Can I simply take electrical appliances to the recycling centre?

Yes. The collection points of the public waste authorities accept old electrical appliances from private households free of charge; in Berlin these are the BSR recycling centres. Take batteries out beforehand. Alternatively, retailers take them back: retailers with at least 400 m² of sales space for electrical goods accept an old appliance of the same type when you buy a new one, and small devices up to 25 cm even without a purchase.

What counts as bulky waste?

Bulky waste includes large household items such as sofas, wardrobes, mattresses or carpets that do not fit in the bin. In Berlin you take typical household amounts of up to 3 m³ to the recycling centre; for larger amounts, book a collection with the BSR. Plan this in good time before the move so that the old flat can be handed over empty.

Where do hazardous waste items such as paints and varnishes go?

Paints, varnishes, solvents and chemicals belong at a hazardous waste drop-off point, never in household waste or down the drain. In Berlin only some recycling centres accept hazardous substances; the BSR website lists which ones. Bring the substances in their original containers if possible and do not take them in the removal van. Spray cans and batteries do not belong in the boxes either.

Can batteries go to the recycling centre?

Yes, batteries count as hazardous waste and are accepted in separate collection boxes at the recycling centre or in shops. They contain heavy metals that do not belong in normal waste. Especially when decluttering before a long-distance move , it is worth collecting old batteries and disposing of them properly.

How do I dispose of building rubble properly?

Smaller amounts of building rubble such as tiles, concrete or bricks can usually be handed in at the recycling centre for a fee. Larger amounts, for example after a renovation before the move, often require a skip or a specialist firm. Find out in advance from your local recycling centre about permitted amounts and prices.

Do tyres belong at the recycling centre?

Car tyres have their own disposal routes: tyre dealers usually accept old tyres for a fee, and so do some recycling centres. Check the BSR waste A–Z or ask beforehand whether, and on what conditions, a BSR centre accepts tyres. Old tyres only belong in the removal van if they really are coming along.

What do I do with garden waste after clearing a garden?

Garden waste such as branches, leaves or grass cuttings can usually be handed in at the recycling centre free of charge or for a small fee. Larger amounts should be transported loose or bundled. Especially with a private move involving a garden, it is worth disposing of it before the moving date to save space in the van.

Can mattresses simply be handed in?

Mattresses count as bulky waste and in Berlin can go to the recycling centre in typical household amounts of up to 3 m³. For larger amounts, or if you do not have a car, book a bulky waste collection. During the move, on request we take old mattresses for disposal; this appears as a separate item in the quote.

What happens to polystyrene and packaging material?

Polystyrene and larger packaging remnants often build up in quantity during a move. Smaller amounts of packaging belong in the recycling bin; for larger amounts, ask the recycling centre whether and how they are accepted. You can also pass on clean moving boxes – many people are looking for used boxes.

How do I dispose of old fridges properly?

Old fridges contain refrigerant and, as old electrical appliances, belong at a collection point or a retailer take-back scheme, not with bulky waste. In Berlin, the BSR recycling centres accept old appliances from private households free of charge. Defrost the appliance before transport and transport it upright.

Do I have to pay to hand things in at the recycling centre?

Old electrical appliances from private households are free of charge at the collection points. For other waste, the BSR acceptance conditions and fee list apply; for large amounts of bulky waste at the Gradestraße facility, charges are by weight. Check the current list before you go. If we take furniture during the move, disposal appears as a separate item in the fixed price.

STRESS-FREE MOVING

Recycling centre: what goes where?

What belongs at the recycling centre when you declutter before a move – and what does not.

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Disposal before the move

Recycling centre before a move: what goes where

Guide

Unsere Firma is based in Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21) and, on request, takes furniture that is not moving with you for disposal.

Before a move, more clutter builds up than you might think: the old sofa, a broken toaster, half-empty paint tins from the cellar. Whatever does not belong in the household waste bin is accepted in Berlin by the BSR recycling centres (Recyclinghöfe) – there are 14 across the city. Bulky waste from private households is accepted there in typical household amounts of up to 3 m³; if you have more, book a bulky waste collection or take it to the facility on Gradestraße. Hazardous substances such as paints, varnishes or solvents are only accepted at some of the centres – check beforehand which one.

You can hand in old electrical appliances free of charge at the collection points of the public waste authorities; take batteries out of the devices beforehand. Large electrical retailers take back an old appliance of the same type when you buy a new one, and small devices up to 25 cm even without a purchase. If you have no time for trips, have discarded furniture taken away during the move. More on this under House clearance.

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Disposal as a separate item in the fixed price

What is not moving with you does not have to go to the recycling centre first: on request we take discarded furniture for disposal during the move. During the survey you show us what stays and what should go; we then quote a fixed price in which disposal is listed as a separate item. Enquiries on 01625978461.

Quotes available individually based on workload, scheduling and the desired scope of services.

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FROM BERLIN

What we take on when you declutter

And what you take away yourself

We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and, on request, take furniture and bulky items that are not supposed to move with you during the move – this appears as disposal in the quote. We do not transport hazardous substances such as paints, varnishes, solvents or gas cylinders; you take those to a recycling centre that accepts hazardous waste. Batteries do not belong in a moving box either, but in the collection box. We are liable for your household goods under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre.

Furniture taken along

On request we take an old sofa, wardrobe or slatted bed base during the move, so you do not have to drive to the recycling centre yourself.

Sort beforehand

Separate furniture, electrical appliances and hazardous substances before moving day – that is the only way to dispose of everything properly so that nothing ends up in the wrong container.

Hazardous waste separate

Paints, varnishes, solvents and spray cans do not travel in the lorry; they belong at a BSR centre with hazardous waste acceptance.

Pass on what is good

Some centres accept furniture in good condition as second-hand goods, or you can donate it – that saves disposal costs and conserves resources.

DISPOSE OF IT PROPERLY

Six rules for the trip to the recycling centre

With these six rules, the trip to the recycling centre before the move stays short – and nothing has to be driven twice. They apply to the Berlin BSR centres; in other cities, amounts and fees may differ.

Check the amount

Berlin recycling centres accept bulky waste in typical household amounts of up to 3 m³; for more, book a collection. Check your amount beforehand.

Batteries out

Take batteries out of the devices before handing them in and put them separately in the collection box – they are not part of the electrical waste.

Choose a hazardous waste centre

Only some BSR centres accept hazardous waste; check online beforehand which centre takes paints and varnishes, rather than making a wasted trip.

Old appliances free

Collection points of the waste authorities accept old electrical appliances from private households free of charge (§ 13 ElektroG); retailers also take them back.

Deliver pre-sorted

Wood, metal, electrical items and bulky waste kept separate in the car: the hand-in at the recycling centre is then quicker and needs no reloading.

Start early

Start decluttering weeks before the move; whatever is gone no longer counts towards the moving volume and lowers the fixed price.

FOR SMALL LOADS

What is left travels cheaply

Often enough after decluttering

With a shared load, several consignments share the cargo space on the same route. If you have sorted things out consistently beforehand and taken the rest to the recycling centre, you often no longer need a lorry of your own: for single pieces of furniture and boxes, the costs drop considerably. You get a time window instead of a fixed date.

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IN THREE STEPS

Sort,
dispose, move

From decluttering to moving

Decluttering before a move works in three steps: sort what stays and what should go; dispose of what is leaving properly; then move with a smaller volume. How to get rid of large amounts in one go is explained in the article Disposing of bulky waste properly. For whole flats there is household clearance. And if you would rather pass on used items, you will find advice in the article on furniture donations. How to work out your moving volume afterwards and save costs is explained in our guide on the price per cubic metre.

Sort

Go through room by room and make three piles: take, pass on, dispose of. Separate electrical appliances, hazardous substances and bulky waste straight away; then the trip to the recycling centre is quickly planned and nothing is moved twice.

Dispose

Bulky waste up to 3 m³ to the recycling centre, old appliances free of charge to the collection point or retailer, hazardous substances to a centre that accepts them. On request we take large furniture for disposal as part of the furniture transport if you do not want to plan a trip.

Moving

Whatever is gone does not have to be carried, packed or paid for. With a smaller volume the fixed price goes down, and sometimes a shared load is even enough for the whole move instead of a lorry of your own. That makes moving day shorter and cheaper.

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FAQ

Questions about the recycling centre

Recyclables, electrical appliances, bulky waste, hazardous substances, batteries, building rubble and fees – answered briefly.

The recycling centres take what is too big or too problematic for the bin: bulky waste such as sofas, wardrobes and mattresses, waste wood, metal and old electrical appliances, and at some centres hazardous substances too. In Berlin the BSR accepts bulky waste in typical household amounts of up to 3 m³. Pre-sort at home and the hand-in is quick – and before a move you save yourself double trips.

What belongs at the recycling centre

The BSR recycling centres are mainly for things that are too big or too problematic for the bin: bulky waste such as sofas, wardrobes, mattresses and carpets, waste wood, scrap metal and old electrical appliances. Bulky waste is accepted in typical household amounts of up to 3 m³. Collection points accept old electrical appliances from private households free of charge; take batteries out beforehand and put them in the green battery bin.

Some centres accept furniture and household items in good condition as second-hand goods, for example Gradestraße, Ostpreußendamm, Hegauer Weg, Lengeder Straße and Rahnsdorfer Straße. Hazardous substances such as paints, varnishes or solvents are only accepted at some of the centres – the BSR website lists which ones. Exactly what a centre accepts and what it costs is set out in the BSR acceptance conditions and fee list.

What does not belong at the recycling centre

Normal household waste does not belong at the recycling centre. For more than 3 m³ of bulky waste, a collection or the facility on Gradestraße is the right way, where a charge by weight applies. Building rubble, asbestos, tyres or gas cylinders also have their own rules; check the BSR waste A–Z or ask the centre whether, and on what conditions, they are accepted.

Only take hazardous substances to a centre that accepts them, ideally in their original containers. And remember retailers: large electrical retailers take back an old appliance of the same type when you buy a new one, and small devices up to 25 cm even without a purchase (up to three per type of device).

Moving costs in detail

From €365 for a 1-room flat
From €609 for a 2-room flat
From €889 for a 3-room flat
From €1,324 for a 4-room flat
Individual quote for a house/villa
From €4.25/km for long-distance moves

Understanding moving prices

The cost of a move is made up of several components: volume, distance (from €4.25/km), floor and lift. If required, a parking restriction zone is added. In addition, you can book furniture assembly or a shared load.

Services for every occasion

You can combine these services with decluttering.

Office move: Office move with clear scheduling.
Furniture transport: Furniture transport for single or several items.
Move with assembly: Move with assembly with dismantling and reassembly.
Shared load: Shared load as an affordable alternative.
Private move: Private move with personal support.
House clearance: House clearance for a tidy home.

Moving after decluttering

We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and handle moves in Berlin and from Berlin to other cities; on request we take whatever is not coming along for disposal. Places with their own pages are shown in the locations overview, and routes from Berlin can be found under Long-distance moves.

House Clearance & Disposal

Beste Umzug Redaktion

September 9, 2026

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