Anchorage, AK Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Oversized-item fee
- $12.50 per pickup (automated cart)
- Extra can/bag charge
- $2.50 each
- Minimum disposal charge
- 1 cubic yard
- Governing section
- AMC 26.70.060.B
- Overfilled carts
- Operator may refuse pickup
Summary
Anchorage's Solid Waste Services does not haul away furniture, appliances or other bulky items in a standard cart for free. Under AMC 26.70.060, customers with excess or oversized refuse pay a $12.50 per-pickup charge plus the greater of $2.50 per bag or can, or the current disposal rate by volume, with a one-cubic-yard minimum.
a. Cans or bags in excess of the weekly limit will be collected and billed to the customer at a charge of $2.50 per can or bag. Larger bulk items will be charged at the current disposal charge based on cubic yardage with a minimum of one cubic yard (set by section 26.80.050A.2 and A.3). ... i. Customers with excess or oversized refuse shall be charged $12.50 per pickup plus the greater of either $2.50 per bag or can of conventional size or the current disposal rate by volume basis for a minimum of one cubic yard of uncompacted refuse (set by section 26.80.050A.2 and A.3). j. Roll carts with refuse exceeding the designed container volume by either protruding above the rim of the container so as to prohibit tightly closing the lid, or stacked on top of the lid shall be charged for excess pickup as prescribed the section 26.70.060B.3.a (additional volume). The collections operator may elect to refuse service to any overfilled container which cannot, in the operator's sole opinion, be emptied safely and without potentially spilling refuse to the ground.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5010260; v11 updated 2026-09-01).
Full Breakdown
060 treats bulky waste as an add-on charge rather than a free curbside service. 3. 50 per bag or can, or the volume-based disposal rate, again with a one-cubic-yard minimum. a's additional-volume charge. The same subsection gives the collection operator discretion to refuse service outright: SWS may decline to empty any overfilled container that, in the operator's sole opinion, cannot be emptied safely without spilling refuse onto the ground. 050 apply.
Violations & Fines
SWS does not issue tickets for setting out an oversized item; it bills the cost straight to the customer's quarterly solid waste account under AMC 26.70.060.B.2.a and B.3.i. If a roll cart is overfilled so the lid cannot close, subsection B.3.j lets the operator skip the pickup entirely rather than risk spilling refuse, leaving the excess on the curb until the customer arranges and pays for a special pickup or hauls it in themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Anchorage pick up bulky items like couches or mattresses at the curb?
What happens if my trash cart is too full to close the lid?
Is there a free bulk trash cleanup week in Anchorage?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anchorage
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