Restaurants go through equipment, furniture, and fixtures. A reach-in cooler dies, the dining room gets new chairs, or a slow week becomes the time to finally renovate. Getting the old stuff out is its own headache. Here's what Philly restaurant and small business owners need to know.
The city drop-off centers aren't an option
Philadelphia's sanitation convenience centers are for residents. Commercial contractors and vehicles carrying commercial loads can't use them, and the city's bulk pickup program isn't open to commercial properties either. Business junk has to go through a private hauler.
Your regular trash hauler probably won't take it
Your dumpster service is set up for bagged trash and recycling. A six-burner range, a walk-in cooler door, or 30 broken chairs usually isn't part of that contract. Stacking it next to the dumpster tends to mean it sits there, which is a pest magnet behind a food business.
Refrigeration equipment needs special handling
Reach-ins, prep tables with refrigeration, ice machines, and other units that contain refrigerant can't just be crushed. Federal rules require that refrigerant be properly recovered before the equipment is disposed of. Make sure whoever takes it knows that.
What junk haulers don't take
- Used cooking oil and grease: those go to a rendering or grease collection company.
- Hazardous chemicals: concentrated cleaning chemicals, solvents, and similar products need a hazardous waste service.
- Food waste: that's your regular hauler or a composting service.
Timing is everything
The best time to haul out equipment is when you're closed. Nobody wants a range going through the dining room during lunch. Coordinate removal with your install date so the new equipment isn't sitting on the sidewalk waiting for the old unit to leave.
Common restaurant and small business jobs
- old ranges, fryers, prep tables, and shelving
- dining chairs, tables, booths, and bar stools
- renovation debris like old flooring, cabinets, and fixtures (light debris)
- basement and storage room cleanouts: broken equipment, old signage, and years of "we might need it"
- retail fixtures, racks, and display cases
Keep your paperwork in order
Philadelphia requires commercial properties to have a Waste and Recycling Plan on file with the city, posted at the business. It identifies the haulers you use. If you bring on a recurring vendor, add them.
How we help
We can come for a one-time equipment haul-out, or on a recurring schedule to keep back rooms and basements clear. Tell us what's going and where it is, and send photos if you can. Get a free quote.