BOISE, Idaho — Spring cleaning is upon us and many Boise residents are looking to get rid of their unwanted items. Bulky items like couches often end up dumped on public lands, but the City of Boise has a better option for free.
"We feel like we have a great value and provide a lot of services that the community wants," said Peter McCullough, with the City of Boise.
Residents get access to various services for free along with their regular trash service fee.
"Included in that rate, if you have a refrigerator or a mattress or a couch that you want to get rid of, we'll actually pick it up. You just have to call, and we'll pick that up at your home for no additional cost," added McCullough.
Residential customers can call in six of those bulky item pickups each year for free.
If you need to get rid of items like antifreeze, paints, or batteries, mobile household hazardous waste collection sites are also free for residents and move locations around the city.
If you're getting your garden ready for spring, you can also take advantage of the city's free compost program, where you can get quality compost at two different sites in town.
"Well, it's spring cleaning. Everybody wants to, you know, get their stuff in order," said Tommy McCrae, who works with the Idaho Youth Ranch to collect donations that are sold in the nonprofit's thrift stores.
He says he's seen a huge uptick in donations recently, and clean donations that can be resold make a huge difference.
"Because it goes back to the kids, you know, and that's what's important," said McCrae.
Items like mattresses, car seats, broken items, dirty items or old electronics aren't accepted at thrift stores.
Here is a list of some local thrift stores that accept donations:
Thriftology
Impact Thrift
Idaho Youth Ranch
Restyle Thrift
