Pasadena runs its own trash service, separate from the City of Los Angeles, and its bulky item pickup has its own rules. The two things that trip people up are the two-week booking window and the list of things the City won't take. Here's how it works, where the excluded items go, and when paying someone to haul makes more sense.
Who can use it
Pasadena's bulky item pickup is only for City of Pasadena refuse customers.[1] The City collects trash from every single-family home and every building with 4 or fewer units, and no other hauler may do that collection.[2]
If you live in a building with 5 or more units, or you're a business, the City normally doesn't collect your trash. Those properties use private haulers,[2] and residents there need to ask their building's hauler about bulky pickup.[1] Your property manager will know who that is.
Not sure which you are? If a City of Pasadena truck empties your carts, you're a City customer.
How to book a free pickup
Each City refuse customer gets two free bulky item pickups per year.[3]
- Book at least two weeks before your regular trash day. Call the Citizen Service Center at 626-744-7311 or book online at CityOfPasadena.net/CSC.[3]
- Keep it to about 3 cubic yards. No single item can be heavier than two people can safely lift.[1]
- Set items out on the parkway by 7 a.m. on pickup day, and no earlier than 24 hours before. Crews collect between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.[1]
Once you've used both free pickups in a calendar year, more pickups cost extra. The City prices them by how much you set out, and its page doesn't list a dollar amount,[1] so ask the Citizen Service Center when you book.
Don't put things out early or without a booking. Items left on the parkway without a scheduled pickup can bring a citation.[3]
What the City won't take, and where it goes instead
Pasadena's bulky pickup does not take e-waste, construction or roofing material, household hazardous materials, landscaping debris, refrigerators, air conditioners or auto parts.[1] Most of those items are also banned from the trash statewide, so they need a specific drop-off.
| Item | Why the City won't take it | Where it can go |
|---|---|---|
| TVs, monitors, computers, phones | California bans them from the trash[4] | A Los Angeles S.A.F.E. Center (free for any LA County resident)[5] or a City e-waste event at the Rose Bowl[6] |
| Refrigerators, freezers, AC units | Refrigerant must be removed by a certified recycler or an EPA-certified technician before disposal[7],[8] | An appliance recycler, a retailer take-back when you buy new, or a hauler that uses one |
| Paint, chemicals, pool supplies, batteries | Household hazardous waste can't go in the trash in California[4] | A S.A.F.E. Center, or a PaintCare drop-off site for paint[9] |
| Branches and yard trimmings | Landscaping debris goes in the yard waste cart | Your green cart, in normal pickups |
| Mattresses | Accepted in bulky pickup (within the size limit) | Or a free Bye Bye Mattress drop-off site[10] |
Hazardous waste and e-waste drop-off
Pasadena sends residents to the City of Los Angeles S.A.F.E. Collection Centers, which take household hazardous waste and e-waste free from any LA County resident.[5] The City's flyer names the Los Angeles–Glendale S.A.F.E. Center at 4600 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles 90039,[11] which is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.[12]
Pasadena also holds one-day e-waste and document-shredding events at the Rose Bowl through the year, when space is free.[6] Those events don't take air conditioners, large printers or copiers, car batteries, or solar panels.[6] A Sanitation Districts household hazardous waste event comes to Pasadena only every two years; the most recent was in February 2026.[5]
For used needles, Pasadena Public Health gives residents free 1-quart sharps containers (1845 N. Fair Oaks Ave., sign up at 626-744-6004).[5]
Parking and timing if you hire help
Two Pasadena rules matter on pickup day:
- No overnight street parking from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. citywide,[13] so a trailer or truck can't be left on the street overnight.
- Red Flag days in the hills: on posted streets in the urban-wildland interface, parked vehicles are ticketed and towed on Red Flag days.[14] Licensed contractors may park at the job address for up to 60 minutes, only while the driver is there.[14]
Altadena works differently
Altadena is not part of Pasadena. It's unincorporated Los Angeles County,[15] and its residential hauler is Universal Waste Systems under a County contract.[16] Altadena customers get up to four free on-call bulky pickups a year, booked at least 24 hours ahead,[17] by calling (800) 631-7016, Option 6.[16]
Where usable things can go first
Before you book a pickup, it's worth pulling out what someone else could use. Near Pasadena:
- Goodwill Southern California, 703 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena.[18]
- San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 32 N. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena, with drop-offs Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.[19]
- Pasadena Humane takes gently used towels and bedding (not sheets, pillowcases or pillows) at 361 S. Raymond Ave.[20]
Call ahead: every donation center has its own list of what it can take.
When hiring a hauler makes more sense
The City pickup is the cheapest option when you can wait two weeks, the load fits in about 3 cubic yards, and you can get everything to the parkway yourself. A paid hauler usually makes more sense when:
- you need it gone this week, not in two or more;
- the load is bigger than one pickup (a full garage, a move-out, an estate);
- things are upstairs, in the backyard or in a tight spot and you don't want to carry them;
- you've already used both free pickups this year;
- you live in a 5+ unit building and your hauler's option doesn't fit your timing.
Legacy Junk Removal works in Pasadena from our base in North Hollywood. Text photos of what needs to go and we'll text back a price.