Where Can I Dispose Of Old Carpet For Free? (Conclusive Guide)

Many of the rooms in our houses are carpeted and we are well aware that carpets need to be disposed of either when they are worn out or simply when you want a change in your room. At such times we look for easy and effective ways to dispose of carpets and rugs. 

Dispose off Old Carpets

So the question arises in many of your minds, where can I dispose of old carpet for free? Well, don’t worry! We have got you covered as we are going to share various methods of disposing of carpets for free. 

One thing we should consider is that whatever free method we choose to get rid of our old and worn out carpets, it should be environmentally friendly. Secondly, it would be best if we can help others while getting our work done. So, let’s have a look at all the possible methods to dispose of old carpets for free.

Where Can I Dump Carpet For Free?

Following are the ways you can get rid of your old carpets:

1. Small carpets can be thrown in trash

In case you are using small rugs and carpets in your house, there is a good chance that your city government allows throwing them in the trash carts. If you are using small carpets in your room or at the staircase, you can roll the carpet and take it to the bin at your curbside trash collection day. 

Make sure you already read and understand the guidelines given by the public works department about the disposal of such bulky waste and then execute your plan. If your city does not allow throwing carpets in trash cans, consider any alternative options.

2. Take the carpets to Non-Profit Organizations

Many of the NGOs or the Non-profit organizations are working to help the people in need. So, they accept all kinds of reusable stuff including house furniture which can be donated to others. Carpets are also accepted by a large number of NGOs for donation. 

So, if your carpet or rug is in a good condition and you think it can be reused by any other family which can not afford buying new furniture, you should donate it to any nonprofit organization. 

3. Reuse your old carpets

A lot of things can be reused and if you are creative enough, and your diy game is strong, there surely are a lot of things you can do with your old carpet. Check out this list of amazing things you can do in order to find other purposes for your carpet when you are done using it on your floor.

  • Give your carpets a different shape and place them outside in the balcony or your garden.
  • You can make a bed out of the carpets or rugs for your pet dogs or cats.
  • Carpets can be cut into smaller pieces in order to place them in your cars as car mats.
  • Using small pieces of the carpets to use under your furniture in order to avoid scratching the floors. This will help reusing a small part of the carpet while you will have to use some other methods in order to dispose of the rest of it.
  • Carpets can be used for insulation of various things. One can use them on rooftops to provide weather insulation.

4. Sell your old carpets

There are thrift shops all around the city and they accept anything they believe can be reused or recycled. You can take your carpet to the thrift shops which accept furniture. They will provide you with a price in order to purchase your product from you. 

If you have time, it is better to roam around and visit more than one thrift shops and check which one provides you with a better price for your carpet. This way, not only can you get rid of your old carpet without spending any money, you can also get dollars in return for disposing of your carpet which was already of no use to you. 

5. Share the reusable carpets with others

If you know someone in your community or any of your friends who is in need of a second-hand carpet which is clean and usable, you can simply share it with them.

All you have to do is to wash or dry clean your carpet and if you think it is easily reusable, search out for anyone in your neighborhood, friends or family who is looking to buy a slightly used piece. Give it to them as this will ease the problem of both you and your acquaintance.

6. Take the rugs to local carpet vendors

Firstly, there must be facilities in your city or county that are run by the government which will take your carpet for recycling. Some might charge you for the recycling but some might also do it for free.

If you can not find any of the city’s facilities being run by the public works department, you will have to look for a private individual or company. 

You can easily find local carpet vendors which can recycle your carpet for you. You can get rid of it this way. However, this method will cost you some money. So, you can opt for this when none of the free methods are of help. Take your carpet to the local haulers and they’ll give you a price per pound in order to get it from you.

7. Waste management carpet disposal

Usually, when you sign up or register for the city’s monthly curbside trash collection program, you are told what to do in order to get rid of the bulky items like furniture, appliances and carpets and rugs as well.

Once you are a part of the city’s curbside collection program, you are directed either to place the carpet at the curbside or to take it to a landfill or a collection center.

Normally, carpets are collated through the bulk collection. Bulky materials are those which are too large or heavy to fit inside a regular trash cart given to you by the city. Some of the cities collected heavy items through curbside bulk collection, white the others require from the residents to make a special appointment of collection. 

You can check out your city’s waste management website for more details and then dispose of your carpet.

See your city’s trash schedule at Mygarbageschedule.com.

8. Take the carpets to a facility or landfill (Paid Method)

Recycling facilities sometimes accept carpet for recycling. However, if you find no other solution to safely dispose of a carpet in an eco-friendly manner, you can take your item to a landfill.

Landfills or facilities usually charge some fee for collecting your products and you can easily get rid of your carpet through this method by paying a small fee. 

Some of the local facilities also offer a pickup service taking some additional fee from the residents. If you find it difficult to take the carpet to the facility yourself, you can go for this option in which you will have to schedule an appointment for pickup of your bulky item.

Even if you are to take the carpet to the facility yourself, it is advised to call and inform the facility administration beforehand. 

Find Carpet Recycling Centers Near You by searching on the map below:

Carpet Recycling Centers Near Me

10. Check out for online platforms

If your carpets are not in a very bad shape and condition, you can also consider selling it online. There are various online platforms you can use for this purpose. All one has to do is to upload pictures of the product and give relevant descriptions explaining the condition of the product in detail. 

Some of the online applications or websites you can use in order to sell your carpets are Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Amazon, Mercari, OfferUp, Swappa etc.

How to Pull Up Carpet?

If you are to pull up the carpet from your room yourself, you need to keep in mind the following things.

  1. Firstly, you need to clean the room of any kind of furniture or any other stuff. Make sure that no items like tables, chairs or even cupboards are placed above the carpet.
  2. Now it’s time to pull up the carpet. The carpets are very dusty since we do not get them dry cleaned very often. So, when pulling them, a lot of dust particles arise and you may get all dusty as well. You need to properly cover yourself with gloves, socks and other clothing, especially when you are allergic to dust.
  3. The process will become easier for you if you pull out the carpet from all the walls first, because it tends to stick to the walls which makes it difficult for us to roll it down.
  4. If you want to do anything creative with the carpet, you can cut it down into pieces first. It will be easier to pull it this way. However, if you want to sell it, the larger the size of the carpet it is, the better.
  5. Clean the floor after you remove the carpet to get rid of all the dust and germs.

Also, read How to Get Rid of a Mattress for Free or a Fee.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much does it cost to pull up carpet?

The cost of pulling up a carpet depends on the service you are using and the company you are collaborating with. Some organizations take $120 while others may charge $150. However the average prices vary between $100 and $150. 

What can I do with a very old carpet?

Old carpets can be disposed of through various methods; You can sell them, donate them to those in need, cut them down to make other creative stuff like beds for pets etc, or get rid of them through the city’s curbside bulk collection program.

What happens to waste carpet?

If your carpet is in a very poor condition, you might have to take it to a facility or a landfill. However, if that’s not the case, selling your carpet or making diy stuff out of it, donating it or sharing it with friends might help. 

How long does it take for carpet to decompose?

When you throw a carpet in the landfill, it may take up to 50 years to decompose. This is the reason it is advised not to throw your carpets at the landfill.

Dispose of your old carpets for free!

You can dispose of old carpets using various methods which include donating the carpet to an NGO, sharing it with any of your friends in need, making creative DIY things out of it, selling it to thrift shops, through many other ways that we have discussed before.

Pull out your carpet carefully taking all the safety measures and then get ready to dispose of it!

Read More About Recycling or Disposing