How to get rid of moving boxes after a move

Why boxes pile up

A typical move uses dozens of boxes, plus paper, bubble wrap and foam. Once you unpack, they fill a garage or a spare room, and most curbside recycling only takes so much at once.

Option 1: Give them away

Sturdy moving boxes are useful to the next person who is moving. Break them down, bundle them, and post them on a local listing or neighborhood group. They usually go fast.

Option 2: Keep a few

Keep a handful of good boxes flat in the garage or under a bed for storage or the next move. Toss the crushed and torn ones.

Option 3: Recycle them

Break boxes flat and remove tape and labels if your town asks you to. Check your town's recycling rules for how much cardboard can go out each week, or whether you need to bring it to the transfer station or a drop-off.

Packing material

• Packing paper: usually recyclable with paper.
• Bubble wrap and plastic film: often not accepted in curbside recycling. Reuse it or bag it.
• Foam blocks and peanuts: usually not recyclable curbside. Bag them or reuse them.

Option 4: Add them to a pickup

If you also have furniture that did not fit the new place, a mattress or leftover junk from the old house, boxes can go with it. Flattened boxes take up much less space, which keeps the job size down.

Posted prices

Every job starts from the same posted price card. A single item is $64. A small job, up to about 1.5 cubic yards, is $119. A medium job, about 3 cubic yards or roughly a room, is $189. A large job, about 5 cubic yards or roughly a garage bay, is $239. An extra-large job, about 10 cubic yards, is $479, and anything past 10 cubic yards is $45 per yard. A mattress or box spring is $64 alone or $20 each on a job. A washer, dryer, stove or dishwasher is $69 alone and free on a job. A fridge, freezer, air conditioner or dehumidifier is $99 alone or $35 on a job. A TV or monitor is a $15 add-on. Construction debris is the job price plus 20%. Estate cleanouts start at $499 and hoarding cleanouts at $599. The full list is on the pricing page.

Price examples

• A stack of flattened boxes and a few bags of packing material: usually a small job, $119.
• Boxes plus a couch and a bed frame that did not fit: usually a small or medium job.
• A garage full of boxes and leftover furniture: usually a large job, $239.

Moving out instead of in?

If you are leaving an apartment and the junk is staying behind, plan the pickup before moving day so the unit is empty for the walkthrough.

Keep the essentials box

Before the boxes go, check each one is truly empty. Small items like hardware bags, remote controls and chargers often hide in the bottom of a box and end up thrown out by mistake. A quick shake and a look before flattening avoids that.

How booking works

Send photos through the quote form or text them to (207) 333-1422. No card is needed to ask. Caden looks at the photos and sends your price. If it works for you, you pay from the link he sends and that confirms the slot. The price we send is the price you pay unless the pile changes. If you add things after the price goes out, the price is updated before work starts, not after.

Related: apartment move-out junk, move-out junk removal in Portland, what fits in each size

If you want it handled for you, start with our move-out cleanouts page. Related reading: Getting rid of a mattress in Maine.