Good to know · Utilities

Recycle and dispose of waste in Bilbao

Bilbao offers free door-to-door bulky-item pickup by appointment (max 6 items, no electronics), four fixed Bilbogarbi drop-off centers and mobile Bilbogarbi routes. Phone 900 456 888 (free).

Why it matters

Learn the bin system and any waste-tax incentive.

When

You move into a home in Bilbao.

Last checked

16 Oct 2026

Steps

1. Bulky furniture and household items
   Book a pickup on 900 456 888 (free) or via the 'mejora bilbao' app. You are given a day and a place; leave items next to the nearest containers without leaning them on the containers. Maximum 6 items, furniture and goods without electronics.
2. Appliances, rubble, hazardous waste
   Take them to a fixed Bilbogarbi: Larraskitu (white goods, brown goods, small works rubble up to 1 m3, bulky items); Kobetamendi and Artxanda (rubble up to 1 m3, wood, furniture, garden waste, paper; no appliances; Artxanda also compost-organic waste); Elorrieta (reuse items, large appliances with hazardous parts, metals, fluorescents, motor oil).
3. Small hazardous items
   Mobile Bilbogarbi routes take batteries, paint, medicines, textiles, small electrical items etc. Routes and times: geobilbao.eus, limpiezapublica@bilbao.eus or 900 456 888.

Where

• Servicio de limpieza y recogida de residuos - recogida especial
  900 456 888 (free)
  https://www.bilbao.eus/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1272998225426&language=es&pageid=1272998225426&pagename=Bilbaonet/Page/BIO_contenidoFinalSrvLimpieza

Tips

• The brown-bin system (now called BILBORGANIK) uses a physical card, not a key, for registered households. It is requested via the official bilbao.eus procedure 'Solicitud de tarjeta física del sistema de recogida de residuos orgánicos (BILBORGANIK)' — contact phone 900 456 888, email bilborganik@bilbao.eus. The card opens the brown bins assigned to a given address and registers participation in BILBORGANIK. Per a secondary source (El Correo, 13 Nov 2025), people not registered in Bilbao’s padrón can also sign up and manage access to the brown bins, though the municipal registration procedure is the primary official channel.
• Historically (per a 2018 Radio Nervión report) the brown-bin access method changed from a physical key to the current card system as the service was rolled out citywide; this is background only, not current operational detail.

Official sources

• Recogida especial (muebles y enseres, Bilbogarbis)
• Solicitud de tarjeta física del sistema de recogida de residuos orgánicos (BILBORGANIK)