We got rid of our old couch, and some other stuff, last week. In Chicago, we would have put it out in front of our house, and someone would have taken it. If not, then we would have "convinced" the garbage men to take it.
Here it is more complicated. If something doesn't fit in the dumpster, such as a couch, then it is called "Sperrmüll," or "bulky wastes," and one has to call the city to come and haul it away. They'll come twice a year for free, and after that, you have to pay. I don't know how much, because I don't know anyone that has made an appointment for "Sperrmüll Abholung" more than once a year.
And here, the city doesn't send one truck--they send three. Because not only do they collect your junk, they sort the metals and electronics from the furniture and wood products. (NOTE: I missed the trucks that picked up our stuff, so I used a photo I took earlier this year, hence the snow, of someone else's junk being hauled away.)
