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Free dump days & free landfill drop-off

Looking for a free dump near you? In many US cities, residents can drop off trash, bulky items or certain materials without paying. Below is every free option we found on the official pages of the 23 cities in our directory, copied word for word, with a link to the source.

Free trash and bulky-item drop-off for residents

These cities let their own residents drop off household trash or bulky items without paying, usually within a limit and with proof of residency.

City	What the official page says	Where
Phoenix, AZ	$55 per ton ($40 minimum). Phoenix residential customers: 1 free load up to 1 ton per month Phoenix residents paying full trash service get one load up to 1 ton free per calendar month – bring your city services bill and matching photo ID.	27th Avenue Transfer Station North Gateway Transfer Station official page · verified October 30, 2026
San Antonio, TX	Free if you pay the City's environmental fee	Bitters Bulky Waste Collection Center Frio City Road Bulky Waste Collection Center Culebra Bulky Waste Collection Center Rigsby Road Bulky Waste Collection Center official page · verified October 30, 2026
Dallas, TX	No charge for Dallas residents in cars, station wagons, pickups and trailers under 15 ft hauling their own household waste. Commercial gate rate: $43.60 per ton + fees Temporarily closed: Northeast (Fair Oaks) Transfer Station, Southwest (Westmoreland) Transfer Station – see city page	McCommas Bluff Landfill Northwest (Bachman) Transfer Station Northeast (Fair Oaks) Transfer Station Southwest (Westmoreland) Transfer Station official page 1 · official page 2 · verified November 9, 2026
Charlotte, NC	Up to 5 bags of household (kitchen) trash per day free for residents; more is charged at the fee booth	Compost Central Disposal and Recycling Center Foxhole Disposal and Recycling Center Hickory Grove Disposal and Recycling Center North Mecklenburg Disposal and Recycling Center official page · verified October 30, 2026
Nashville, TN	Free: 3 bags of trash (30 gal max) + 1 bulk item per day. Otherwise by volume: less than 1 cubic yard $10; 1–8 cubic yards $20 per cubic yard Furniture / bulky items: 1 bulk item per day free; more charged by volume	Anderson Lane Convenience Center East Convenience Center Ezell Pike Convenience Center Omohundro Convenience Center official page · verified October 30, 2026
Detroit, MI	Free for Detroit residents (bulk items, within limits)	DPW Davison Yard – Citizen Bulk Drop-Off DPW Southfield Yard – Citizen Bulk Drop-Off DPW J. Fons Yard – Citizen Bulk Drop-Off official page · verified October 30, 2026
Baltimore, MD	Free for city residents Free for residents. Small haulers: $20 flat for vehicles up to 7,000 lbs gross; $3.38 per 100 lbs beyond 7,000 lbs	Quarantine Road Landfill & Residential Recycling Center Western (Reedbird) Residential Recycling Center Eastern Residential Recycling Center Sisson Street Residential Recycling Center Northwest Transfer Station – Drop-Off Center official page · verified October 30, 2026
Tampa, FL	Residential customers get 10 cubic yards of free bulky-waste and appliance disposal per year (resets Oct 1); after that, use a county transfer station and pay standard charges	Northwest County Solid Waste Facility (CCC) Hillsborough Heights Solid Waste Facility (CCC) South County Solid Waste Facility (CCC) Alderman's Ford Solid Waste Facility (CCC) Wimauma Solid Waste Facility (CCC) official page · verified November 3, 2026

Free landfill days and free drop-off days

Some places are free only on certain days. Dates change every year, so check the official page before you load up.

City	What the official page says	Where
Oklahoma City, OK	Free for OKC residential trash customers on the city's Free Landfill Days (2026: May 2 and Sept 12). Participates in OKC Free Landfill Days (twice a year) for OKC residential trash customers.	East Oak Landfill official page · verified October 30, 2026
Kansas City, MO	Free on Saturdays for Kansas City, MO residents with a valid KCMO ID (or ID plus a current utility bill or tax receipt with a KCMO address). Weekday drop-offs are charged regular prices. Saturday free drop-off pauses after December 12, 2026 and resumes March 13, 2027.	Missouri Organic – 40 Hwy (Main Office) Missouri Organic – Northland Missouri Organic – South KC (Raytown Rd) official page · verified November 3, 2026

Free drop-off for mattresses, tires, appliances and electronics

Even where regular trash costs money, certain items are taken free.

City	What the official page says	Where
San Diego, CA	Mattresses: Free – Mattress Collection Site at 5161 Convoy St (east side of the landfill entrance), Mon–Fri 7 AM – 3 PM; not if severely damaged, wet, soiled or with bedbugs	Miramar Landfill official page · verified October 30, 2026
San Francisco, CA	Mattresses: First 4 units per day free if recyclable (intact, dry, no mold/insects); then $21.85 each TVs, monitors, laptops and small electronics: no charge.	Recology SF Transfer Station – Public Disposal & Recycling Area official page · verified October 30, 2026
Portland, OR	Mattresses: Free – up to 4 mattresses/box springs per day Appliances: Coolant appliances (fridges, freezers, A/C): $30 each; other metal appliances free Recyclables and electronics (up to 7 items) free. Household hazardous waste free for households (up to 35 gallons) at the on-site facility.	Metro Central Transfer Station official page · verified October 30, 2026
Sacramento, CA	Mattresses: Free (non-business loads) Tires: Passenger/light truck: 1–4 per day free; 5–8 $10 each Appliances: 1–2 per day free; 3+ $40 each Clean metals and resident e-waste: free. Household hazardous waste free for residents (limits).	North Area Recovery Station (NARS) official page · verified October 30, 2026
Oakland, CA	Mattresses: 1–5 units free; 6+ $125 each TVs and monitors free; other plugged electronics $39 each.	Davis Street Transfer Station official page · verified October 30, 2026
San Jose, CA	Electronic waste (TVs, computers, phones; no broken screens): no charge.	Kirby Canyon Landfill official page · verified October 30, 2026
Nashville, TN	Tires: Without rims: free; with rims: $5 per tire (East and Ezell; 4 per month) Electronics (up to 100 lbs) free at East, Ezell, Omohundro; household hazardous waste (up to 15 gal/100 lbs) free at East and Ezell.	East Convenience Center Ezell Pike Convenience Center official page · verified October 30, 2026
Virginia Beach, VA	Tires: Up to 4 automobile or light-truck tires per visit (with or without rims) – free at the Resource Recovery Center Appliances: Metal appliances free at the Resource Recovery Center; appliances with Freon go to the free household hazardous waste area Household hazardous waste is free for residents: up to 5 gallons of liquid or 75 lbs of solids per visit. Clean concrete, brick and stone, electronics (no CRTs), scrap metal, porcelain toilets/sinks, cooking oil, oyster shells and wooden pallets are taken free at the Resource Recovery Center.	Virginia Beach Landfill & Resource Recovery Center official page · verified November 3, 2026
Tampa, FL	Tires: Up to 12 tires per year free for county solid waste customers Paint and electronics free for any county resident with photo ID.	Northwest County Solid Waste Facility (CCC) official page · verified November 3, 2026
Seattle, WA	Recyclables only: no charge.	North Transfer Station South Transfer Station official page 1 · official page 2 · verified October 30, 2026

Free household hazardous waste and recycling drop-off

Paint, chemicals, batteries and recycling often go to a separate center that is free for residents.

City	What the official page says	Where
Austin, TX	Free for Austin and Travis County residents (except tires) Austin & Travis County residents (free); fees for non-residents	Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center official page · verified October 30, 2026
Oklahoma City, OK	Free for Oklahoma City residents	Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center official page · verified October 30, 2026
Kansas City, MO	No charge for residents of Kansas City, MO and participating communities Free Swap Shop for reusable paint, cleaners and other products.	KC Water Household Hazardous Waste Facility official page · verified November 3, 2026
Denver, CO	Free for Denver residents (recycling and compost only) Single-stream recycling accepted at no charge; appliances, tires and electronics accepted for an additional charge (amount not published).	Cherry Creek Recycling and Compost Drop-off Denver Arapahoe Disposal Site (DADS) Landfill official page 1 · official page 2 · verified October 30, 2026
Minneapolis, MN	Many items free; fees for certain items	South Hennepin Recycling and Problem Waste Drop-Off Center Hennepin County Recycling Center and Transfer Station official page · verified October 30, 2026

Free yard waste drop-off

Leaves, grass and brush are sometimes accepted free at compost or organics sites.

City	What the official page says	Where
Kansas City, MO	Yard waste: Lawn & leaf bags $2.00 per bag; trucks & trailers $10.00 per cubic yard of brush or $7.00 per cubic yard of lawn debris. Free for KCMO residents on Saturdays	Missouri Organic – 40 Hwy (Main Office) Missouri Organic – Northland Missouri Organic – South KC (Raytown Rd) official page · verified November 3, 2026
Omaha, NE	Yard waste: Free – no charge to unload	Oma-Gro Yard Waste Drop-Off official page · verified November 3, 2026

Free (or included) curbside bulk trash pickup

If you have no truck, the city may pick up bulky items at the curb instead.

City	What the official page says	Where
Chicago, IL	Free bulk-item pickup can be requested through Chicago 311 (311 or chi311 app).	Curbside – see Chicago page
Kansas City, MO	Bulky item pickup: free by appointment through the city's Bulky Scheduler or 311 – up to 15 items under 500 lbs per appointment (kcmo.gov).	Curbside – see Kansas City page
Oklahoma City, OK	Bulky waste curbside: first 4 cubic yards included in monthly fees (see okc.gov Bulky Waste page).	Curbside – see Oklahoma City page

Tips for dumping for free

Bring proof you live there. Free drop-off is almost always for residents only. Take a driver's license with your local address and a recent utility or tax bill.
Check the limits. "Free" usually means a set amount, such as a number of bags, one load a month or a few cubic yards. Bigger loads are charged.
Sort your load first. Many sites want trash, yard waste, metal and electronics kept separate, and some only take certain items.
Cover and tie down your load. Several sites charge an extra fee for uncovered loads, even when the dumping itself is free.
Use your own vehicle. Free resident programs usually exclude businesses, contractors and commercial vehicles.
Confirm before you go. Free days, limits and hours change. Open the official page linked in the table.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free dump near me?

Possibly, if you live in the right city. In our directory, 8 cities let residents drop off household trash or bulky items for free (within limits): Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Charlotte, Nashville, Detroit, Baltimore and Tampa. Many more take specific items free, such as mattresses, tires, electronics, recycling or household hazardous waste.

What do I need to bring to use a free resident drop-off?

Almost always proof that you live there: usually a driver's license with a local address, and often a recent utility, water or property-tax bill. Each listing below links to the official page that says exactly what is accepted.

Are there free landfill days?

Some cities run them. For example, Oklahoma City lists Free Landfill Days twice a year for its residential trash customers, and Kansas City, MO takes leaves and brush free from its residents on Saturdays during the season. Dates change every year, so always check the official page first.

Can I get bulk trash picked up for free instead?

In some cities, yes. Chicago and Kansas City, MO offer free bulk-item pickup by request, and Oklahoma City includes the first 4 cubic yards of curbside bulky waste in its monthly fees.

Don't see your city? Find the closest dump to you, or browse all cities. Last checked November 9, 2026.