How to dispose of your old furniture

1. Charity donation

One of the first options to consider is donating your old furniture. Is it still in good, usable condition? If it’s upholstered (fabric) furniture, does it have fire labels intact? Is it clean? If yes to all the above, charities are always looking for great second hand furniture. 

Here's a table of national charities that collect furniture for free. Check to see if there is a collection service in your area. Follow the links directly to their websites where you can find booking forms or telephone numbers. 

National charities offering free furniture collection:

More charities (without collection service)

There are more charities around the country that want furniture donations but don't offer a collection service. If you are able to transport your items, you could also consider these options:

• Age UK
• Barnardo's
• British Red Cross
• Cancer Research
• Oxfam
• PDSA
• Sense
• YMCA
• Betel UK

By the way - there are also lots of smaller, independent charities looking for furniture donations. Try your council’s bulky waste collection pages for suggestions.

2. Sell your furniture or donate to individuals (not charities)

No fire labels? No worries - there are loads of options for getting rid of furniture without using charities. You could try:

• Asking your friends and family. Put the word out in your direct network that you’re getting rid of furniture. Chances are they or someone they know might like it. 
• Donating to local theatre groups. Amateur theatre groups often want furniture donations to build sets. Check whether there are any in your local area and drop them an email.
• Using social platforms to give away furniture. See below...

Donate or sell furniture online

Posting your furniture online is a really easy way of getting it removed either for free or - even better - for a profit. Here’s a list of sites where you can either sell or give your furniture away for free. 

• Gumtree - you could try selling, or list on Gumtree Freebies to give away for free.
• Facebook marketplace - post a free listing or sell.
• eBay - sell your old furniture.
• Freecycle - donate only within town groups.
• Freegle - donate only within town groups.
• Nextdoor - donate or sell within community groups.
• LoveJunk - donate only. You can also really easily match with a licensed waste collector if you don’t find anybody to take your item for free.

For a more detailed breakdown about using these sites when giving away your furniture, see our article about Free Collection of Unwanted Furniture.

3. Retailer takeback schemes

Another option to consider is a retailer takeback scheme. Some furniture companies introduced them for a couple of reasons. First, to remove the furniture you’re replacing and second, to help divert old furniture - especially sofas - from landfill at their end of life.

Furniture companies that offer a takeback scheme

4. Take furniture to the tip

An option after reuse or selling is to take your furniture to the tip. Sometimes known as Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) or Civic Amenity sites. Check out our Interactive Map of Council Tips to find your nearest site. 

We’ve included this option for its cost efficiency as most of the time it’s free for householders to dispose of furniture at the tip. However, you have to consider the transport. Most sites only allow cars on the premises and most furniture tends to be too large to fit in your boot. It’s worth checking the van and trailer allowances to see if this is still an option. Find details on your local council’s website.

5. Council collection service

Most councils offer a bulky item collection service that covers household furniture. Check your local council’s website for costs and conditions, as well as how to book it. Be aware that each council decides their own charges, so a single item costs anywhere between free and £70 for the council to collect. The average charge to collect a sofa is £33. Compare how much your council charges by taking a look at Council Large Item Collection Prices for 2023.

Although council prices on average are relatively low, the main disadvantage is inconvenience:

• Wait times could be between a few days to a few weeks
• You have to leave your items outside the property in a dry area (council collectors aren’t allowed to come inside) but not on the street (this is considered fly tipping)
• There are usually limits to the number of items councils can collect. You might end up having to book two or more collections if you have a lot of stuff
• Only household furniture (not furniture from a business, office desks and chairs for example)

If you think you need a more flexible service, try a Man & Van furniture disposal service instead.

5. Man & Van Furniture Disposal

Is your furniture beyond reuse? Or maybe you don’t fancy waiting a couple of weeks for the council to come? Your best solution is Man and Van Waste Removal! This option has a few advantages:

• Collection from anywhere on the property (inside, outside, upstairs)
• Urgent or next day collections available (though be aware this can usually bump the price up a bit!)
• No restrictions on the types of furniture you can donate - a man & van removal team will accept household or office furniture

How much does man & van furniture disposal cost?

The cost of furniture disposal can depend on a few things: how many pieces of furniture you have, if they require heavy lifting and how urgently you need the collection. For example, big or heavy items like a couch, sofa bed or glass coffee table tend to be a bit more expensive. Lighter items like drawers or stools usually cost less for removal and disposal. The price of removing upholstered furniture also changed because of POPs legislation.

LoveJunk's Rubbish Removal Prices tool is a handy way to compare costs as you can see the latest jobs happening around the country. We've included some examples below.