Mattresses and box springs are bulky, awkward and treated differently from state to state. California, Connecticut, Oregon and Rhode Island have statewide recycling programs run by the Mattress Recycling Council as Bye Bye Mattress.1 Elsewhere, where one can go depends on your city, the hauler and the disposal site.
Why it is its own stream
Mattresses are a bulk item, not regular trash, and our dumpster guide lists them as ask first because state and disposal site rules differ. Work through these in order.
YesSeal it in plastic, mark it, make it unusable and have it picked up soon. See bed bugs.
NoGo to question 2.
YesUse the state program, Bye Bye Mattress, which finances transportation and recycling of mattresses and box springs.2
NoGo to question 3.
A fewYour city's bulk pickup, or a junk hauling crew that loads and hauls them.
ManyA dumpster or a crew, with every mattress counted on the quote, once the provider confirms the disposal site takes them.
Which way out
A mattress is easy to lift into a truck and hard to fit in a box with anything else.
In the four program states, start with Bye Bye Mattress. Outside them, the Mattress Recycling Council points to recycling facilities nationwide and to your city or hauler.1
A crew carries them out with furniture and boxes in one visit. See junk hauling and cleanouts.
Depends on state and disposal site rules. Mattresses often go on a per-item fee, so count them when you order.
How big
Mattresses are light for their size, so they rarely decide the weight of a load. What decides the quote is how many there are, what condition they are in and whether the disposal site takes them.
| Tell us | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| How many mattresses and box springs | They are often charged per item, and the count goes on the quote |
| Sizes, from twin to king | Bigger pieces take more room in a truck or a box |
| Wet, moldy or flood damaged | A recycler may not take them, and wet ones weigh more |
| Possible bed bugs | The crew or hauler needs to know before it handles them |
| What else is going | Decides between a crew and a dumpster |
For a whole cleanout, the dumpster size guide compares every size, and dumpster vs junk removal covers which one fits.
Bed bugs
EPA's guidance on getting rid of infested items comes down to four things.3 Treatment is a separate question for a pest control professional.
EPA says to put infested items in a sealed plastic bag. For a mattress, wrap it fully in plastic before it leaves the room.
EPA suggests marking furniture "Bed Bugs" with spray paint, so nobody takes it home.
Destroy it so someone else will not be tempted to bring it into their home, in EPA's words.
EPA says to have infested items picked up as soon as possible. Tell the hauler before the pickup.
Prep
In California, Connecticut, Oregon and Rhode Island, start with Bye Bye Mattress.
Mattresses and box springs, by size, for the quote.
Sheets, pads and pillows out. They go with household trash or donation, not with a recycling load.
Under cover until pickup. Wet mattresses are heavier and harder to recycle.
Sealed in plastic and marked, before they are carried through the building.
Stairs, elevators and doors measured, so the crew is not surprised.
Keep it out
A recycling program or a disposal site sets its own list. These are the usual problems.
Programs and rules
Availability depends on your state. These are the programs we could confirm from the source.
Mattress Recycling Council
A nonprofit formed by the mattress industry to operate recycling programs. California, Connecticut and Rhode Island each passed a law in 2013 creating an industry-led statewide program, and the program expanded to Oregon in 2025.2
At the time of purchase
Each state program is funded by a recycling fee charged to consumers when they buy a mattress, including large-volume buyers.2 Ask the program in your state how drop-off and collection work.
Bye Bye Mattress
The program is not active elsewhere. Its site points to a list of recycling facilities nationwide and suggests asking your city or waste hauler if none is near.1
U.S. EPA
EPA's do-it-yourself guidance covers sealing, marking and destroying infested furniture so the bugs do not spread to the next home.3
How it works with Detritus
Send one request. For a few pieces with other junk, we source a local junk hauling crew; for a large cleanout, a roll-off from a local provider in the markets we serve. Availability varies by market. Mattress rules depend on the state and the disposal site, so tell us the count and ask us where a local recycling program exists.
Decide
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| One old mattress in a program state | Use Bye Bye Mattress |
| One or two, anywhere else | Your city's bulk pickup, or a junk hauling crew |
| A move-out with furniture and boxes | A junk hauling crew. See junk hauling and cleanouts |
| A hotel, dorm or apartment turnover | Count them, ask us about a local program, and plan the pickup with the rest of the renovation |
| Possible bed bugs | Seal, mark and tell the hauler before pickup |
| Flood damage | Keep them apart from other debris and ask the provider. See emergency restoration |
Common questions
Sometimes. It depends on state and disposal site rules, and mattresses often carry a per-item fee, so ask before you load one.
California, Connecticut, Oregon and Rhode Island have statewide programs run by the Mattress Recycling Council as Bye Bye Mattress.
Each program is funded by a recycling fee charged when a mattress is bought.
EPA says to seal infested items in plastic, mark them so nobody takes them, make them unusable and have them picked up as soon as possible. Tell the hauler first.
For a few mattresses, usually yes, because a crew carries them out. For a large cleanout, a dumpster can make sense if the disposal site takes them.
Call sales at (888) 588-2607 or request a quote with the address, the count and what else is going.
Tell us how many and what else is going. Local providers do the work; we hold the contract, own the problems, and send one bill.
Related guides
Sources