Getting Rid of an Old Sofa, Mattress, or Cabinet in Antwerp: 6 Options and How Much They Cost

Your new sofa is being delivered next week, you're moving, or you're clearing out your parents' apartment. And there you have that old three-seater, a worn-out mattress, and a cabinet that nobody wants anymore. What do you do with them?

There’s one thing you really shouldn’t do: put everything on the sidewalk with a note saying "take it for free." In Antwerp, that’s considered illegal dumping. You’ll get a GAS fine of up to €500 for that, and on top of that, you’ll have to pay the cleanup costs. You can read more about this in our article on bulky trash on the sidewalk.

Fortunately, there are plenty of legal ways to do this. We’ve listed them below, from free to the least time-consuming, along with the rates set by the City of Antwerp (verified in October 2026).

The 6 options at a glance

1. Sell or Give Away

Is your couch or cabinet still in good condition? If so, someone else might want it. List it on 2dehands.be or Facebook Marketplace, or ask around in your neighborhood group. Be sure to mention that the buyer must pick it up themselves and check beforehand to make sure the furniture fits through their door.

A few tips:

• Take a photo in daylight and include the dimensions.
• Be honest about any stains or damage. That will prevent arguments at the door.
• Agree on a specific pickup date. If no one shows up, you'll still have time to find another solution.

The downside: it takes time, and you'll rarely find a buyer for a worn-out mattress or a sofa with tears.

2. Have it picked up for free by the Kringwinkel

Kringwinkel Antwerpen has 14 stores in and around Antwerp and will pick up usable items from your home for free. You can make an appointment online via kringwinkel.be or call 03 217 25 10.

There are some conditions, though. The Kringwinkel will only take items that it can resell: items that are intact, clean, and not damp. So a sofa with a tear or large stains will be left behind. Please leave the items on the ground floor.

Always contact them in advance and ask what they want to take and how. Whether a cabinet or bed needs to be taken apart depends on the situation. Disassembling a piece of furniture can damage it, and then the Kringwinkel won’t be able to sell it anymore.

Tip: Are you unsure whether your furniture is good enough? Please include a photo with your request.

Is this for an entire home? If so, the Kringwinkel also offers a paid household goods removal service. You can Have the house cleaned out all at once by a cleanup company.

3. Have the store take back your old items

Are you buying a new mattress or a new appliance? If so, ask the store when you make your purchase if they'll take your old one away when they deliver the new one.

• Mattress: Since 2021, you’ve had to pay a recycling fee with every new mattress, ranging from €4.25 for a baby mattress to €17 for a double mattress. Many stores therefore take back your old mattress for free when you buy a new one from them. They are not required to do so, and some charge a shipping fee. You can find out which stores participate at valumat.be.
• Refrigerator, washing machine, or other appliance: The store that sells you a new device is required to take back your old one.
• Headquarters: There is no legal obligation to take back chairs. Some furniture stores offer this as an additional service, usually for a fee. Be sure to ask about this before you place your order.

4. Take it to the recycling center yourself

Do you have a car or trailer? If so, the recycling center is usually the cheapest option. The city of Antwerp has 8 recycling centers.

Tip: Take apart a wooden cabinet at home. That way, you can dispose of it for free with the wood, instead of paying to have it picked up as bulky waste. Upholstered furniture cannot be disposed of with the wood unless you remove the upholstery first.

Things to know before you leave:

• Appointment: You must make an appointment in advance, except on Wednesdays. You can do that online or through the contact center at 03 22 11 333. You will need your national identification number.
• Admission: Only residents of Antwerp are allowed inside, with their own ID cards. Businesses are not permitted to enter.
• Exception in the event of death or relocation to a nursing home: Are you clearing out the home of a deceased family member who lived in Antwerp? If so, you may enter the home even if you don’t live in Antwerp yourself, provided you have a death certificate and do not need an appointment. The same applies if a family member moves into a nursing home—you’ll need proof of their new residence. Is it all getting to be too much? Then read how a eviction after death expires.
• Hours of operation: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Wednesdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (October through March) or from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. (April through September). Closed on Sundays and holidays.
• On site: The staff won't help you unload, and you're allowed to stay in the parking lot for a maximum of 20 minutes.
• How much: You may bring a maximum of 2 m³ of bulky waste per week, plus 2 m³ of the types of waste that are collected for free.
• Payment: With Bancontact, no cash.

Be careful with mattresses: A mattress must be dry and in good condition. Wet or moldy mattresses, sofa mattresses, slatted bases, and box springs are not accepted as mattresses.

5. Have the city pick up bulky waste

Don't have a car? The city also picks up bulky waste from your home. You can schedule a pickup through bulky-waste.antwerp.be.

• Price: €0.34 per kilogram, with a minimum charge of €3. A scale attached to the garbage truck weighs your bulky waste, and you’ll receive the bill shortly afterward.
• Eviction: Please place everything on the sidewalk between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on the day of your appointment. Items left on private property will not be picked up.
• How much: A maximum of 2 m³ per pickup. Chairs may be up to 210 cm long.
• What not to do: The city does not pick up electrical appliances, metal, or construction debris. You must take these items to the recycling center.
• Mattress: You can bring that, too, but you'll have to pay €0.34 per kilo. At the recycling center, you can drop off a mattress for free.
• Rain: Cover everything if rain is forecast. A wet sofa weighs more, so you'll pay more.

Calculation example: A three-seater sofa weighing 50 kilograms will cost you about €17. Do you have a car? If so, the Kiel Recycling Center is a lot cheaper at €0.11 per kilogram.

The downside: you have to carry everything out to the curb yourself. If you live on the third floor without an elevator, that’s no small task. This pickup service is also not intended for businesses.

Do you live in a municipality near Antwerp? If so, the rules and rates set by your own municipality or intermunicipal waste management authority apply, and these can be significantly higher. In Malle, for example, you pay a call-out fee of €28.60 plus €0.30 per kilogram, up to a maximum of 3 m³. So always check your municipality’s website first.

6. Hiring a cleanup company

Don't want to haul things around yourself, or need it done quickly? Then a cleanup company like JunkBrothers will simply come pick up your furniture. This is especially handy if:

• you live on a floor without an elevator;
• you don't have a car or trailer;
• whether there are multiple items, or whether they include appliances that the city does not pick up from your home;
• your furniture is too worn out for the thrift store;
• it needs to be done quickly, for example, before a move or an inventory of the property.

Before and after: a living room with old sofas and furniture that we cleared out. We’ll carry everything outside ourselves—you won’t have to lift a finger.

Here's how it works with us: you send a photo via WhatsApp and please indicate the floor and whether there is an elevator. You’ll usually receive a fixed price within 2 hours, and we typically come by within 1 to 3 business days. We donate usable furniture to thrift stores or social organizations. We sort the rest and dispose of it at certified processing facilities.

If you have multiple items picked up at the same time, you'll pay less per item. You can find more information on our page Pick up furniture in Antwerp and at our prices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put my old couch on the sidewalk with a sign that says "free"?

No. Putting trash on the street without scheduling a pickup is illegal dumping, even if you mean well. In Antwerp, you risk a GAS fine of up to €500, plus the cost of cleanup.

Does the OCMW in Antwerp pick up furniture?

The city’s website does not list a furniture pickup service under “social centers” (formerly the OCMW). For usable furniture, the city refers residents to the Kringwinkel, which will pick it up from your home for free.

How much does it cost to have a sofa picked up in Antwerp?

Through the city, you pay €0.34 per kilo, so about €17 for a 50-kilo three-seater sofa, but you have to carry it out to the curb yourself. The Kringwinkel will pick it up for free if the sofa can still be sold. At JunkBrothers, you pay starting at €100 for a large item (excl. VAT), and we’ll carry it outside ourselves. Would you rather take it away yourself? Then the Kiel recycling center is the cheapest option: €0.11 per kilo, or about €5.50.

Where can I get rid of a mattress for free?

At the recycling center, provided the mattress is dry and in one piece. Buying a new mattress? Ask the store if they’ll take your old one back for free.

I don't live in Antwerp. Can I go to the recycling center?

Generally speaking, no: the city’s recycling centers are reserved for Antwerp residents. There are exceptions, such as for family members of a deceased Antwerp resident (with a death certificate) or of someone moving into a nursing home (with proof of the new residence).