Items weighing 30 lbs or less that don't fit in a purple PAYT bag are collected free (limit 10 per dwelling per year). Items over 30 lbs require a paid bulky-waste permit (currently $40 per item) obtained through the City's Citizen Self Service portal before set-out.
Portland's Bulky Waste Collection program is administered by the Department of Public Works. Items 30 lbs or less that simply don't fit in a purple bag are collected at the curb free of charge, capped at 10 items per dwelling unit per year. Items heavier than 30 lbs (mattresses, large furniture, exercise equipment, etc.) require a pre-approved bulky-waste permit at $40 per item, applied for through the Citizen Self Service portal at portlandmaine.gov before placement. Acceptable bulky items follow ecomaine's processing limits — vinyl windows, pressure-treated wood, telephone poles, railroad ties, soil, rocks, wallboard, sheetrock, shingles, metal, and white goods (refrigerators, air conditioners, microwaves) are NOT acceptable curbside and must be taken to Riverside Recycling (910 Riverside Street, Portland) or another transfer station. Appliances containing freon (refrigerators, A/C units, dehumidifiers) carry a special fee at ecomaine plus require Riverside or transfer-station drop-off.
Bulky items set out without a permit (when one is required) are not collected and may be tagged. Items left at the curb beyond pickup day become a Code of Ordinances violation and can be cited; abandoned bulky items on public ways implicate 17 M.R.S. § 2263-A (littering) with fines of $100-$500 (or $500+ for items over 15 lbs).
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See how Portland's bulk item disposal rules stack up against other locations.
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