Junk removal in Pasadena

Pasadena is the farthest of the three independent cities we work in, and it has the tightest free pickup of the group. This hub covers what jobs look like there, the City's rules in short (the full bulky pickup walkthrough is in our Pasadena bulky pickup guide), and nearby drop-off options.

What jobs look like in Pasadena

Pasadena's housing is close to an even split. About 43% of units are detached houses and about 44% are in buildings of five or more units,^[1] and around 57% of households rent.^[1] The median home was built in 1961,^[1] and a house that age often has a garage that has been filling up for decades.

How the crew plans a Pasadena job:

• Garages. Send one photo from the open door and one from the back wall. That shows us the depth of the pile, not just the front row. Our garage cleanout planner helps you decide what stays first.
• Apartments. Buildings of five or more units use private haulers rather than the City,^[2] so the City's free pickup usually isn't available to tenants. Tell us the floor and where a truck can load.
• Timing. Pasadena bans overnight parking on City streets from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.,^[3] and posted street-sweeping signs apply even after the sweeper passes,^[3] so we load during the day and leave with the truck.
• Hillside streets. On Red Flag days, cars on posted streets in the urban-wildland interface are ticketed and towed.^[4] If your street has those signs, a calm-weather day is the better booking.

Local rules that affect your junk

Short versions, with links to the details:

City bulky pickup is for City refuse customers only,^[5] two free pickups a year, booked two weeks ahead at 626-744-7311.^[6] Each is capped at a 3-cubic-yard pile, and nothing heavier than two people can lift.^[5] Unbooked items on the parkway can bring a citation.^[6]

E-waste and appliances. The City won't take TVs, computers, refrigerators or AC units at the curb,^[5] and California bans screens and computers from the trash.^[7] The City runs e-waste and shredding days at the Rose Bowl through the year.^[8] See TV and electronics disposal.

Hazardous waste goes to the City of LA's S.A.F.E. centers, free to any County resident.^[9] Pasadena's own Sanitation Districts event only comes every two years.^[9]

Tires. The one auto-part exception in bulky pickup is up to two tires without rims.^[5]

Food and yard waste. Since 2022, City customers put food waste in the yard waste container,^[10] tied up in a plastic bag.^[10]

Remodel debris falls under Municipal Code Chapter 8.62, which requires covered projects to divert at least 75%.^[11] Covered work includes residential remodels of $20,000 or more and every addition and demolition.^[12] The C&D application has to be approved before any debris leaves the site.^[13] More in construction debris disposal.

City pickup or a hauler in Pasadena

City column sources: uses and notice,^[5],[6] size,^[5] set-out.^[5]

A two-week wait and a small pile favor the City. A full garage, an e-waste-heavy load, a third pickup in the same year, or an apartment where the City doesn't collect favor a hauler. Some people do both: book the City for a sofa and hire help for the garage behind it.

Where things can go near Pasadena

• Los Angeles–Glendale S.A.F.E. Center, 4600 Colorado Blvd., the one the City names on its flyer,^[14] open Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.^[15]
• Rose Bowl e-waste days, which skip AC units, big copiers, car batteries and solar panels.^[8]
• Sharps: free 1-quart containers from Pasadena Public Health.^[9]
• Donations: Goodwill's donation center at 703 N. Lake Ave.^[16] and the San Gabriel Valley Habitat ReStore at 32 N. Sierra Madre Blvd., which charges $40 for a pickup and needs items at ground level.^[17]
• Scholl Canyon Landfill in Glendale serves Pasadena along with Altadena, Glendale and a few other nearby communities.^[18] General waste is $85.91 a ton with a 1-ton minimum.^[19] It won't take burnt debris.^[20]

Altadena is separate. It's unincorporated County land north of the City,^[21] with Universal Waste Systems as its contracted hauler^[22] and up to four free on-call bulky pickups a year.^[23]

When to bring in a hauler

If you can wait two weeks and the pile is small, the City's free pickup is the cheaper path. If the garage is full, the load is mostly electronics, or you've used your two pickups, Legacy works in Pasadena and carries it out from the garage, yard or upstairs rooms. Text a few photos with your ZIP and we'll text a price back.

Text photos for a priceor call (909) 566-3090