A mattress, sofa or broken appliance should not be left beside Puerto Vallarta’s regular household trash. The city handles large household items separately, while unwanted electronics are collected through temporary recycling campaigns.
The correct option depends on what you are throwing away.
Furniture, mattresses and other large items
Call Puerto Vallarta’s Public Cleaning Department at 322 114 0440 when you need to dispose of furniture, mattresses or other bulky household waste.
Ask to schedule a pickup and be ready to provide your address, colonia, and a description of the items. City staff can tell you when the material will be collected and where it should be placed.
Do not assume the regular garbage truck will take it. Household collection routes are primarily intended to collect bagged residential waste. A sofa, bed frame, cabinet or mattress may be left behind even when the regular truck serves your street.
Keep the item on your property until the city confirms the pickup instructions. Putting furniture on a sidewalk, street corner, vacant lot or beside a neighborhood trash pile can turn the location into an informal dumping site.
The same telephone number can be used to ask about other difficult items, including large appliances, tree debris and household junk. Tell the department exactly what you have because different materials may require different collection arrangements.
The number 322 114 0440 is also used to report missed garbage collection and waste accumulating in public areas.
Televisions, computers and other electronics
Puerto Vallarta does not operate a permanent public e-waste center with daily opening hours. Instead, the Environmental Sustainability Department organizes temporary Electroacopio collection campaigns at designated locations around the municipality.
These drives commonly accept items such as:
- Televisions and computer monitors
- Desktop and laptop computers
- Cellphones, tablets and chargers
- Printers, cables and electronic accessories
- Small kitchen appliances
- Power tools
- Washing machines and refrigerators
Accepted materials and locations can change with each campaign. Before loading a vehicle, check the latest posts from the Puerto Vallarta Environmental Sustainability Department or the Municipal Government of Puerto Vallarta.
The announcements normally use the Spanish word electroacopio. They include the collection dates, operating hours, drop-off points, and any restrictions on what will be accepted.
When no campaign is active, keep electronics dry and protected until the next collection date. Do not place televisions, computers, batteries or electronic appliances in a bag with ordinary household waste.
What about refrigerators and washing machines
Large electrical appliances fall into both categories. They are bulky items, but they also contain electrical components that may be accepted as part of an Electroacopio campaign.
When a campaign is open and specifically lists refrigerators, washing machines, or similar appliances, take the item to one of the announced collection points.
When no collection drive is available, call 322 114 0440 and describe the appliance. The Public Cleaning Department can confirm whether municipal pickup is available or whether you need to wait until a specialized collection event.
Do not dismantle a refrigerator or attempt to release its refrigerant. Ask whether the appliance must be complete upon delivery or collection.
Prepare electronics before turning them in
Remove personal information before giving away or recycling a phone, tablet, or computer. Back up anything you want to keep, sign out of your accounts, remove SIM and memory cards, and complete a factory reset when possible.
Old computers may still contain personal files even when they no longer turn on. Remove the hard drive or have a technician erase it if the device contains sensitive information.
Keep loose batteries away from coins, tools, and other metal objects. A swollen, leaking, or damaged battery needs careful handling and may not be accepted with ordinary electronics. Check the campaign announcement or contact the Environmental Sustainability Department before transporting it.
The two disposal options
Use the municipal pickup service when you have a mattress, sofa, cabinet or other large household item. Call 322 114 0440 before placing anything outside.
Use an Electroacopio collection point when you have a television, computer, cellphone, appliance, or other electrical equipment and a municipal campaign is active.
Puerto Vallarta announces new collection drives through its official social media pages rather than maintaining a fixed annual schedule. Check the date on any announcement before relying on it because an older post may describe a campaign that has already ended.
