Banned items
What can't go in a dumpster, and where it goes instead
Landfills turn some things away by law and others by policy. Load one by mistake and the company may charge a fee or leave it on your driveway.
Answered Mon–Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 8am–1pm (Eastern)
Paint, chemicals and batteries
Marion County households can drop household hazardous waste at ToxDrop, run by the city on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: the Traders Point Collection Facility at 7550 N. Lafayette Rd on the first Saturday of the month, and the Perry Township Government Center at 4925 S. Shelby St on the second and fourth. Both are closed on third and fifth Saturdays and major holidays.
Accepted items include paint, stains, thinner, pesticides, pool chemicals, motor oil, brake fluid, propane tanks under 20 pounds, household and car batteries, and fluorescent bulbs. The limit is 20 gallons of liquid or 75 pounds of solid per visit. Bring it in boxes or crates, not trash bags, and never leave anything at a closed site (ToxDrop details).
In Hamilton County, the county runs its own household hazardous waste center in Noblesville.
Electronics
Indiana's electronic waste law forbids households from throwing out TVs, computers, printers and similar devices with the trash, and that includes a dumpster. ToxDrop takes them, up to five computer systems a visit and televisions 27 inches or smaller.
Tires
State law bars landfills from taking whole tires, so a dumpster company can't accept them. Businesses that sell new tires must take old ones, and the city's Trash 101 page lists a tire recycler on West Troy Avenue that takes them from the public on weekdays for a per-tire fee.
Refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners
Anything with refrigerant needs the gas removed before disposal. Indianapolis arranges pickup of those appliances through the Mayor's Action Center rather than heavy trash. Some dumpster companies accept them with a sticker or certificate showing the refrigerant is gone; many don't. Ask.
Usually fine vs. ask first
Usually fine
- Furniture and carpet
- Drywall, wood and trim
- Cabinets and countertops
- Household junk and boxes
- Brush and branches (some companies want them separate)
Ask first
- Mattresses and box springs
- Dried latex paint
- Concrete, dirt and brick mixed with other debris
- Anything from a pre-1980 house that could contain asbestos
Talk to a local dumpster company
Have your address, the project and a rough start date handy. The company will suggest a size and tell you the price, the weight allowance and when it can bring the container.
Answered Mon–Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 8am–1pm (Eastern)
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