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How to get rid of your sofa: 7 best sofa disposal methods
In this article
- Sofa disposal methods: summary
- 1. Donate your sofa to charity
- 2. Give away or sell your sofa online
- 3. Take your sofa to a recycling centre
- 4. Use a sofa recycling collection scheme
- 5. Use your council's bulky waste collection scheme
- 6. Check if your new sofa retailer has a collection scheme
- 7. Pay for a private furniture disposal service
If your sofa is looking tired and saggy, it may be time to replace it. But how do you get rid of your old one?
Sofas are bulky and difficult to transport, which can make disposal seem complicated.
But don't worry – there are plenty of options available, including collection services.
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Sofa disposal methods: summary
There are seven main ways you can get rid of your sofa.
| Disposal option | Type of service | Collection service? | Free service? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Give to charity | Reuse | In some cases | Yes |
| Give away/sell online | Reuse | In some cases | Yes |
| Recycling centre | Recycling | No | Yes |
| Recycling collection scheme | Recycling | Yes | No |
| Council collection | Recycling or disposal | Yes | No |
| Sofa-brand collection scheme | Recycling or disposal | Yes | No |
| Private removal | Disposal | Yes | No |
Remember that the most sustainable option is to ensure your sofa is reused. This is more sustainable than recycling, because recycling a sofa requires energy.
Taking a sofa to landfill is by far the least sustainable option.
This article explains how to dispose of your sofa with these seven different methods.
How to get rid of a sofa for free
If you want to get rid of your sofa for free, there are three options available: giving it to charity, selling it or giving it away online, or taking it to a recycling centre.
In most cases, you'll be able to give your sofa to charity or get rid of it online without needing to transport the sofa. However, these methods do require a little more organisiation.
1. Donate your sofa to charity
If your sofa is in good shape, the most sustainable option is to donate or sell it.
Some charities, such as the British Heart Foundation, will even come and collect your sofa for free.
In order to be sold on, your sofa will need its fire safety label attached – this is essential if you want to donate your sofa.
Find out more about the Reuse Network. Or, if you live near a charity shop that sells furniture, you could try contacting it directly to find out if it's interested.
2. Give away or sell your sofa online
There are plenty of online marketplaces where you can give away or sell your sofa. In general, the buyer is expected to come and collect it, but ensure you confirm this before you agree to any sales.
Marketplaces specifically for giving away your sofa include:
- Freecycle
- Freegle
- TrashNothing
- LoveJunk – will match you with a sofa collection service.
Alternatively, you could sell (or give away) your sofa via a general marketplace such as:
Before you get started, check out our guide on how to sell online and the best online marketplaces to use as a seller.
3. Take your sofa to a recycling centre
If you're able to transport your sofa, you can take it to a recycling centre.
Find your local centre using your council's website. Make sure you check that it accepts bulky items before making the trip.
Looking to replace your old sofa? Check out our guide to the best sofa shops – rated by real owners
4. Use a sofa recycling collection scheme
There are several private sofa recycling schemes that will take away your sofa and reuse or recycle it. They include Clearabee and LoveJunk.
Bear in mind that you do have to pay for these services. Clearabee's service starts from £70.
One of the main advantages of these services is speed – they will normally collect your sofa within a few days.
5. Use your council's bulky waste collection scheme
If you live in England or Wales, your local council might run a bulky waste collection service. You normally have to pay for this service, although it's generally cheaper than using a private removal company.
Some take the sofas for recycling, but others just take them to landfill.
If you live in England or Wales, you can find out about the services from your council on the gov.uk website.
If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, go to your council’s website and search for bulky waste disposal.
How much does the council charge to get rid of a sofa?
According to 2025 research from Business Waste, UK councils charge an average of £32 for bulky waste collection.
However, this varies significantly by region, ranging from £5.97 in Northern Ireland to £44.81 in the South East of England.
A total of 26 councils offer this service for free, and four charge the minimum collection cost (£5).
6. Check if your new sofa retailer has a collection scheme
Many online sofa retailers have partnered with Clearabee or the British Heart Foundation to collect your old sofa when they deliver your new one.
The British Heart Foundation will collect your sofa for free, but only if it can be resold. You do have to pay for the Clearabee service.
You can use both schemes even if they aren't partnered with your retailer.
7. Pay for a private furniture disposal service
If other options aren't suitable, you might consider using a private furniture disposal service.
These are generally faster and more convenient than other options, but can be expensive.
You also need to be careful that you choose a reputable company – if the company you've hired fly-tips your sofa, you could end up facing a fine.
If you're feeling short on inspiration, check out our sofa buying guide