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Mattress Recycling

The City of Boston requires an appointment for collection of all mattresses and box springs. If you live in a building with six units or less, to schedule your appointment, please dial 3-1-1 or 617-635-4500.

The City of Boston will accept memory foam, box springs, innerspring, hybrid, latex, and airbed. We will not accept futons and other similar non-mattress items, those items may be placed out for curbside trash collection. 

The City of Boston residential mattress program does not service buildings with seven units or more. Please consult your property manager on the proper protocol for recycling mattresses in your building which is a state requirement as of November 1, 2022.

More than 75 percent of your unwanted mattresses and box springs are recyclable. After collection, mattresses and box springs will be donated for reuse or recycled. These materials will be used to make insulation, carpet padding, mulch, and new metal items.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

The City of Boston residential mattress program does not service buildings with seven units or more. Please consult your property manager on the proper protocol for recycling mattresses in your building which is a state requirement as of November 1, 2022. 

Property managers, you can search for local mattress recycling haulers using the Recycling Works Directory. 

Here are some local mattress recyclers. 

  1. HandUp Mattress Recycling & Upcycling
  2. Classic Cleanouts
    • Junk hauling service, pick-up service
    • Phone: 781-558-2626
  3. Green Mattress
  4. Raw Material Recovery Corp.

 

 

After your mattress is collected curbside, it is sent to our recycling partner at Casella Waste Systems. After it is unloaded, it is placed on a platform where employees deconstruct the mattress by hand, slicing open the mattress and pulling out the different components for recycling. Metal springs, foam, textile, and wood are all deconstructed and bailed to be sent to their final recycling location. 

Depending on each individual mattress, anywhere from 70 to 90 percent of the mattress is recycled. 

Your mattress should be placed out on the curb by 6 a.m. the morning of your scheduled collection day. Please make sure your mattress is unobstructed by vehicles and other waste receptacles. Please do not place anything on top of the mattress. If your mattress contains bedbugs it must be bagged for the safety of our collection partners. Mattress bags can be found at your local hardware store or ordered online.

If an appointment is not scheduled your mattress will not be collected. Please call 311 to schedule your appointment.

Don't crush box springs, leave them whole.

If your mattress or home contains bedbugs it must be bagged for the safety of our collection partners. Mattress bags can be found at your local hardware store or ordered online.

Soiled or dirty mattresses are accepted. For the safety of our collection partners, soiled or dirty mattresses must be bagged at the curb. Mattress bags can be found at your local hardware store or ordered online.

If it is supposed to rain or snow on your scheduled collection day, wait until the morning to place your mattress curbside. Please have mattresses out by 6 a.m, rain or snow. If there is inclement weather, consider bagging up your mattress to ensure it is able to be fully recycled.

Mattresses should be out on the curb by 6 a.m. on your scheduled collection day. You must make an appointment by calling 311.

Please call 311 if you miss your mattress collection appointment, or if you put your mattress out on your scheduled day and it was not collected. 

You can search for local mattress recycling haulers using the Recycling Works Directory. 

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