throw any amount of furniture into the regular trash. 

This means you’ll have to devise some other way to dispose of the bed frame. It’s not difficult, but you will have to be a little resourceful about it.

Should I Throw Away a Bed Frame with the Regular Weekly Trash?

If your area allows it, you can throw your bed frame into the regular trash. But, if you have any doubts, contact the local dump or sanitation department. 

Some localities will allow bed frames in the regular trash while others will fine you for it. Yet others have specific days where they will pick it up.

What to Do with a Bed Frame if You Can’t Put It with Regular Garbage?

In the event your municipality won’t allow putting bed frames in the trash, you do have other options. Consider the following suggestions to see which one works best for you and your situation.

  • Rent a Dumpster: If you’re looking to throw away a bunch of old furniture or gut out your home for remodeling, it may be a good idea to get rent a dumpster. This allows you to work at your own pace, throw away a large volume of unneeded stuff and then have someone else come haul it away.
  • Donate to Charity: This can be official or unofficial. You can give it to an organization looking for old bed frames or you can put it on the side of the curb or alley for someone else to pick up. In the first method, you’ll be able to make it a write off on your taxes upon getting a receipt.
  • Recycle It: Depending on the materials of the bed frame, you can take it to a local recycling center. But you should ensure the frame comprises recyclable things like metal or wood. Not all plastics are suitable for recycling plants. Call the recycling center ahead of time to see what kind of plastics they will take.
  • Hire a Pro Junk Service: Hiring professionals to haul your old bed frame is most ideal. They will have the training, licensing and certification required to dismantle and remove it from your home safely and efficiently. This option is best for large, old and heavy bed frames.
  • Resell the Bed Frame: If the bed frame is in excellent condition, perhaps consider reselling it on places like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, EBay or some other online platform. You could also put up a flyer for it at a grocery store’s bulletin board or some other public forum.
  • Repurpose the Bed Frame: You could always use the bed frame for some other purpose. If you’re handy and creative, you could make it into a wall rack for guitars, pots and pans or indoor plants. You could turn it into a clothing rack, an herbal drying rack or some other useful device.

Are There Any Downsides to Alternative Methods for Throwing Away a Bed Frame?

When mulling over the alternative methods above, there are several points to consider before you make a decision.

Dumpsters ; Recycling

Renting a dumpster may not be ideal, especially if all you’re looking to get rid of is the bed frame. This will cost more than it’s worth. 

However, you may want to go in on a dumpster with your neighbors. This will mitigate the cost greatly.

If you choose a recycling center, you will have to take the bed frame yourself. 

This may become cumbersome if it’s big, bulky and heavy. Likewise, donation is a wonderful thing, but you may have to find a way to transport it. If you end up shipping the bed frame, this can get quite expensive.

Reselling

Selling comes with its own can of worms and it may take a long time before you see a successful sale. Places like EBay have shipping and packaging requirements. 

Plus, you’ll want to take plenty of pictures and list everything about the bed frame, including any damages.

Person-to-person sales through an online marketplace like Facebook or Craigslist doesn’t always go as smoothly as we’d like. But, it might be worth it to sell, depending on the condition.

Conclusion

In most cases, it should be fine to toss your bed frame away into the regular trash. 

But, for those situations where you have to do something else, there are many options to consider. 

When in doubt, hire junk removal service. This will be the safest and surest way.