How to Dispose of a Mattress

The Best Way to Get Rid of a Mattress

If you live in California, Connecticut, Oregon or Rhode Island, the easiest route is free recycling through the state's Bye Bye Mattress program — recycling is already paid for by a fee charged when mattresses are sold there. Everywhere else, the common options are your city's bulky-item pickup, retailer haul-away when a new mattress is delivered, donation if it's clean and usable, or a paid junk-removal service. Recycling is the greenest choice where available: more than 75% of a mattress — steel springs, foam, fabric and wood — can be recovered and reused.

Where to Recycle a Mattress for Free

The Mattress Recycling Council runs free drop-off recycling in four states with mattress-stewardship laws: California, Connecticut, Oregon and Rhode Island. Use the locator at byebyemattress.com to find a participating drop-off site or collection event near you. Recyclers then break the mattress down into its component materials — springs become new steel, foam becomes carpet padding, and wood is chipped for mulch. Outside those states, check your county or city solid-waste department for a local mattress recycler.

Why You Can't Just Throw It in the Trash

Mattresses are generally not accepted in ordinary curbside trash or standard dumpsters — they jam compaction equipment and can carry bedbugs. Most cities instead handle them as a scheduled "bulky" or "large-item" pickup you have to book in advance, and many require the mattress to be fully wrapped and sealed in plastic for collection. A few places go further: Massachusetts bans mattresses from disposal entirely (since November 2022), and the four recycling-law states route them away from landfills. Always confirm the rule with your local hauler before setting one out.

Retailer Haul-Away & Donation

Many mattress retailers will remove your old mattress when they deliver the new one — sometimes free (often as part of "white-glove" delivery) and sometimes for a fee, so ask explicitly at checkout. If the mattress is still clean, with no stains, sagging or history of bedbugs, some charities and furniture banks will take it for reuse — but many large thrift chains refuse used mattresses on health-code grounds, so call the local branch first. If it can't be donated or recycled, a paid junk-removal service is the fallback.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to get rid of a mattress?

In CA, CT, OR or RI, recycle it free via Bye Bye Mattress (see our mattress recycling guide). Elsewhere, book your city's bulky-item pickup, have a retailer haul the old one away on delivery, donate it if clean, or hire junk removal. Recycling recovers 75%+ of the mattress.

Why is it illegal to throw away a mattress in some places?

Massachusetts bans mattresses from disposal outright (since Nov 2022), and California, Connecticut, Oregon and Rhode Island have recycling laws that keep them out of landfills. Beyond those states there's usually no statewide ban, but many landfills refuse mattresses or charge extra, and most cities bar them from normal curbside trash.

Can I throw a mattress in a dumpster or at the curb?

Usually no — mattresses jam compactors and can carry bedbugs, so most cities require a scheduled bulky-item pickup (often with the mattress sealed in plastic) rather than regular trash or a dumpster. Confirm with your local hauler, and see our dumps & landfills directory for bulky-waste sites.

Do mattress stores take the old mattress away?

Many do — they'll remove your old mattress when delivering the new one, sometimes free (often with white-glove delivery) and sometimes for a fee. Policies vary by retailer and whether you buy in-store or online, so ask explicitly at checkout before assuming it's included.

Can I donate an old mattress?

Only if it's genuinely usable — clean, no stains, no sagging and no bedbug history. Some furniture banks and charities accept like-new mattresses, but many big thrift chains refuse used mattresses because health codes bar reselling them without licensed sanitization. Call the specific local branch first.