Municipal · Pickup · Paid · Booking needed
Special Item Pickup
Seattle Public Utilities will collect large furniture, appliances, TVs and computers from your kerb, plus awkward small things like batteries and CFLs, and recycle what it can.
Right for you if
- It is too big for the cart, or it is electronic and the transfer station will not take it.
- You cannot move it yourself. They come and collect.
Look elsewhere if
- You need it free.
- It is one small thing you could drop off yourself.
- You need it gone today.
- It is business waste.
Contact and booking
- Phone
- (206) 684-3000
- Not published
- Book online
- Booking page
- Address
- Not published
- Opening hours
- Not published
- Website
- Official website
Verification
Verified against an official source
Last checked 29 August 2026
That means we read a published source and it said this. It does not mean we watched them do it, or followed the material afterwards, that is a separate, deeper check this has not been through. How we check →
Sources
Part of How to get rid of stuff in Seattle.
Why use it
This is the route for the things the transfer stations turn away, electronics and TVs in particular are not accepted there, but they are collected here. SPU's own framing is that they "find the best, most responsible, way to recycle as much of your trash as possible". Schedule it in your SPU account or call (206) 684-3000, weekdays 7:30am to 6pm. Items go out where your rubbish normally goes, on a flat surface with no stairs, by 7:00am on your next regular collection day, and do not put anything out before the pickup is confirmed. In an apartment you cannot book it yourself; the building owner or manager holds the account.
Good for
- furniture
- mattresses
- appliances
- electronics
- batteries
- other items
How it works
| How you use it | They come and collect it. |
|---|---|
| Cost | Charged, and it goes on your utility bill. Large furniture, large electronics and appliances are $31 an item; refrigerators and freezers made before 2005 are $39.25. Since 1 April 2026 every SPU customer gets one free battery pickup and one free Special Item Box a year; after that it is $5 for batteries and $20 for a box. CFLs and small propane canisters are $5 a pickup. Foam blocks, and cooking and motor oil, are free. Utility Discount Program customers get a further discount. |
| Booking | Book in advance. |
| Service area | City of Seattle |
| Run by | Seattle Public Utilities, a municipal service |
Where your things go
A named destination is worth more than a stated intention, and both are worth more than silence. This is the row to read before you book: if your item's row is empty, ask them on the phone and tell us what they say.
- ✓ Named destination
- ~ Stated, not named
- ? Nothing published
- Tell us what you were told →
Does it actually work
The part no company website tells you. Some of this comes from our checks, some from readers who used the service, and where nobody has told us yet, it says so.
-
Booking
Their pages
Booking required; online via SPU account or by phone. Account holder only.
-
Typical wait
Their pages
Next regular garbage collection day after scheduling (often the same week).
-
Do they answer
Their pages
Yes. (206) 684-3000, Mon-Fri 07:30-18:00.
-
Restrictions
Their pages
No car, e-bike or e-scooter batteries. Large items cannot exceed 300lbs, 8 feet in height or 4 feet in diameter. A Special Item Box is one 2' x 2' x 2' box, max 60lbs.
By appointment only · Households only
-
Who it's for
Their pages
SPU billing customers. In buildings of 5+ units only the manager or owner can book.
-
Last checked
Pipeline
29 August 2026
Checked against the sources listed on this page.
What happens to it
- Collected by the council
- Broken down for materials
- Disposed of
This describes the route the item takes, as the operator states it. We do not claim a recovery rate we have not seen evidence for.
What readers told us
Used them recently?
How long you waited, what they refused, whether anyone picked up the phone. Those are the three facts no website publishes and the ones the next reader needs.
Alternatives in Seattle
Other places that will take things off your hands.
-
Reuse
Buy Nothing Project
Buy Nothing Project
- Takes
- furniture, appliances, electronics, books, and 4 more
- Where
- Neighbourhood groups across the US and beyond
- Booking
- By appointment
-
Reuse
Evergreen Goodwill donation centers
Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington · including Ballard Goodwill
- Takes
- clothes, textiles, furniture, books, and 3 more
-
Reuse
The Salvation Army donation pickup
The Salvation Army
- Takes
- furniture, appliances, electronics, clothes, and 5 more
- Where
- Nationwide
- Booking
- Book online