Figuring out what the city takes. Waiting for pickup day. Calling around for quotes. It’s a lot to sort out for something you’re ready to be done with.
Standard sofa$79First item example Before applicable tax
Your exact price. Upfront.
Find your items in the catalog and see your exact price online. Book without phone calls or an in-person estimate.
Gone as soon as today.
Choose your pickup day. Book by 2pm local time for same-day pickup, where available.
In the loop until it’s gone.
Get a booking confirmation, a text before arrival and pickup photos when it’s done. Follow along on your pickup page.
Made for your place
Your place. One easy pickup plan.
A house, a condo or an apartment. Choose an accessible outdoor spot that works for your property. You arrange the move outside; we take it from there.
1
Book before you bring it out.
Your items can still be inside when you book. Follow the readiness instructions in your confirmation.
2
Choose a clear outdoor spot.
You arrange any carrying out of your home or down interior stairs. Keep entrances, sidewalks and shared access clear. We handle loading and haul-away from outside.
3
Show us where to find it.
Add a photo and clear location notes. Contact us before booking if a gate, building rule or restricted access window needs an arrangement.
At a house: outside, accessible and easy to identify.At an apartment: an approved outdoor spot with shared access clear.
Access needs an arrangement?
Check any building or shared-area rules. Contact us before booking if access is limited to particular hours.
City collection Furniture is named in the city's bulky item definition, so a couch or a sofa is collected by Athens on request rather than placed in a barrel. Residents can have up to five items collected in one pickup, and the pickup has to be scheduled in advance with each item listed. No charge. Free to single-family residents through the city's Athens franchise, with up to five items per pickup; the city says multi-family customers can have items picked up for a fee, so a household in a multi-family building should confirm the charge with Athens at 888-336-6100.
City collection A mattress and a box spring are both named in the city's bulky item definition, so bedding is collected by Athens on request. Carpet and bundled yard trimmings sit in the same list, and the pickup carries a limit of five items. No charge. Free to single-family residents through the city's Athens franchise, with up to five items per pickup; multi-family customers can have items picked up for a fee, so confirm the charge with Athens first.
City collection Major appliances go out with the same Athens bulky item request, which the city's guide describes as removing bulky items such as major appliances and furniture. The pickup takes up to five items and has to be scheduled in advance. No charge. Free to single-family residents through the city's Athens franchise, with up to five items per pickup; multi-family customers can have items picked up for a fee and should confirm the charge with Athens at 888-336-6100.
City collection The Athens bulky item pickup is Downey's route for items too large for a barrel. Residents can have up to five items collected per pickup, and the definition covers furniture, mattresses, box springs, carpet and bundled yard trimmings no longer than four feet and no more than two feet in diameter. Bulky items must be scheduled in advance and must not be placed in a barrel. No charge. Free to single-family residents through the city's Athens franchise, with up to five items per pickup; multi-family customers can have items picked up for a fee, so a household in a multi-family building should confirm with Athens.
The highest first-item price applies once. Every remaining item uses its additional-item price. Loading, transportation and disposal are included. Applicable sales tax is shown before payment.
Selected customer reviews. Counts checked September 2026.
The local disposal guide
Will the city take it?
Downey collects residential trash, recycling and yard waste through an exclusive franchise with Athens Services, and the city's bulky item pickup is the route for anything too large for a barrel. Residents call Athens to have up to five bulky items collected, and the city's definition names furniture, mattresses, box springs, carpet and bundled yard trimmings, so a couch, a bed or an appliance leaves that way, with multi-family customers charged a fee for the same service. Electronic waste, construction material and automotive parts are expressly kept out of the barrels: a television or computer goes to the free Los Angeles County household hazardous waste and e-waste network, a renovation load has to meet the city's diversion rules and go to a private facility, and paint, chemicals, batteries, sharps and medication have their own county sites and sheriff station bins.
Furniture is named in the city's bulky item definition, so a couch or a sofa is collected by Athens on request rather than placed in a barrel. Residents can have up to five items collected in one pickup, and the pickup has to be scheduled in advance with each item listed.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Free to single-family residents through the city's Athens franchise, with up to five items per pickup; the city says multi-family customers can have items picked up for a fee, so a household in a multi-family building should confirm the charge with Athens at 888-336-6100.
When & how
Schedule the pickup online at athensservices.com or by leaving a message on the Athens bulky item line at (562) 259-1239 extension 3, listing every item you want collected.
Get it ready
Keep the pile to five items, put it where the truck can reach it on the collection day, and keep bulky items out of the barrels, because the city and the hauler both exclude them from the containers.
A mattress and a box spring are both named in the city's bulky item definition, so bedding is collected by Athens on request. Carpet and bundled yard trimmings sit in the same list, and the pickup carries a limit of five items.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Free to single-family residents through the city's Athens franchise, with up to five items per pickup; multi-family customers can have items picked up for a fee, so confirm the charge with Athens first.
When & how
Book the pickup at athensservices.com or on the Athens bulky item line at (562) 259-1239 extension 3, and list the mattress and the box spring as separate items.
Get it ready
Keep the units dry and out of the barrels, and count every piece against the five item limit, because a mattress and a box spring together use two of the five slots.
Refrigerators, washers, dryers and other appliances
Accepted with preparation
Major appliances go out with the same Athens bulky item request, which the city's guide describes as removing bulky items such as major appliances and furniture. The pickup takes up to five items and has to be scheduled in advance.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Free to single-family residents through the city's Athens franchise, with up to five items per pickup; multi-family customers can have items picked up for a fee and should confirm the charge with Athens at 888-336-6100.
When & how
Request the pickup at athensservices.com or on the Athens bulky item line at (562) 259-1239 extension 3, and list the appliance with its type.
Get it ready
Empty the appliance before it goes out, keep it out of the barrel, and describe a refrigerated unit when you book so the hauler brings the right equipment.
Electronic waste cannot go in a Downey barrel and is not part of the bulky item list, so a television or computer goes to the Los Angeles County household hazardous waste and e-waste network instead. County residents can use the free one-day drive-through events, most of them on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with no appointment, or a permanent S.A.F.E. Center on a weekend.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Free to Los Angeles County residents at the county events and the permanent collection centers, with a limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds per trip; a S.A.F.E. Center requires the participant to give an address.
When & how
Check the county collection schedule for the next drive-through event, or use a permanent center such as the Washington Blvd S.A.F.E. Center on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Get it ready
Pack the device in a cardboard box, keep it in the trunk away from passengers, stay in the car at the event while staff unload it, and wipe personal data before handover. Business electronics are not accepted, and neither are white goods, tires or trash.
Construction, renovation and demolition waste cannot go in a standard cart or bin in Downey, and the city publishes no collection route of its own. Covered projects also have to meet the city's diversion requirement: Downey Municipal Code Article V, Chapter 8, Ordinance 09-1252 requires 100 percent of inert debris and at least 65 percent of the remaining construction and demolition debris to be diverted from landfill, with a waste management plan filed on Form A and a compliance report on Form B.
City cost & eligibility
The city publishes a diversion requirement and a list of recycling facilities rather than a rate, and a private hauler or container company sets its own price, so confirm the material, the container and the charge with the company and check the city's facility list before ordering.
When & how
Contact a licensed hauler or container company for the load, and for a covered project file the construction and demolition waste management plan before the work starts and the compliance report 30 days after it finishes.
Get it ready
Keep construction material, dirt, rocks, concrete and treated material out of the barrels, separate inert debris so the diversion requirement can be met, and keep the waste plan forms with the project records.
Exercise equipment is not named in the city's bulky item definition, which covers furniture, mattresses, box springs, carpet and bundled yard trimmings, so a treadmill or weight machine has to be confirmed with the hauler before it goes out.
City cost & eligibility
No published list or rate covers an exercise machine, so call Athens Services at 888-336-6100 to confirm whether the machine can be collected as a bulky item, and mention its size and whether it has a powered console.
When & how
Call Athens before booking, then request the pickup online or on the bulky item line if the machine is accepted.
Get it ready
Remove any console or battery pack so nothing with a battery is set out, and keep the machine out of the barrels while you wait for the answer.
The Athens bulky item pickup is Downey's route for items too large for a barrel. Residents can have up to five items collected per pickup, and the definition covers furniture, mattresses, box springs, carpet and bundled yard trimmings no longer than four feet and no more than two feet in diameter. Bulky items must be scheduled in advance and must not be placed in a barrel.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Free to single-family residents through the city's Athens franchise, with up to five items per pickup; multi-family customers can have items picked up for a fee, so a household in a multi-family building should confirm with Athens.
When & how
Schedule online at athensservices.com or leave a message on the Athens bulky item line at (562) 259-1239 extension 3, listing each item, and put the pile out for the pickup day.
Get it ready
Bundle yard trimmings within the four foot length and two foot diameter limit, keep the load to five items, and keep batteries, paint, chemicals, automotive parts, construction material, electronic waste, tires, medical waste and fluorescent bulbs out of the pile and out of the barrels.
Paint, chemicals and other household hazardous waste
Accepted with preparation
State law prohibits hazardous material in a Downey container, and the city routes paint, chemicals, batteries, oil, sharps, medication and similar material to the Los Angeles County network. County residents can use the free one-day drive-through events or a permanent S.A.F.E. Center, and the city also lists sheriff station bins for sharps and unused medication.
City cost & eligibility
No charge. Free to Los Angeles County residents at the county events and permanent collection centers, with a limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds per trip and an address required at a S.A.F.E. Center; sheriff station bins take sharps and medication at no charge.
When & how
Check the county schedule for the next drive-through event, use a permanent center such as the Washington Blvd S.A.F.E. Center on a weekend between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., or take sharps and unused medication to a listed sheriff station.
Get it ready
Keep products in their original containers, keep like chemicals together and unlike chemicals apart, seal the lids, pack everything in cardboard boxes in the trunk away from passengers, and stay in the car at the event while staff unload it.
Barrels go to the curb the night before the service day or by 6 a.m. on the day itself. Athens observes New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and a holiday creates a one-day delay in collection, while a holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday does not delay service. The black barrel is for landfill material, the blue for clean recyclables and the green for organics including untreated wood and food scraps.
A bulky pickup is a scheduled request, not a set out
Bulky items are collected by Athens Services on request, up to five items in a single pickup, and they have to be scheduled in advance with every item listed. The request is made online at athensservices.com or by leaving a message on the Athens bulky item line at (562) 259-1239 extension 3, and a multi-family household should confirm the fee for the same service. Bulky items never go in a barrel.
State law prohibits hazardous material in the containers, and the city's guide also keeps bulky items, construction debris, electronic waste and automotive parts out of them. The published list includes automotive parts, batteries, cleaning products, construction and demolition waste, fluorescent bulbs and tubes, electronic waste, LED lights, medical waste, paints, solvents and thinners, pesticides and herbicides, pharmaceuticals, pool chemicals, radiological waste, syringes and sharps, thermometers, thermostats and used motor oil. Electronics and chemicals go to the county collection network, renovation material goes to a private facility under the city's diversion rules, and sharps and medication go to a listed sheriff station bin.
Use a permitted, accessible outdoor spot. Arrange the move out of your home, keep shared access clear and follow your confirmation’s readiness instructions. Check with your building about access or staging limits before booking.
A Downey household with a couch, a mattress, a box spring, carpet, an appliance or bundled yard trimmings that will not fit a barrel.
Cost & conditions
No charge. Free to single-family residents through the city's Athens franchise with up to five items per pickup; multi-family customers can have items picked up for a fee and should confirm the charge with Athens at 888-336-6100.
Arrange it
Schedule the pickup online at athensservices.com or by leaving a message on the Athens bulky item line at (562) 259-1239 extension 3, and list each item to be collected.
The pickup is limited to five items, and batteries, paint, chemicals, automotive parts, construction material, electronic waste, tires, medical waste and fluorescent bulbs are not part of it.
Use a Los Angeles County collection event or center
A household with a television, computer, phone, paint, chemicals, batteries, oil or another hazardous item that no Downey barrel will take.
Cost & conditions
No charge. Free to Los Angeles County residents at the one-day drive-through events and the permanent collection centers, with a limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds per trip; an address is required at a S.A.F.E. Center.
Arrange it
Check the county collection schedule for the next Saturday drive-through event, or use a permanent center such as the Washington Blvd S.A.F.E. Center on a weekend between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Business waste, explosives, ammunition, marine flares, radioactive material, controlled substances, trash, tires, white goods such as refrigerators and stoves, and solar panels are refused.
A household or contractor with construction, renovation or demolition material that the Downey barrels and the bulky pickup both refuse.
Cost & conditions
The city publishes a diversion requirement and a list of recycling facilities rather than a rate, so the container company sets its own price for the box and the disposal, and the load has to be confirmed with the company and checked against the city's facility list.
Arrange it
Contact a licensed container company and, for a covered project, file the construction and demolition waste management plan with the city before the work starts.
Construction and demolition waste cannot go in a standard cart or bin, and a covered project still has to meet the city's diversion requirement of 100 percent of inert debris and at least 65 percent of the remaining material.
Permanent county collection center for household hazardous waste and electronics
Washington Blvd S.A.F.E. Center
2649 E. Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90021
Household hazardous waste and electronic waste, including paint, solvents, chemicals, batteries, computers, cell phones and fluorescent lights.
Los Angeles County residents only, and an address has to be given at drop off. Business waste, explosives, ammunition, marine flares, radioactive material, controlled substances, trash, tires, white goods such as refrigerators and stoves, and solar panels are refused.
Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The center also runs a monthly weekday appointment slot for qualifying small businesses.
No charge. Free to Los Angeles County residents, with a limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds per trip; a qualifying small business using the very small quantity generator program pays a fee by appointment.
Prices, timing and the details that matter at your address.
How much does pickup cost?+
Choose your items to see the exact price. A standard sofa is $79 first and $29 additional. The highest first-item price applies once; every remaining item uses its additional-item price. Loading, transportation and disposal are included. Review any applicable sales tax and the final total before payment.
Can I book a pickup for today?+
Book by 2pm at your pickup address for same-day pickup, where available. Choose from the dates shown at checkout. Your booking is for a pickup day, and we text you when your hauler is on the way.
Do my items need to be outside when I book?+
You can book while your items are still inside. Arrange any indoor carrying and have everything outside and accessible according to your confirmation. We load and haul it away from there. Contact us before booking if your property has restricted access.
How do I get rid of a couch in Downey?+
Call Athens Services, the city's franchise hauler, and book a bulky item pickup. Furniture is named in the city's bulky item definition, up to five items can go in one pickup, and the pickup is free for single-family residents, with a fee for multi-family customers. Schedule it at athensservices.com or on the bulky item line at (562) 259-1239 extension 3, listing each item.Official guidance
Will Downey collect a mattress at the curb?+
Yes, through the Athens bulky item pickup, which names mattresses and box springs in the city's bulky item definition. Up to five items can be collected in one pickup, the service is free for single-family residents, and the request is made online or by leaving a message on the Athens bulky item line.Official guidance
Does the Downey bulky pickup take appliances?+
Yes. The city's guide says Athens removes bulky items such as major appliances and furniture by request, and the bulky request allows up to five items in one pickup. Book it online at athensservices.com or by leaving a message on the Athens bulky item line at (562) 259-1239 extension 3.Official guidance
Where do televisions and computers go in Downey?+
To the Los Angeles County household hazardous waste and e-waste network, because electronics cannot go in a Downey barrel and are not on the city's bulky item list. County residents use the free one-day drive-through events, most on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with no appointment, or a permanent S.A.F.E. Center on a weekend, with a limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds per trip.Official guidance
What will the county collection site refuse with a load of electronics?+
The county refuses electronic waste from a business, explosives, ammunition, marine flares, radioactive material, controlled substances, trash and tires, white goods such as refrigerators and stoves, and solar panels. A household can bring its own devices in a cardboard box, keep them in the trunk away from passengers, and stay in the car at the event while staff unload them.Official guidance
How many items can go in a Downey bulky pickup?+
Up to five items per pickup, and every item should be listed when the request is made. Furniture, mattresses, box springs, carpet and bundled yard trimmings within the size limits are the published bulky items, the service is free for single-family residents, and multi-family customers can have items picked up for a fee.Official guidance
Who collects trash in Downey?+
Athens Services collects residential solid waste, recycling and yard waste under an exclusive franchise with the city, and the city's Public Works Department answers program questions at 562-904-7102. Athens customer care is 888-336-6100, and bulky item requests go to athensservices.com or the bulky item line at (562) 259-1239 extension 3.Official guidance
What counts as a bulky item in Downey?+
Furniture, mattresses, box springs, carpet, and bundled yard trimmings no longer than four feet and no more than two feet in diameter. Residents can have up to five items collected per pickup, the pickup is free for single-family residents, and it has to be scheduled online or by leaving a message on the Athens bulky item line.Official guidance
What should I do about junk dumped in the alley?+
Report it to the city at 562-904-7194 or through the Downey App, because illegally dumped material is not part of the bulky pickup. The city publishes a fine schedule for illegal dumping, and a bulky item that belongs to your own household is booked with Athens instead.Official guidance
When are holiday trees collected?+
Athens collects holiday trees from the day after Christmas through the second week of January on the regular pickup day. Remove the stand, ornaments, lights and tinsel, put the tree next to the trash containers, cut anything over six feet in half, and keep flocked or fire retardant trees out of the pile, because those are not accepted.Official guidance
Where can I take used motor oil and filters?+
The city lists several state certified drop-off centers where residents can recycle used motor oil and filters free, including two Auto Zone stores, two Jiffy Lube shops, an O'Reilly Auto Parts and a Pep Boys on Paramount Boulevard, Firestone Boulevard and Lakewood Boulevard. Place the oil in a clean container, never in metal cans or bottles that held bleach, cleaners, paint or other automotive fluids, and confirm the center's hours and limits directly.Official guidance
Where do I take sharps and unused medication?+
The city lists drop-off bins near station entrances at the Norwalk Sheriff Station at 12335 Civic Center Drive, the Lakewood Sheriff Station at 5130 N. Clark Avenue and the Pico Rivera Sheriff Station at 6631 Passons Boulevard. Sharps have to be in an appropriate safe container, and the sites take expired medication and controlled substances with no questions asked.Official guidance
