Northern Kentucky bulk trash rules: Rumpke, Freon stickers and plastic wrap

The short answer

Northern Kentucky does not run one bulk program; each city has its own setup, and Rumpke is the hauler in many places, including Newport. Rumpke's bulky-item rules require a call ahead, plastic-wrapped mattresses and a Freon sticker on refrigerant appliances, and they exclude drywall, concrete and brick from curbside. If those rules do not fit, JunkRabbit charges the same flat prices as in Cincinnati: a fridge is $164, a queen mattress $103 and a sofa $126.

Newport's rules, step by step

Newport's trash and recycling are collected weekly by Rumpke. Carts can go out from 5 pm the day before collection until 6 am on collection day. For bulky items, you call Rumpke at least 24 hours before your trash day to arrange pickup. Appliances that contain Freon, such as refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers and air conditioners, need the refrigerant removed by a certified technician and a sticker attached before they can go out. Mattresses and upholstered furniture with any bedbug risk must be encased in plastic. Drywall, concrete, bricks, dirt and rocks are not accepted. Batteries, tires, liquids and hazardous materials are excluded too. Newport's page does not publish a fee or item limit for bulk pickup, so ask when you call.

Rumpke residential bulk rules

Beyond Newport, Rumpke serves many subscription and contract areas across the region. Its residential bulk-trash rules say you arrange curbside bulk pickup by calling customer service. A mattress and box spring count as one item and must be wrapped and sealed in plastic. Freon appliances are only collected with a certified refrigerant statement affixed. Drywall, concrete and bricks are not taken curbside. Fees and limits are not published, so ask. If you are not sure whether Rumpke is your hauler, check your bill or your cart. Covington, Bellevue, Fort Thomas, Florence, Independence and the other Kentucky cities may contract with Rumpke or someone else; we have not confirmed each city's rules, so look up your own.

The Freon sticker, explained

Refrigerators, freezers, window AC units and dehumidifiers contain refrigerant in a sealed system. Rules like Newport's exist to make sure that refrigerant is recovered by a certified technician before the appliance is crushed or scrapped. In practice, it means calling an appliance or HVAC technician to your home, paying for the visit, waiting while they recover the refrigerant and getting a sticker or statement for the unit. Only then can it go to the curb. For one old fridge, that is a lot of coordination. Never cut lines or vent refrigerant yourself to avoid the step. With JunkRabbit, you do not arrange the sticker; a standard fridge is $164, a chest freezer $146 and a small window AC $87.

The plastic-wrap rule, explained

Rumpke requires mattresses and box springs to be wrapped and sealed in plastic for curbside pickup, and Newport requires mattresses and upholstered furniture with bedbug risk to be encased. The point is sanitation and pest control for the crews and the neighborhood. You can buy mattress bags at most hardware stores. Wrap the mattress in the bedroom, with a helper, before carrying it out, so it does not pick up dirt on the way and so any pests stay sealed in. A wrapped mattress and box spring count as one item. JunkRabbit pickups have no wrapping requirement: a queen mattress is $103 and a mattress and box spring set $143.

What Rumpke curbside will not take

The curbside exclusions mostly hit remodel and outdoor projects. Drywall, concrete and brick are out in Rumpke areas, and Newport adds dirt and rocks. That catches a lot of what comes out of rehab work in Newport's Mansion Hill and East Row or Covington's historic north side, where 19th-century houses are being restored. For those materials, Rumpke Sanitary Landfill in Colerain Township, on the Ohio side, accepts construction debris including drywall, brick and concrete; call first, as hours and fees are not published. Rumpke also rents dumpsters and runs a junk service called Haul-it-Away. JunkRabbit prices debris flat: drywall is $37 per sheet or small bundle, a quarter truck of mixed debris $241 and concrete or masonry $219 per quarter truck.

Flat prices on the Kentucky side

A Newport kitchen fridge plus a queen set from upstairs is $164 + $143 = $307, with no sticker and no plastic wrap. Same prices as Cincinnati, carry-out from any floor included.

Choosing your route in NKY

If you are a Rumpke customer with a sofa or a dresser on the ground floor, the curbside bulk call may be all you need. If you have a mattress and do not mind wrapping it, that works too. If you have a Freon appliance, weigh the technician visit against a pickup. If you have remodel debris, the curbside route is out, so choose between the landfill, a dumpster or a pickup. If the items are upstairs, in a basement or on a hillside lot, which describes a lot of Covington, Newport, Bellevue and Ludlow housing, carry-out is the hard part, and it is included in every JunkRabbit price. Same-day pickup is available when you book by 4 PM.

Frequently asked questions