Mattress Recycling
The City of Boston requires an appointment for the collection of all mattresses and box springs. Learn where you can donate gently used mattresses, how to schedule an appointment for pick-up, and what products can be made from recovered materials!
The City of Boston no longer collects mattresses or box springs with your curbside trash. Discarded mattresses can be difficult to manage. They are expensive to transport, hard to compact, take up lots of landfill space, and can damage incinerator processing equipment.
Recycling mattresses is a state (Department of Environmental Protection) requirement as of November 1, 2022. Mattresses are made up of mostly recyclable material. Once dissembled, more than 75 percent of your unwanted mattress and box spring components can be reused. This is better for the environment, the economy, and waste management budgets.
Most of your unwanted mattress or box spring is recyclable!
Roughly 75 percent of all mattresses and box springs components can be disassembled and recycled. The recovered materials are used to manufacture a variety of new products!
FOAM PADDING:
- Turned into carpet underlayment or animal padding.
FABRIC/FIBERS:
- Used in industrial oil filters and other textile applications.
STEEL SPRINGS:
- Recycled as metal scrap.
- Used to make new appliances and building materials.
WOODEN FRAMES:
- Shredded to produce landscaping mulch or burned as an alternative fuel source.
Mattress Recycling Options:
Recycling OptionsUse the MassDEP Beyond the Bin Recycling Directory to search for charities or organizations that accepts mattresses reuse or recycling.
When purchasing a new mattress, ask the company if they will take your old mattress for recycling when they deliver your new one. Many mattress companies do this as part of their service!
The City of Boston's residential mattress program will pick-up mattresses from buildings with six (6) units or less with a scheduled appointment. If you live in a building with six (6) units or less, dial 3-1-1 or 617-635-4500 to schedule your curbside mattress collection appointment.
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 residential buildings with more than six (6) units. You can search for local mattress recycling haulers using the Recycling Works Directory. Here are some local mattress recyclers:
- HandUp Mattress Recycling & Upcycling
- Services residents and accepts small quantities for pickup or drop-off
- Phone: 774-271-8744
- Address: 127 Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford, MA 02744
- Classic Cleanouts
- Junk hauling service, pick-up service
- Phone: 781-558-2626
- Green Mattress
- Accepts small or large quantity drop-off
- Inquire about pick-up options or business partnership
- Phone: 781-720-9855
- Address: 144 Field Street, Brockton, MA 02302
- Raw Material Recovery Corp.
- Drop-off M-F only, accepts only small quantities
- Phone: 978-730-8266
- Address: 461 West Broadway, Gardner, MA 01440
If you are a mattress recycling hauler and would like to be added to this list, please email 311@boston.gov.
How to prepare your mattress for pick-up:
- Place your mattress on the curb by 6am on the day of your appointment.
- Make sure your mattress is not blocked by vehicles and other waste receptacles. Do not place anything on top of the mattress.
- Do not crush or cut your mattress or box spring for collection.
- Mattresses that are soiled, dirty, or have bed bugs must be bagged. 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.
Contact Boston 311
Contact Boston 311Please dial 3-1-1 to schedule your mattress recycling appointment. If you are unable to dial 3-1-1, please call 617-635-4500.
