Short answer: what a council will collect, and what it costs, varies more than you'd expect between neighbouring boroughs — from genuinely free to nearly £70. Worth checking which council your address falls under before assuming a price.
Up to 5 standard household items collected free per booking. Large electrical items go through a separate paid route (roughly £28–£50 depending on quantity), or a free option via NLWA/AnyJunk for up to 4 items. At booking, there's a "reuse collection" option that sends usable items to the TCL Reuse Centre shop instead of being scrapped — worth ticking if what you're getting rid of is still in decent condition. Items need to be out by 6am on collection day.
One genuinely free collection every 12 months, covering up to 3 items. Extra items beyond that are £15.20 each. Book online, and give at least two full working days' notice if you need to change a booking. Items out by 6am.
No free tier here: £34.80 for 1–3 items, rising to £69.60 for 8–10 items. Their own terms and conditions explicitly state this service isn't meant for house, garage or property clearances — they direct you to a private firm or charity for that instead. For reuse rather than disposal, they point residents to ECCO (Environmental Conservation Co-operative) and Epping Forest Freegle. Items out by 6.30am.