A treadmill is one of the heaviest things in most homes, and it's usually parked in a bedroom, a garage corner or upstairs. Here's what each city's free pickup will do with one, where a working machine can go, and what to do with the heavy iron and the batteries.
The quick answer by city
| City | Free option | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Bulky pickup on trash day | Book 1 business day ahead and list the item |
| Glendale | Bulky pickup (exercise equipment is on the list) | 3 business days' notice; 1–4 unit homes |
| Burbank | Bulky pickup | Very heavy items may wait until the next Friday |
| Pasadena | 2 free bulky pickups a year | 2 weeks' notice; each item must be a two-person lift |
The details, with sources, are below.
Los Angeles: free bulky pickup
LA Sanitation (LASAN) picks up bulky items at the curb for free, with no set limit, for homes it services.[1] A bulky item is anything non-hazardous that won't fit in the black trash bin,[1] which covers a treadmill, an elliptical, a weight bench or a rowing machine.
Collection is on your normal trash day, with the request in at least one business day earlier.[1] Book through the MyLA311 website or app, or call LASAN's Customer Care Center at 1-800-773-2489.[1] Name every piece when you book. Crews can only collect what's on that day's work order,[2] so "gym stuff" might leave the bench behind.
If you have a truck and a free Saturday, LASAN also opens bulky drop-off yards once a month from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For Valley residents that means the Pendleton St. yard in Sun Valley or the Vanalden Ave. yard in Northridge, on October 10, November 21 or December 12 for the rest of 2026.[1]
The hard part is the curb itself. A treadmill is heavy, top-heavy and awkward on stairs, so plan the route out of the house before you book.
Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena
Glendale
Glendale's bulky pickup list names exercise equipment outright, alongside furniture, bicycles and appliances. The City's rule is strict the other way too: anything not on its list isn't accepted.[3] Request pickup at least three business days ahead through the online form or the Recycle Coach app,[4] and set items at the curb after 6 p.m. the evening before, completely off private property.[4] The City handles bulky pickup for single-family homes and buildings of 1 to 4 units; larger buildings go through a private hauler.[4]
Burbank
Burbank books bulky pickups through the Our Burbank 311 portal or app at least two business days before trash day, and a photo of the item is required.[5] You can also call (818) 238-3800, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at least one business day ahead.[5] Put the machine out no earlier than the night before, at least 5 feet from anything fixed.[5]
Heavy equipment is where Burbank's process shows. If the crew can't take an item on trash day because of its size or weight, it gets tagged and collected the following Friday.[5] Gas-powered yard equipment such as lawnmowers carries a $12.14 per-item special handling fee,[5] but metal furniture and large plastic toys are on the no-fee list.[5]
Pasadena
Pasadena gives City refuse customers two free bulky pickups a year, booked at least two weeks before trash day at 626-744-7311 or CityOfPasadena.net/CSC.[6] No single item can be heavier than two people can safely lift,[7] which can rule out a commercial-grade treadmill or a plate-loaded rack. If yours is that heavy, ask the Citizen Service Center before you book.
Where a working machine can go
A machine that runs is worth offering to someone before it goes to the curb.
- Goodwill Southern California says it takes e-waste, which it defines as anything with a battery or a plug, in any condition.[8] It also wants donations clean and sellable,[9] and it doesn't run a pickup service,[10] so you'll need to deliver. Call the store to check it has floor space for a treadmill.
- St. Vincent de Paul of Los Angeles offers free truck pickup at 1-800-974-3571.[11] Items must be outside at street level and labeled, and crews don't come into the house.[11]
- The Salvation Army schedules free pickups by ZIP code or at 1-800-728-7825,[12] but what it accepts varies by location, so ask about exercise equipment when you call.[12]
- Pickup Please only takes things one person can easily lift and carry,[13] so it's an option for resistance bands, yoga mats and light dumbbells, not the treadmill.
Our donation guide for the Valley lists drop-off addresses by neighborhood.
Weights, racks and anything metal
Iron plates, dumbbells, kettlebells and steel racks are scrap metal. SA Recycling buys scrap at a yard at 8250 Tujunga Ave. in Sun Valley (weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays 7 a.m. to noon)[14] and a second at 9754 San Fernando Rd. (weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays until 1 p.m.).[15] Anyone selling scrap there must show a valid government-issued photo ID.[14]
Weights that aren't plain metal, like sand-filled plastic ones, can go on an LA bulky pickup request instead.
Batteries and screens need their own trip
Some exercise bikes and rowers, and every e-bike, come with a battery or a tablet-style screen.
- Batteries of every type are banned from California's trash, recycling and organics bins.[16] LA Sanitation says lithium-ion and e-bike batteries go to a S.A.F.E. Center, with the terminals taped if you can.[17] In the Valley, that's Randall Street in Sun Valley[18] or the Nicole Bernson center on Balboa Blvd. in Northridge,[19] each open Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Burbank residents can take e-bikes and hoverboards to the Recycle Center Drop Zone at 500 S. Flower St.[20] The Drop Zone won't take a loose e-bike battery.[20]
- Screens: tablets and monitors are covered electronic devices in California,[21] and they're on the list of items banned from the trash.[16] If the screen pops off, take it to e-waste recycling separately.
Before pickup day
Getting a treadmill or home gym ready to go
- Unplug it and leave it unplugged overnight so the motor cools.
- Pull the safety key and keep it with the machine if you're donating it.
- Lower the incline all the way and fold the deck, then lock it if the frame has a latch.
- Take off the tablet or battery pack and set it aside for e-waste.
- Measure the doorways and stair turns between the machine and the exit.
- Unbolt weight stacks and racks where you can. Lighter pieces are safer to carry.
- Name every piece on your bulky pickup request, one line each.
- Put items out only in the window your city allows.
When to call a hauler
The city pickup is the cheapest route when you can get the machine to the curb yourself. Treadmills are exactly the item where that gets hard. Paying for help is the better deal when:
- the machine is upstairs, in a finished basement or behind a narrow door;
- nobody in the house should be carrying that much weight down steps;
- it's more than one piece, like a treadmill plus a cable machine and a rack of plates;
- you need the room back before the next trash day;
- you're in Pasadena and the machine won't pass the two-person-lift rule.
Our family-run crew works out of Victory Blvd in North Hollywood, and we carry it out from wherever it sits and load it ourselves. Send a photo of the machine and where it's parked, and we'll reply with a price.