Free City drop-off · Or we pick it up
Mattress disposal
Free drop-off at Miramar weekdays, or book a curbside pickup.
San Diego junk removal knowledge base
San Diego disposal guides
Where City and County programs take mattresses, paint, batteries, refrigerators, TVs, furniture, yard waste, e-waste, and construction debris — and when a private pickup is the legal option.
Use official drop-off first
Then book Fred’s if you cannot haul it.
How to use this knowledge base
San Diego is not one trash system. City of San Diego Environmental Services collects many central neighborhoods. Unincorporated county and other cities use franchise haulers with different bulky-item rules. These guides cite the City pages, County recycling rules, and WasteFreeSD.org — the regional directory Environmental Services itself recommends.
Hours and fees change. Call 858-694-7000 or check the linked City page before you drive to Convoy Street. Fred’s Junk Removal is the hired truck when drop-off is not practical. We follow the same bans the City posted: no paint, no chemicals, no alley dumps.
Also see what we haul and the price list.
San Diego disposal guides
City and County drop-off rules, then the pickup option if you cannot self-haul.
Appliances are recyclable, not trash
Refrigerator disposal
Recycling-center drop-off with a CFC fee, or we haul the fridge.
Covered electronic devices stay out of the trash
TV recycling
TVs are e-waste. Recycle at Miramar or book a pickup — never the gray bin.
Donate first · Then recycle or haul
Furniture disposal
Donate usable pieces, landfill the rest, or schedule a furniture haul.
C&D has its own rules and rates
Construction debris
Permitted jobs recycle C&D. Small leftover piles can be hauled as junk.
Green bin first · Then the Greenery
Yard waste
Use the green bin for trimmings. Oversize piles need the Greenery or a hauler.
Screens, computers, printers — not the trash
E-waste disposal
Recycle electronics at Miramar or a listed collector. HHW does not take e-waste.
City vs county vs a private truck
Bulk-item pickup
City: no bulky route yet. County: two free pickups. Or hire a truck.
What never goes in a City bin
Disposal rules
Know the bin bans, landfill rules, and HHW appointments before you haul.
Official directories, not random Facebook groups
Recycling resources
WasteFreeSD, Miramar, HHW, and County contacts in one place.
PaintCare drop-off · No charge
Paint disposal
Take leftover paint to a PaintCare site or HHW. Not the trash, not a junk truck.
Appointment drop-off · Never the gray bin
Hazardous materials
Book free HHW drop-off. Paint, cleaners, pesticides, and solvents are not junk.
Universal waste · Not the landfill
Bulbs and batteries
Batteries and fluorescent bulbs are universal waste. HHW or a City collection event.
Certified oil centers pay you back
Oil and fuels
Used oil to a certified center. Gasoline and mixed fluids to HHW. Never a junk truck.
A local junk hauler that still sends you to free drop-off
A knowledge base for San Diego junk disposal should not pretend every item needs a dump truck. Clean mattresses recycle free on weekdays at Miramar. Many TVs drop at the Recycling Center. Green-bin organics are already paid for on City collection. The expensive mistake is illegal dumping, a banned appliance in the gray cart, or a C&D pile that voids a permit deposit.
Fred’s quotes the jobs that official programs do not cover: upstairs refrigerators, mixed garage piles, same-week bulky items inside City limits, and anything you cannot fit in a car. Posted rates from $69 curbside. Text a photo.
Your friend with a truck
Know the rule. Then book the haul if you need one.
