Bulky item collection

Bulky Reuse & Recycling Pickup

Give bulky items a second life

The City has partnered with Better Futures Minnesota to collect bulky reusable and recyclable items at the curb and keep them out of the landfill.

Households with City garbage and recycling service can schedule one monthly pickup of eligible items, including furniture, mattresses, appliances, bicycles, scrap metal, tools and certain building materials.

Items collected through this program are brought to local reuse and recycling partners. Reusable furniture may be delivered to Bridging, where it can help furnish homes for families and individuals in need. Other reusable items may be sold at Better Futures Minnesota’s Reuse Warehouse. Items that cannot be reused, such as some mattresses, appliances and scrap metal, are recycled.

There is no extra charge at the time of pickup. This service is included in the monthly Bulky Item Management Fee on the residential utility bill.

Monthly bulky item collection in Bloomington

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ4WcJDhzEk

What happens to collected items?

The goal of the Bulky Reuse & Recycling Pickup Program is to keep reusable and recyclable bulky items out of the landfill.

After items are collected by the City’s contractor, Better Futures Minnesota:

Reusable furniture and household items may be delivered to Bridging, where they can help furnish homes for families and individuals in need.
Other reusable items may be sold through Better Futures Minnesota’s Reuse Warehouse.
Mattresses and appliances that are not in good enough condition for reuse are recycled.
Scrap metal items are recycled.

Who is eligible

The service is provide to all City of Bloomington residential solid waste & recycling customers. This includes single family properties, duplexes and certain townhomes that have opted into city garbage and recycling service. If you are unsure if you have City service, enter your address in our City Collection Hauler Map. Households with City service are identified on this map with a star, and hauler details.

How to schedule pickup

You must schedule pickup ahead of time directly with City-contracted vendor, Better Futures. Pickup must be scheduled by 4 p.m. at least two business days ahead of your regular monthly pickup day. There is no extra cost for these items to be picked up. Service is included in the monthly Curbside Cleanup Fee on your Utility Bill.

Schedule pickup:

By phone at 612-353-5400 (Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
Online at betterfuturesminnesota.com/curbside-collections

When will items be picked up

After scheduling your pickup with Better Futures, items will be picked up the first full week of each month, on your regular garbage and recycling day.

The first full week of the month is as follows:

January 2026: Week of January 5th
February 2026: Week of February 2nd
March 2026: Week of March 2nd
April 2026: Week of April 6th
May 2026: Week of May 4th
June 2026: Week of June 1st
July 2026: Week of July 6th
August 2026: Week of August 3rd
September 2026: Week of September 7th
October 2026: Week of October 5th
November 2026: Week of November 2nd
December 2026: Week of December 7th

Set-out instructions

Set items out by 7 a.m. on your regular garbage and recycling day during your scheduled pickup week.
All items must be dry. Wet items will not be collected. If rain or snow is expected, cover items with a tarp or waterproof cover. Better Futures will remove the cover to inspect and collect eligible items, but tarps and covers will not be collected. Tarps will be left at the property for the resident to reuse.
Refer to the Items Accepted section for additional set-out requirements based on the type of item you are setting out.

Items accepted and quantity limits

Quantity Limits

Choose one of the following pickup offerings monthly:

Up to 2 large items, OR
Up to 1 large item and 2 medium items, OR
Up to 1 large item and 50 cubic feet of building materials, OR
Up to 3 medium items, OR
Up to 2 medium items with 50 cubic feet of building materials

In addition, collection of 4 tools may be requested with any pickup.

Number of items set out monthly cannot exceed limits above, but can be less.

Items Accepted

The following items are accepted. Quantity limits apply.

Large Items

Mattresses or box springs	Must be dry. No bugs. Some mattresses will be recycled if they cannot be reused.
Large appliances	Includes air conditioners, dehumidifiers, dish washers, freezers, garbage disposals, ovens, microwaves, refrigerators, stoves, trash compactors, washer/dryers, water heaters, water softeners. Items must be clean.
Furniture	Must be dry and in good condition. Must be dry, free of rips, stains, scratches, strong odors and/or pet hair. Includes: Couches (90" or shorter; reclining or powered couches not accepted) Chairs (Reclining or powered chairs not accepted) Tables and coffee tables (glass topped tables not accepted) Shelves (glass topped shelves not accepted. Entertainment centers for tube televisions not accepted.) Bed frames (Headboards, footboards or wooden rails not accepted) And more
Rugs	Must be dry and in good condition. Must be free of rips, stains, scratches, strong odors and/or pet hair. Cannot exceed 10 feet in length.

Medium Items

Bicycles	Any condition.
Powered lawn/snow equipment	Any condition. Must be emptied of gasoline and oil.
Toilets	Must be in working condition and less than 8 years old. No cracks.
Sinks	Must be in working condition. No cracks.
Cabinets	Must be in good condition. Doors must remain attached.
Solid core doors	The following doors are not accepted: hollow core doors, doors with missing parts, doors that are bowed, warped or have peeling paint, doors with broken glass, doors with rot, or doors with failing seals or asbestos.
Windows	No broken glass or failing seals.
Light fixtures	No fluorescent fixtures or bulbs. No fixtures with shiny gold or brass elements.
Grills	Any condition.

Building materials

Amount picked up must be 50 cubic feet or less. This is equivalent to the amount that would fit in the back of a standard size pickup truck bed.

Lumber	Must be 4-12 feet long, and free of nails. Treated and painted lumber is accepted. No railroad ties.
Trim	Must be in good condition and free of nails.
Tile	Must be a complete box. Loose tile, or tile not in original box is not accepted.
Plywood	Must be in good condition with no water damage, and at least 4 feet x 4 feet in size.
Bricks and pavers
Fencing	Metal and wood only.
Miscellaneous scrap metal

Tools

All tools must be in good, working condition. Items must be free of rust.

Power tools	Must be in good, working condition.
Garden tools	Must be in good, working condition.
Hand tools	Must be in good, working condition.
Toolbox with misc. tools	Must be in good, working condition.

Items not accepted

Requirements

Must be a Bloomington resident.
No business waste. Businesses should contact Hennepin County at 612.348.3777 for information on disposal options.
Payment by cash or check made out to City of Bloomington. No credit cards.
For safety reasons, walking or biking materials into the event is prohibited.
Participants should turn off vehicles while unloading for safety and to reduce vehicle emissions.

Items accepted for free

Bicycles (for reuse or scrap)
Electronics (see list for electronics that are accepted for a fee)
- Cell phones
- DVD/MP3 players
- Printers
- Stereos/radios
- VCRs
- and more
Paper for shredding (shredding will be done on site)
- Staples are ok. Remove all binders. Plastic bags not accepted.
Scrap metal (must remove all non-metal parts)
- Aluminum window/door (no wood or glass)
- BBQ grills
- Bed frames
- Brass
- Lawnmowers (remove oil/gas)
- Metal bed springs
- Shelving
- Steel

Items accepted for a fee

Pay by cash or check made out to City of Bloomington. Credit cards not accepted.

Item	2023 Fees
Appliances Air conditioners Dehumidifier Dishwasher Freezer* Furnace (residential) Garbage disposal Oven Microwave Refrigerator* Stove Trash compactor Washer/dryer Water heater Water softener	$10
Electronics Computers Monitors TVs	$10 each. Other electronic items accepted for free.
Mattresses and box springs Must be dry. No bed frames.	$20 each piece $10 for crib mattress
Tires Car or Truck Tires.	$3

*Xcel Energy is the electricity service provider in Bloomington. Xcel Energy customers can earn a $50 rebate by allowing Xcel Energy to pick up and recycle their old functioning refrigerator and/or freezer. For more information about the program visit the Xcel Energy website.

Items not accepted

Batteries
Carpet/Pads/Rugs
Concrete, building materials
Dirt, sod, rocks, yard waste
Exercise equipment
Furniture
Garbage (unlike other cities we won’t take general trash)
Household hazardous waste such as paint, chemicals, automotive fluids
Lamps
Lawn furniture
Leaf blowers
Light bulbs
Lumber, building materials
Paint
Railroad ties
Toasters
Trash
Yard waste
Vacuum cleaners

Packing your vehicle

We have various stations where you’ll stop to drop off material. Please note that the station order has changed from last year's event. To make it easier and quicker to unload, please pack your vehicle in the reverse order of how the stations are located. For instance scrap metal is the very last station, so put it in your vehicle first.

Stations

Electronics
Shredded Paper
Bicycles
Mattresses
Tires
Appliances
Scrap Metal (load in your vehicle first)

Curbside Cleanup

Curbside Cleanup is held every other year on even years only. The next Curbside Cleanup will be held in 2028.

During Curbside Cleanup, residents can place limited amounts of appliances, scrap metal, and bulky trash at their curb on an assigned Saturday for collection.

Get Ready for Curbside Cleanup in 2026

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=agYGxHZqo4w2irKe&v=aMeaHZG1Rdk&feature…

Guidelines

Curbside Cleanup is held every other year, on even years only.
If Bulky Item Management Fee is listed on your utility bill, your home is eligible to participate during the years Curbside Cleanup is offered. Apartments and some town homes may not be included in the program, so contact your management or homeowner's association to see if they pay for the service, or call the City Utility Billing Department at 952-563-8726.
During years Curbside Cleanup is offered:
- Do not put materials out more than two days before your scheduled pickup day.
- Set your materials at the curb by 7 a.m. on your pickup day.
- Weight must not exceed 100 pounds per item.
- Trucks will go through only once on your scheduled day. If you miss your curbside pickup, you will be responsible for disposing of the refuse. You can also call Utility Billing at 952-563-8726 and see if you can schedule a bulky materials pickup for an extra fee.
Curbside Cleanup is for Bloomington residents ONLY. Excess materials could cost you more money!

Dates for 2026 Curbside Cleanup

Hauling District	Cleanup Date
West of Normandale (Friday Hauling District)	April 1, 2028
Normandale to France (Thursday Hauling District)	April 8, 2028
France to Penn (Wednesday Hauling District)	April 15, 2028
Penn to Portland (Tuesday Hauling District)	April 22, 2028
East of Portland (Monday Hauling District)	April 29, 2028

Unsure what your hauling district is? Find your regular solid waste collection day here.

Accepted items

These items are accepted for pickup

Appliances	Limit TWO (2) appliances per house. Water heaters, microwaves, washers, dryers, stoves, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, freezers, dishwashers, trash compactors, garbage disposals, water coolers, refrigerators. For any appliance big enough for a child or pet to enter, remove the door(s) or tie securely shut. Do not set out appliances until the morning of your pickup. No electronics (TVs, computers, printers, stereos, cell phones etc.)

Mattresses or box springs	Limit TWO (2) items per household. Mattresses and box springs are accepted.

Unusable furniture	Limit TWO (2) items per household Chairs, couches and sofas, etc. Disassemble or tie down hide-a-way sofa beds so they cannot open when handled.

Other Bulky Items	Limit FOUR (4) items that cannot fit in small garbage cart. Including but not limited to doors, windows, cabinets, grills, bikes, car seats, carpet, lawn mowers, snow blowers, treadmills, and swing sets. Roll up carpets and carpet pads and tie them securely with twine. Rolls must be less than five feet long and less than one (1) foot in diameter – larger rolls will not be accepted. For lawn mowers, snow blowers and other tools with engines: drain any oil, gas and other fluids and remove tires. Should be broken down to ensure hauler can get it in the truck and that a single person will be able to manage it.

Construction & Demolition Materials	Limited to what fits in one (1) level standard-size pickup truck. A standard-size pickup truck is 8 feet in length, 4 feet in width and 2 feet in height. Including but not limited to drywall, siding and lumber. Lumber must be stacked and no longer than five feet. Remove or bend nails. Boxed or bundled with twine - under 100 pounds per item. No household trash such as food waste. No plastic bags. No railroad ties. No chemically treated lumber or wood (i.e. treated to waterproof material) No construction materials from businesses or contractors. No paint, solvents, chemicals or other hazardous waste.

Quantity limits apply

To ensure sustainability and reduce costs, items limits are in place and will be enforced. Item quantity limits are specified below. Any items exceeding the specified limits will remain on the curb and residents will need to arrange for bulk material disposal. Excess materials will cost you more.

These items are not accepted

New: Bundled brush	New in 2026, bundled brush and yard waste will no longer be accepted during Curbside Cleanup. Most households already have yard waste service, and bundled brush was rarely set out during Cleanup. Removing yard waste from Curbside Cleanup helps control program costs for all residents. Full-season yard waste subscriptions remain widely used, and residents can also set out bundled brush during the yard waste season for an on-call fee. Yard waste and brush may also be self-hauled to The Mulch Store or SMSC. For more information about how to manage bundled brush and general yard waste, visit blm.mn/yardwaste.

No general junk pile and no small items	No small items that can otherwise fit in a small garbage cart will be accepted. Small items like clothing, bedding, broken toys and garden hoses will not be accepted during Curbside Cleanup. Instead, you should dispose of these items throughout the year in your regular garbage cart. Regular garbage is sent to the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center—a waste-to-energy facility in downtown Minneapolis. Garbage picked up during the Curbside Cleanup is taken to a landfill. By disposing of small items throughout the year in your regular garbage, you will reduce the amount of material that is sent to the landfill and the annual disposal costs associated with this program.

Construction items from businesses or contractors	No construction materials from businesses or contractors. No railroad ties, chemically treated wood, concrete, bricks, shingles. No asbestos.

Electronics	No TVs, computers, printers, stereos, cell phones etc.

Exceptionally heavy and bulky items	No heavy or bulky items such as pianos or organs.

Hazardous waste	No paints, motor oil, solvents. No fluorescent tubes and bulbs. No propane tanks. No household chemicals.

Plumbing fixtures	No tubs, sinks, toilets or hot tubs.

Recyclable materials	No newspapers, mixed paper, boxboard, corrugated cardboard, cans, glass, plastic containers.

Small scrap metal	No small scrap metal. "Small" is defined as a piece of scrap metal that you can fit in the trunk of a car. Small scrap metal can be dropped off at Hennepin Recycling and Problem Waste Drop-Off Center, 1400 West 96th Street.

Tires, batteries	No tires, batteries.

Yard waste, bundled brush, organic materials	No leaves, grass clippings, sod, stumps, logs, etc. New in 2026: bundled brush is no longer accepted No food waste.

Options for unaccepted items

South Hennepin Recycling and Problem Waste Drop-Off Center
1400 West 96th Street.

Electronic goods: TVs, computers, printers, stereos, cell phones etc.
Gas appliances: camper/other refrigerators, air conditioners - call ahead.
Hazardous waste: paints, motor oil, fluorescent tubes and bulbs, propane and other household chemicals.
Recyclable materials: Newspapers, mixed paper, boxboard, corrugated cardboard, cans, glass, and plastic containers.
SMALL NON-REFILLABLE propane cylinders - 1 pound canisters (look for DOT-39 on the label).
Tires and batteries.

Hennepin County Green Disposal Guide
Use this web link for these and other items not accepted during the Citywide Curbside Cleanup or at the Hennepin Recycling and Problem Waste Drop-Off Center.

Concrete/bricks.
Leaves, grass clippings, sod.
Porcelain (Tubs, sinks, toilets etc.).
Shingles (No asbestos).
Stumps.

Illegal dumping and rummagers

Bulky item collection

Bulky Reuse & Recycling Pickup

Give bulky items a second life

Quantity Limits

Items Accepted

Large Items

Medium Items

Building materials

Tools

2026 Annual Citywide Recycling Drop-Off Event

Curbside Cleanup

These items are accepted for pickup

Appliances

Mattresses or box springs

Unusable furniture

Other Bulky Items

Construction & Demolition Materials

Quantity limits apply

These items are not accepted

No general junk pile and no small items

Construction items from businesses or contractors

Electronics

Exceptionally heavy and bulky items

Hazardous waste

Plumbing fixtures

Recyclable materials

Small scrap metal

Tires, batteries

Yard waste, bundled brush, organic materials

Bulky Garbage Pickup

Contact Information

Utility Billing

Bulky item collection

Residential Solid Waste Program Links

Bulky Reuse & Recycling Pickup

Give bulky items a second life

2026 Annual Citywide Recycling Drop-Off Event

Curbside Cleanup

Bulky Garbage Pickup

Contact Information

Utility Billing