I'll admit it; your stinky, dirty furniture on the side of the road is definitely kind of a "Missoula thing," but it's getting old.

It's something that I think we've all gotten used to. The old couch, mattress, or chairs on the curb by the garbage cans. I didn't even blink an eye at it years ago, but it's gotten so much worse. Just on my way to the station today I passed a couch in a field and a chair sitting by the railroad tracks. What the heck? You think the railroad conductor is going to be like, "Oh sweet!  A busted ass old couch for free!"  Maybe because more and more people are moving here, or we're all just too broke to dispose of it properly. I get it, it's a pain, but it's really becoming an eyesore around town, right? Here are a few options to dispose of that old furniture properly, and maybe even make some money from it.

Is the Furniture In Good/Fair Condition?

Donation is always an option. Your local Goodwill or thrift store can take these items off your hands (usually). The cool thing about donating your couch etc. is if the place is a non-profit, you can use this as a tax write-off. I've done it many times.

Check around your local women's or children's shelters. Many times they are in need of good, clean used furniture. Not only for their buildings, but for people getting back on their feet, something like this is a really big deal. Imagine a single mom moving into a new place and needing some basic furniture.

Is the Furniture Too Damaged or Used?

Is your garage chair, or frat couch way beyond saving due to years of spilled beer, and who knows what else? Well, this is where you are going to have to "adult up" and do the right thing. You can't just dump these items off by your garbage can for Republic Services to pick up as they are "large bulk items." That's partly why you are seeing them scattered all over Missoula. Scheduling a pick-up through Republic Waste Services is pretty easy. I called and asked about a couch pick up and it was super easy.

If you would like to skip the hassle of scheduling you can always load up the furniture and take it to the local dump. They will charge you according to weight, however.

Let's take a little pride in our community. I know it's a hassle, again. I've been there.

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