How to Get Rid of a Mattress: 7 Nationwide Options

I've been recycling mattresses since 2011 — over 1.15 million of them at this point. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that most people don't realize how limited their options are until they're standing in their driveway with a mattress they can't get rid of.

This guide covers the seven realistic options available to people across the country. Each has trade-offs in terms of cost, convenience, and environmental impact. I'll break down what actually works, what doesn't, and how to make the best choice for your situation.

1. A Bedder World Nationwide Mattress Recycling Pickup Service

This is my company. We pick up mattresses from homes and businesses and recycle them instead of sending them to landfills. We operate in most major U.S. cities.

If you want to give us a try, you can book a pickup on our website — just enter your zip code and select your items. Pricing is transparent and pickup is typically available within a few days.

How Mattress Recycling Works

When a mattress arrives at a recycling facility, workers break it down into its component parts:

• Steel springs get compressed into bales and sold to scrap metal recyclers
• Polyurethane foam is shredded and used for carpet padding or industrial insulation
• Wood from box springs gets chipped for landscaping mulch or biomass fuel
• Cotton and fiber can be processed into industrial rags or insulation

The process keeps 80–95% of mattress materials out of landfills.

2. Municipal Bulk Pickup Service

Many cities offer bulk item collection as part of their waste management services. This includes mattresses in most cases, though policies vary widely. Cost ranges from free to about $50 depending on where you live.

How to Check Your Local Options

Start with your city's waste management website or call 311. Look for terms like bulk pickup, large item collection, special waste pickup, or bulky waste service.

Ask these specific questions:

1. Do you accept mattresses for bulk pickup?
2. Is there a fee? How much per mattress?
3. Do I need to schedule in advance or is there a set pickup day?
4. Do mattresses need to be wrapped in plastic?
5. Where exactly should I place the mattress for pickup?
6. How many mattresses can I put out at once?

What I've Seen Across the Country

From working with municipalities nationwide, here's what bulk pickup typically looks like:

Cities with free or low-cost pickup: Some cities include a certain number of bulk items per year with regular trash service. Kansas City offers free bulky item collection by appointment for residents. Saint Paul provides one free bulky item per month for single-family homes.

Cities with fees: Many cities charge $20–$50 per mattress for pickup. Some require you to purchase mattress disposal bags (usually $5–$15) to contain the mattress during collection.

Cities with restrictions: Some only serve single-family homes, not apartments. Some require the mattress to be wrapped in plastic. Some have weight or size limits. Some require scheduling 48 hours to 2 weeks in advance.

Cities with no service: Not every municipality offers bulk pickup at all. Apartment dwellers are often excluded even when the service exists.

Tips for Municipal Pickup

• Schedule early. Popular pickup slots fill up, especially after holidays and during moving season
• Follow instructions exactly. Mattresses placed incorrectly may be left behind
• Don't put it out too early. Most cities have rules about when items can be placed curbside
• Be prepared to wait. Some cities have backlogs of 2–4 weeks for bulk pickup
• Have a backup plan. If the mattress gets rained on before pickup, it may be rejected

3. Drop Off at Landfill or Recycling Facility

If you have a truck or trailer, you can haul your mattress yourself. Where you take it depends on what's available in your area — and whether you want it recycled or just disposed of.

Landfill Drop-Off

Most landfills and transfer stations accept mattresses, though fees vary ($20–$75 typically). Call ahead to confirm they accept mattresses and what the fee is. You'll need to load it yourself and haul it during operating hours.

Note: Some landfills no longer accept mattresses. Massachusetts banned mattress disposal in landfills entirely in 2022. If yours says no, ask about recycling drop-off locations or transfer stations.

Recycling Facility Drop-Off

If you'd rather recycle your mattress, you can drop it off at a mattress recycling facility. This is especially easy in EPR states (California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Oregon) where the Bye Bye Mattress program offers free or low-cost drop-off locations.

How to find a recycling drop-off near you:

• EPR States: Use the Bye Bye Mattress locator — drop-off is often free
• Other States: Search "mattress recycling drop off" + your city, or check the Mattress Recycling Council website
• Your landfill: Some transfer stations have recycling programs — ask when you call

Popular Mattress Recyclers by Region

• California: DR3 (multiple locations), CIWMB certified facilities
• Northeast: UTEC (Massachusetts), Goodwill drop-offs in CT/RI
• Pacific Northwest: Metro South transfer station (OR), regional recycling centers
• Texas: Recycling facilities in Houston, Dallas, Austin metro areas
• Nationwide: Check Earth911.com or call your local waste management

Recycling drop-off fees range from free (in EPR states) to $20–$40 in other areas — often cheaper than landfill fees.

4. DIY Mattress Breakdown

If you're handy and have time, you can disassemble your mattress yourself and recycle the individual components. This is labor-intensive but can be the cheapest option. Expect it to take 30–60 minutes.

What's Inside Your Mattress

Before you start cutting, it helps to know what you're working with:

Innerspring mattresses contain:

• Fabric cover (often quilted with foam)
• Comfort layers (foam, cotton batting, or wool)
• Steel springs (either individually pocketed or interconnected)
• Insulator pads (often felt or fiber)
• Foundation materials (may include wood or cardboard)

Memory foam mattresses contain:

• Fabric cover
• Multiple foam layers of different densities
• Sometimes a fiber fire barrier (may contain fiberglass — be careful!)
• A base layer of higher-density foam

Box springs contain:

• Fabric cover
• Wood frame (usually pine or particle board)
• Metal grid or springs
• Cardboard corner protectors

Tools You'll Need

• Utility knife or box cutter with extra blades
• Seam ripper (helpful for fabric)
• Bolt cutters or heavy wire cutters (for springs)
• Pliers (for removing staples)
• Saw (hand saw or reciprocating saw for wood)
• Heavy work gloves (cut-resistant recommended)
• Safety glasses
• Face mask (to avoid inhaling particles)
• Tarps (to contain the mess)

Where to Take Each Component

• Steel springs: Take to a scrap metal recycler (they may pay you by weight)
• Wood: Can go in yard waste, be composted, or used as firewood
• Foam: Some recycling centers accept it; otherwise regular trash
• Fabric and fiber: Regular trash in most areas, or textile recycling if available

A Reality Check on DIY Recycling

Here's something important that most DIY guides don't tell you: if you break down a mattress yourself, about 70% of the materials often end up in the landfill anyway.

Why? Because most people don't have access to foam recyclers, textile recyclers, or facilities that accept the fiber and felt components. You can recycle the steel (that's easy — any scrap yard takes it) and maybe the wood, but everything else often goes in the trash.

Professional mattress recyclers have established relationships with secondary markets for these materials. They can sell foam to carpet pad manufacturers, fiber to industrial rag makers, and wood to biomass facilities. Individual consumers typically can't access those channels.

5. Sell or Give Away

If your mattress is in genuinely good condition, you might be able to sell it or give it away through online marketplaces. This is the most sustainable option when it works, but it only works for a small percentage of mattresses.

Where to List Your Mattress

• Facebook Marketplace — largest audience for local sales
• Craigslist — anonymous listings, local pickup
• OfferUp — mobile-friendly, local focus
• Nextdoor — neighborhood-based
• Freecycle groups — free items only
• Buy Nothing groups on Facebook
• Local college forums — students often need cheap mattresses

Legal Considerations for Selling Used Mattresses

This is where it gets complicated. Laws around selling used mattresses vary by state, and they're more restrictive than most people realize.

Most states require disclosure that the mattress is used, proper labeling (used mattresses should have a tag indicating they contain used materials), and sanitization before resale.

Some states restrict or prohibit used mattress sales entirely for retailers, though individual private sales are usually permitted.

For individual sellers on Craigslist or Facebook, enforcement is minimal. But you should always disclose that the mattress is used, be honest about its condition, and never misrepresent it as new.

What Actually Sells

From what I've seen in the mattresses we pick up, here's the honest truth about the used mattress market:

What sells:

• Mattresses under 3 years old
• High-end brands (Tempur-Pedic, Stearns & Foster, etc.)
• Mattresses in like-new condition (no stains, no sagging, no odors)
• Standard sizes (queen and king are most popular)

What doesn't sell:

• Mattresses over 5 years old
• Budget brands
• Any visible stains (even small ones)
• Mattresses with body impressions or sagging
• Odd sizes (twin, twin XL, full are harder to sell)

Realistic expectations: Less than 10% of mattresses that people want to sell are actually sellable. The mattress you think is "in great condition" probably has more wear than you realize.

The "Free" Option

If you can't sell it but it's still usable, consider giving it away for free. Many people are happy to pick up a free mattress for guest rooms, kids' rooms, starter apartments, or college dorm rooms.

List it as "curb alert" or "free on curb" with your address, and it will often disappear within hours in urban areas.

6. Junk Removal Companies

If you want someone else to handle everything and you're okay paying a premium, junk removal companies offer the most convenient option. They'll come to your home, carry the mattress out from wherever it is, and haul it away. Expect to pay $75–$200 for a single mattress.

Major National Junk Removal Companies

1-800-GOT-JUNK? — Mattress removal typically costs $100–$150. Same-day service often available. What happens to the mattress varies by location — some recycle, many landfill.

Junk King — Typically $90–$100. Full-service pickup with eco-friendly focus. Claims to recycle when possible.

College Hunks Hauling Junk — $100–$200 for single item. Full-service with charitable donation emphasis. May donate usable mattresses.

LoadUp — $75–$150. Online booking with upfront pricing. Recycle or donate when possible.

How Junk Removal Pricing Works

Most junk removal companies use volume-based pricing — you pay for the space your items take up in their truck. This means a single mattress typically equals about 1/8 truck load at $100–$150. A mattress plus box spring costs slightly more, but not double. Full bedroom sets are often better value per item.

If you have other items to get rid of (furniture, appliances, debris), bundling with the mattress is usually more cost-effective than mattress-only pickup.

Questions to Ask Before Hiring

1. "What's your total cost including all fees?"
2. "Will my mattress be recycled or landfilled?"
3. "Do you accept mattresses in any condition?"
4. "Do I need to be home for pickup?"
5. "Is pickup from inside the home included?"

7. Donation

I'll be direct: donation is rarely an option for mattresses.

Less than 5% of the mattresses we pick up would qualify for donation based on condition. And even those pristine 5% often get rejected because donation centers simply don't accept mattresses at all.

The Reality of Mattress Donation

Why do most centers say no? Bed bugs. Liability. Sanitization costs. Storage challenges. The reasons are legitimate, and they've led nearly all major charities to step back from mattress donations.

Organizations That Sometimes Accept Mattresses

Goodwill — Explicitly prohibits mattress donations at all locations nationwide.

Salvation Army — Policy varies by location. You must call ahead. Requirements: Excellent condition, no stains, no odors, often requires original tags. Reality: Most locations reject even very clean mattresses.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore — Does not accept mattresses. ReStores focus on building materials and furniture, not bedding.

Local homeless shelters — Policies vary wildly. Often need mattresses but have strict condition requirements. May require you to deliver.

Furniture banks — Organizations like Furniture Bank Network connect people in need with donated furniture. Some accept mattresses, some don't.

Local churches and community organizations — Worth calling if you have a connection. Often more flexible than national charities.

Condition Requirements for Donation

If any organization does accept mattresses, expect these requirements:

• No stains of any kind (even small, light stains = rejection)
• No odors (smoke, pets, must, mildew = rejection)
• No tears, rips, or damage to the cover
• No sagging or body impressions (shows significant wear)
• Original tags attached (many locations require this)
• Age limits (some only accept mattresses under 5-10 years old)

Why Donation Usually Fails

I hear this constantly: "My mattress is in great condition, but they still wouldn't take it."

People dramatically overestimate the condition of their mattresses. What feels fine to you after sleeping on it for years looks very different to a donation center evaluating whether they can give it to someone else.

After 7-10 years: body impressions have formed (even if you can't feel them while lying down), body oils and sweat have soaked into the foam and fabric, dust mites have accumulated (millions of them), small stains exist that you might not notice, and the support structure has gradually degraded.

The mattress you're replacing probably doesn't meet donation standards. That's not a criticism — it's just the natural end of a mattress's life.

What NOT to Do

A few options I specifically recommend against:

Don't Dump It Illegally

Illegal dumping is a crime, and enforcement is increasing. In California, fines can reach $10,000 or more. In New Jersey, up to $50,000. In Suffolk County, New York, $15,000–$25,000. Beyond the legal risk, illegal dumping is genuinely harmful — it creates blight in communities, poses health hazards, and costs taxpayers money to clean up.

Don't Burn It

Burning a mattress releases toxic fumes from flame retardants, synthetic foams, and adhesives. It's illegal in most jurisdictions, harmful to air quality, and dangerous.

Don't Put It in a Dumpster

Most commercial dumpsters prohibit mattresses. If you're renting a dumpster for a home project, check specifically whether mattresses are allowed — many dumpster rental companies exclude them.

Don't Leave It on the Curb and Hope for the Best

Unless you've scheduled a pickup or are doing a legitimate "curb alert" giveaway, don't just leave a mattress on the curb. In many cities, this can result in fines for illegal dumping.

If You're in an EPR State

California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Oregon have Extended Producer Responsibility programs that fund mattress recycling. Residents in these states can drop off mattresses for free at designated locations.

Use ByeByeMattress.com to find the nearest drop-off site. In California, retailers are also required by law to offer free take-back when delivering a new mattress.

If you're in one of these states, this is by far your best option — it's free and environmentally responsible.

Massachusetts has banned mattresses from landfills since November 2022. Mattresses must be recycled, and many municipalities have established recycling programs as a result.

Which Option Should You Choose?

After processing over a million mattresses, here's my honest advice:

If you're in California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Oregon: Use the Bye Bye Mattress program. It's free for residents and the infrastructure is already built.

If you're buying a new mattress: Ask about haul-away service. Many retailers offer to remove your old mattress when delivering a new one. In California, this is required by law and free. In other states, it typically costs $40–$150.

If you want the mattress recycled: Use a dedicated mattress recycling service like A Bedder World. We specifically focus on recycling rather than disposal.

If you're on a tight budget: Check your municipal bulk pickup options first. If your city offers free or low-cost pickup, that's the cheapest legitimate option.

If your mattress is under 5 years old and pristine: Try selling or giving it away first. List it on Facebook Marketplace for a week. If no takers, move to recycling or disposal.