How to get rid of bulky junk in Morgan Hill, CA
For a single-family home, request a Recology bulky-pickup estimate or use the mailed San Martin Transfer Station vouchers. Do not import Gilroy’s two-free-curbside-pickups rule into Morgan Hill.
- Check the city/contract-hauler option below first and get a confirmed date before set-out.
- Separate mattresses, electronics and chemicals from mixed junk: they use different disposal routes.
- If self-hauling, check resident eligibility, material restrictions and current fees. Free recycling does not mean free mixed-trash disposal.
- Need indoor lifting? Compare a written all-in hauler quote with the city benefit before booking.
1. City and franchise bulky-item collection
Recology South Valley
- Call Recology South Valley at 408-842-3358 for a collection estimate for old furniture, appliances or extra bags. The checked Morgan Hill bulky page does not promise free single-family curbside collections or publish a flat pickup price.
- The city says each residence in Morgan Hill city limits receives two sets of vouchers per year for San Martin Transfer Station. Recology describes two vouchers issued twice yearly: one for garbage such as furniture/painted wood, one for recyclables such as untreated wood/metal and two electronic items. Check each voucher’s date, material and load allowance before use.
- Multi-family property owners/managers can schedule free bulky collections. The number depends on the residential unit count; residents should coordinate through management.
- The city names San Martin Transfer Station at 14070 Llagas Avenue and Kirby Canyon Landfill at 910 Coyote Creek Drive as local disposal options. No Kirby Canyon fee, hours or item-specific acceptance was verified, so call 408-779-2206 before choosing it.
Sources: City of Morgan Hill: recycling and local disposal · Recology South Valley: Morgan Hill bulky items and vouchers · last checked 2026-11-08
2. Drop-offs, mattresses and household hazardous waste
Free mattress recycling: a regional option at Zanker Site 2
GreenWaste Zanker’s official facility page says California residents may drop off up to four mattresses or box springs free. Site 2 is at 675 Los Esteros Road, San Jose; call 408-263-2384 before driving. This is a regional option, not necessarily the nearest site to Morgan Hill. Wet, heavily soiled or bedbug-infested units are excluded, as are items such as toppers, pillows, sofa beds and attached futons. Keep other paid waste separate.
Confirm first: the same operator’s gate sheet lists a $21 mattress inbound charge and its general fee text mentions a $60 vehicle minimum. Do not treat those as a charge on qualifying free resident units, or assume nonqualifying units are free: ask how the program and any mixed-load fees apply. The website and rate PDF also disagree on Site 2 weekend hours, so no weekend opening is promised here.
Sources: GreenWaste Zanker: materials, mattress program and facilities · Zanker gate-tier rate sheet, effective July 1, 2026 · last checked 2026-11-08
County Household Hazardous Waste: free, appointment required
For Morgan Hill households, the County of Santa Clara provides free HHW drop-off by appointment. Book through the County page or call 408-299-7300; bring proof of residency. Permanent facilities are in East San Jose and San Martin, plus temporary events. The exact address is given only after scheduling; do not drive to an assumed site.
The County names auto fluids, batteries, electronics, fluorescent/LED bulbs, garden chemicals, cleaners and paint as common HHW. Follow the appointment’s packaging and acceptance instructions and keep waste in the rear/trunk. Business waste does not use a household appointment. Do not confuse an HHW facility with a general furniture dump.
Sources: County of Santa Clara: free household hazardous waste appointments · last checked 2026-11-08
3. Dumps, transfer stations and verified fees
San Martin Transfer Station: the local South County option
14070 Llagas Avenue, San Martin; 408-842-3358. Open to the public Tuesday–Saturday 8 a.m.–4 p.m., closed Sunday/Monday (Pacific Time). It lists furniture, appliances, household garbage, brush/yard waste, and construction/demolition material for a fee. Construction debris must not include dirt, rock, concrete or brick; wood must be untreated and unpainted. No HHW or treated wood.
Separated cans, cardboard, glass bottles/jars, mixed paper and cartons are free for Recology customers with proof of billing; non-Recology customers pay $5 per cubic yard for those recyclables. That is not a mixed-junk disposal rate. Furniture, mattress and mixed-trash dollar fees unverified: obtain a current quote and ask about any eligible voucher before unloading.
Sources: Recology: San Martin Transfer Station · last checked 2026-11-08
4. Paid haulers: local service versus national pickup
LoadUp: national published starting prices, not a local guaranteed quote
LoadUp’s own mattress-removal page currently lists in-home pickup from $85, curbside from $80, and same-day from $95 when booked before 2 p.m., subject to local availability. Multi-item add-ons start at +$15; that is not a guaranteed price for every extra item. Final pricing depends on ZIP code, mattress size, access and pickup conditions. Confirm service at your Morgan Hill address and the written total before booking. Wet/waterlogged mattresses are excluded, and bedbugs must be disclosed.
Sources: LoadUp: published mattress removal starting prices · last checked 2026-11-08
Local collection provider and independent haulers
Your verified local program contact above is Recology South Valley. Ask about a paid extra collection before hiring an independent crew; no independent Morgan Hill hauler with a verified published dollar price is listed here. Compare the same item list, indoor lifting/stairs, disassembly, disposal charges and access in each quote. Do not assume a national starting price is a local franchise tariff.
Sources: City of Morgan Hill: recycling and local disposal · Recology South Valley: Morgan Hill bulky items and vouchers · last checked 2026-11-08
5. Dumpster rental: get the total before delivery
Check authorization, weight and add-on charges
Ask Recology South Valley for debris-box service, current pricing and the correct bin for heavy material. A San Martin self-haul voucher is not a dumpster rental credit.
- Get included tonnage, load measurement and per-ton overage in writing; heavy debris can reach a limit before a bin looks full.
- Ask how many rental days are included, and the extra-day, delayed-pickup or failed-access/trip charge.
- Identify restricted-item, mattress, tire, refrigerant-appliance, contamination and disposal surcharges.
- Confirm delivery/pickup, taxes, cancellation, any street-placement permit, and whether the supplier is a broker or the actual hauler.
- Keep the written quote and request a scale ticket if an overweight charge is disputed.
Search-index excerpts of public BBB dumpster complaints describe customers disputing weight-based charges after pickup. These are customer allegations, not verified findings about any company; they illustrate why written terms matter. Direct BBB-page retrieval was unavailable during this check. HaulGuide does not call any provider a scam.
Sources: City of Morgan Hill: recycling and local disposal · Recology South Valley: Morgan Hill bulky items and vouchers · BBB: dumpster billing complaint excerpts (allegations, not findings) · last checked 2026-11-08
What remains unverified
Single-family collection price, voucher load-size/expiry details and unit-based multi-family allowance were not verified. No unverified Kirby Canyon rates are quoted. No unverified price is substituted from another city or county. This is a researched options guide, not an appointment or guaranteed service offer.
Sources
- City of Morgan Hill: recycling and local disposal — last checked 2026-11-08
- Recology South Valley: Morgan Hill bulky items and vouchers — last checked 2026-11-08
- GreenWaste Zanker: materials, mattress program and facilities — last checked 2026-11-08
- Zanker gate-tier rate sheet, effective July 1, 2026 — last checked 2026-11-08
- County of Santa Clara: free household hazardous waste appointments — last checked 2026-11-08
- Recology: San Martin Transfer Station — last checked 2026-11-08
- LoadUp: published mattress removal starting prices — last checked 2026-11-08
- BBB: dumpster billing complaint excerpts (allegations, not findings) — last checked 2026-11-08
See our methodology. Confirm the full accepted-item list and never leave items out without an approved collection date.