Discover How to Dispose of Unwanted Furniture
Have you just moved house only to discover your couch doesn’t fit your new space? Maybe your children or pets have damaged the upholstery on your favourite sofa beyond repair. Or perhaps you’re renovating, and you’ve decided it’s time to upgrade your furniture?
Whatever the reason, disposing of an unwanted couch can be a pain!
Some people decide to leave their old sofa on the side of the road. However, this can pose a safety hazard, be an eyesore for your neighbours, harm the environment, and be illegal in New Zealand. That’s right, leaving large items, such as couches, on public council land is considered rubbish dumping and can attract a hefty fine.
Couch Removal Options
First, you’ll need to determine whether your couch is still usable. Examine the condition of your sofa and check for damage to upholstery, structural defects, stains, pet hair, mould, and insect infestations (such as fleas).
Furniture that is mouldy or infested with pests shouldn’t be sold or donated. If damage is present, but is minor, such as staining or fabric pulls from pet claws, consider reupholstering, repairing, or professional cleaning to give yourself the best chance of finding your couch a new home.
1. Take your couch to a refuse station
If the couch is not in a useable condition, one option is to take it to a refuse station for landfill. You can dispose of your old furniture at the local tip by hiring a trailer, transporting it in the back of your vehicle, or securely attaching it to roof racks. Keep in mind that depending on the size of the couch you’re taking to the dump, you may need to dismantle it first to make it easier to transport.
Cost: Dumping an old couch at your local refuse station isn’t free. Fees are normally calculated by the type of waste and priced per cubic metre. Costs will increase, of course, if you need to hire a trailer for transportation. See this example from the Whang ārei District Council.
2. Take your couch to a community recycling centre
If you’d rather avoid your old couch ending up in landfill, why not consider taking it to a community recycling centre? Community recycling centres are places where you can drop off your used stuff for reuse or recycling. It’s a much more environmentally friendly way to dispose of unwanted furniture. Some centres even have shops where useable items can be sold, with many donating the proceeds back into the community or other charitable causes.
Here are some community recycling centre options at major locations across New Zealand:
- Whangārei Re:Sort – Whangārei
- Onehunga Community Recycling Centre - Auckland
- Lincoln Street Resource Recovery Centre – Hamilton
- Western Bay of Plenty District Council Community Recycling and Greenwaste Centres
– Western Bay of Plenty - Southern Landfill, Tip Shop and Recycle Centre – Wellington
- The ReUse Shop - Nelson
- EcoCentral – Christchurch
Cost: Many community recycling centres will accept usable items for free, which means the only cost for this option is trailer hire – should you need one.
3. Donate your unwanted couch to charity
Before you throw your old couch away, why not consider donating it to charity? Many charities across New Zealand take in useable furniture that they can sell, investing the proceeds back into their cause. This can be a great way to offload an old couch for free while giving back to the community.
Note: Before you drop your unwanted sofa off at a charity op shop or store, please call ahead to check they have space for your item and ensure it is in a usable state. Charities are not dumping grounds, and unfortunately have to deal with a lot of items left on their doorstep that they cannot use, taking them away from their important work!
Here are some charitable organisations in New Zealand that accept donated goods:
Auckland City Mission
Location: The Auckland City Mission has op shops at three locations: Karangahape Road, Symonds St, and Glen Innes.
Items they accept: The Auckland City Mission is open to furniture donations but has limited space available. Please contact them if you have good quality furniture to donate, which they are happy to have a look at.
Contact details:
Email: retail@aucklandcitymission.org.nz
Phone: 02718100047
Christchurch City Mission
Location: The Christchurch City Mission has op shops at various locations where items can be dropped off, including the city centre, Sydenham, Rangiora, and Bryndwr.
Items they accept: The Christchurch City Mission accepts donations of good quality clothing and household goods at their op shops. Donations of bigger items can be collected free of charge Monday to Friday.
Contact details:
Email: opshop@citymission.org.nz
Phone: 03 365 0633
Habitat for Humanity New Zealand
Location: Habitat for Humanity accepts donation of goods at their ReStore Op Shops across the country from Whangārei to Invercargill.
Items they accept: Habitat ReStores take donations of good quality pre-loved clothing, furniture, household goods, toys, books and more to sell at reasonable prices. Drop-offs are welcome, or donors can contact the relevant ReStore to arrange a collection.
Contact details: Contact details for each Habitat for Humanity ReStore can be found via this link.
Hato Hone St John
Location: Hato Hone St John op shops can be found at over 50 locations across the North and South Island.
Items they accept: The Hato Hone St John website doesn’t provide specific information, but states that they “rely on kind donations of pre-loved goods to sell in our stores.”
Contact details: Contact details for each Hato Hone St John op shop can be found via this link.
Hospice New Zealand
Location: There are over 125 Hospice Shops across New Zealand, spanning the length of the country from Northland to Southland.
Items they accept: All Hospice Shops rely on donated goods. Each hospice shop is run by its local hospice service. To find out what your local store can accept, please contact it directly.
Contact details: Contact details for each Hospice Shop can be found via this link.
New Zealand Red Cross
Location: There are more than 50 Red Cross Shops across New Zealand. Visit this link to see a list of locations.
Items they accept: The New Zealand Red Cross welcomes donations of a number of items, including furniture. Some stores offer a free pick-up service for bulky items like furniture. Contact your nearest store to find out if this option is available to you.
Contact details: Contact details for each Red Cross Shop can be found here.
SPCA
Location: SPCA has more than 85 op shops located throughout New Zealand.
Items they accept: SPCA op shops accept items in good, saleable condition. Some stores accept bulky items like furniture. Contact your nearest store to find out if this option is available to you.
Contact details: Contact details for each SPCA op shop can be found here.
The Salvation Army
Location: There are a huge number of Salvation Army Family Stores located across New Zealand.
Items they accept: The Salvation Army Family Stores accept household goods, clothing and furniture. Contact your local store for further information.
Contact details: Phone 0800 4 COLLECT for free collection of donation goods. You can also contact your local store for further information around the sorts of items they can accept. Contact details can be found here.
Another option is offering the couch to family or friends. If you have a young family member setting up their first university flat, or who has just purchased their first home – chances are they may need some furniture to fill their space.
Cost: Like dropping your unwanted couch off at a community recycling centre, the only cost you’ll incur when donating to charity is the potential hire of a trailer. Some charities will pick up larger items from your home directly, making this a great option for usable furniture.
4. Sell your old furniture online
Known and loved all over New Zealand, Trade Me is an excellent option for selling second-hand goods. You can set the price as low as $1 and have the buyer collect the couch from you directly. Setting the price a little higher, however, ensures the buyer has some skin in the game and deters time wasters.
In addition to Trade Me, Facebook Marketplace or local buy/sell pages on Facebook can also be great channels for selling used goods. Keep in mind that you are less protected from scams when you opt to sell outside of platforms like Trade Me.
Cost: When selling on Trade Me, 7.9% of the total value is charged as a success fee when you make a sale. There are other additional extras that you may or may not need to pay depending on how you set up and promote your listing.
5. Inorganic rubbish collection
An oldie, but a goodie! There are Kiwis up and down the country who will remember trawling through roadside inorganic collections with their family as a child. The council-run inorganic collection can be a great way to get rid of an old couch that isn’t suitable for donation or sale. Simply book the collection, leave the item outside your house, and wait for it to be collected – free of charge!
Note: some cities and towns in New Zealand have discontinued their inorganic rubbish collection service. To find out whether inorganic collections are offered where you live, consult Google or the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Cost: In most cases, free! In Auckland for instance, inorganic rubbish collections are funded by the Waste Management Targeted Rate paid by property owners.
6. Enlist the help of a professional furniture mover through Ezy Peazy
We get it, moving furniture yourself can be a real hassle, especially if you have a bad back, are time-poor, or don’t have the means to transport an old couch yourself.
At Ezy Peazy, we connect you with honest and dedicated workers in your area who offer a good job at a fair price, consistently exceeding customer expectations
Listing a task on Ezy Peazy is just that – easy! Post any task in a few minutes, free of charge and wait for offers to roll in. Review your offers, select a tasker, and then sit back and relax while the work is taken care of.
Once you accept an offer Ezy Peazy will collect your funds and hold your payment securely until the task is completed.
Ezy Peazy was created to provide reliable assistance to Kiwis needing help with odd jobs. We meticulously curate both our customer base and workforce, ensuring we only offer you the best service!
Cost: While dropping your sofa off at a charity store or community recycling centre will certainly save you some cash, our highly recommended professional furniture removalists will save you a significant amount of time, effort, and stress – not to mention potential injuries!
See our top-rated furniture removalists here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sofa Disposal
1. Where can I throw away couches in New Zealand?
As mentioned earlier in this article, if you’ve determined that your couch is unusable – that is, it can’t be donated, recycled or sold, your best options include hiring a removalist, taking your sofa to your nearest refuse station or booking an inorganic rubbish collection (if this is available in your area).
2. What is the cheapest way to get rid of an unwanted couch?
If your couch is unable to be reused or recycled, the cheapest way of getting rid of an unwanted couch is to book an inorganic collection (if this is available where you live). If your couch can be reused or recycled, however, and you have the means to transport it - the cheapest option will likely be to drop your item off at a community recycling centre or donate it to charity. Keep in mind that the cheapest options can sometimes be the most time-intensive. If you’re not able to take your couch to a charity store, recycling centre or refuse station, booking a removalist can save you a lot of time and hassle.
Conclusion
Figuring out how to throw away or remove an old, unwanted couch can be a real headache. From donating your used sofa to charity, dropping it off at a community recycling station or hiring a professional removalist, luckily, there’s an abundance of options you can choose from. The key lies in figuring out whether your sofa can be donated, sold or recycled, or whether it needs to be disposed of entirely and selecting the option that best suits your individual needs.
If you need help with couch removal, get in touch with Ezy Peazy today. Our network of professional, highly-rated removalists can help make getting rid of your old sofa seamless and hassle-free!