No matter how well you care for a piece of furniture, it eventually outlasts its intended time and needs replacing. Or sometimes, it isn’t all that worn, but you just want to replace it with something better suited to your current tastes or situation.
Whatever the reason, you have to get rid of furniture. But you can’t just leave it in the corner and hope someone will take it or the garbage collectors will pick it up!
When it comes to getting rid of furniture, there are proper ways of disposal or recycling. Read further to know the difference and understand which is the more preferable option for your unwanted furniture.
Dispose vs. Recycle
When it comes to disposing of furniture, most people will think that recycling it is the best option available. Though recycling is an excellent opinion to lessen the garbage we pile on our landfills, it is not always the best option for old furniture.
Recycling is a great way to get more use out of old furniture, and it helps lower our carbon footprint and is kinder to the environment. If there’s an option to recycle, then recycling should be the first option considered always.
However, there are cases where furniture should not be recycled because they are unsafe for repurposing, either because their materials are contaminated with disease or infested by pests, or they are just in such a poor condition that no one will be able to get any use out of them anymore.
Guidelines on Recycling
Every state has their own regulations when it comes to recycling furniture. In Orange County, you can donate your old but usable furniture to certain foundations so other people can find use for them.
Do note that not all foundations accept furniture donations, while some only accept small furniture and not large furniture. Please refer to the list below, so you can call your charity foundation of choice and schedule a pickup or drop off for your old furniture.
- Patriots and Paws – They only accept clean and working furniture. You can check out which types they accept here, and you can learn more or schedule for pickup by calling them at (714) 32307229 or emailing them at pickup@patriotsandpaws.org.
- Goodwill – They accept furniture donations which you can drop off at their stores and donation centers. You can also schedule for them to pick up the furniture if they are bulky. There are several Goodwill stores in Orange County, so you can reach out to the one closest to your location.
- Habitat for Humanity – They accept furniture donations and most Habitat ReStore offer furniture donation pickup. To schedule a pickup, provide your zip code in their website.
- Salvation Army – They accept gently used furniture, and they offer pick up for large furniture items free of charge. Schedule your donation here.
- Beacon House Thrift Shop – They accept some furniture donations; read about their guidelines here. You can drop off your old furniture in their San Pedro branch or Long Beach branch. Or you can schedule a pickup, so they can come get the furniture donation.
Guidelines on Disposing
In Orange County, there is a Residential Curbside Collection Program which allows you to dispose of unwanted furniture by having garbage collectors take them away. Place your old furniture at your curb by 6am, and they will be collected on the same day as yard wastes.
However, do note that they limit what they collect to three cubic yards per household at a time. So if your unwanted furniture is larger than this, then you will have to haul the furniture away yourself or hire junk haulers to do it for you.
To haul old furniture away yourself, you need a pickup truck or flatbed. Know where you are hauling the furniture to, whether it’s a landfill or scrap dealer. Call ahead to ensure they accept the amount and types of furniture you will get rid of, and take note of the conditions and schedules with which they accept loads.
But if you can’t be bothered, you can hire junk haulers. Junk haulers are companies that offer a service where they come to pick up your unwanted items, including old unwanted furniture, and dispose of them properly. This saves you the hassle of securing a vehicle to transport your furniture, and it frees you from having to find a location where you can dump your furniture as well.
Get Rid of Furniture in Orange County
If you’re getting rid of furniture in Orange County, save yourself the trouble and call West Coast Property Maintenance, the number one at offering property maintenance services in Orange County!
At WCPM, we help make your property mess free with our commercial junk removal services. Whether it’s furniture you’re getting rid of or other junk such as appliances, equipment, yard waste, or special items, give us a call, and we’ll arrange to take these off your hands as soon as you want. We even offer same-day hauling services and after hours pick-up!
Call WCPM today to schedule junk hauling services or to request a quote!