Mattress disposal starts with size: a mattress is bulky, and many transfer stations charge extra or refuse a wet or stained unit. There is no single U.S. pickup day: four states run a stewardship drop-off program, and everywhere else the answer is the local bulky rule, a transfer-station fee or a retailer take-back.

Photo: Discarded mattress beside a waste container in Spain. Eric Fischer, 2015-05-30. CC BY 2.0 · Source. Resized for web.

States with a stewardship program

The Mattress Recycling Council runs Bye Bye Mattress programs in California, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Oregon. Residents of those states can use participating drop-off sites funded by a fee collected on new units. California also treats a separable futon mattress as a mattress; Connecticut is the program that lists crib mattresses. Confirm the current site list on the Mattress Recycling Council or Bye Bye Mattress locator before you drive.

Official website — mattressrecyclingcouncil.org/programs

CalRecycle oversees the California program. MRC filed 2025 program documents in July 2026; those filings are administrative, not a change to household drop-off.

Trashbagging listings: Mattress Recycling Council · CalRecycle. State hubs: California · Connecticut · Oregon.

Everywhere else

Common local answers:

  • Municipal bulky collection, sometimes by appointment.
  • A transfer station with a per-unit fee.
  • A retailer take-back when you buy a replacement.
  • A nonprofit that collects sleepable units.

How some cities handle mattresses

  • Phoenix, Arizona — bulk trash is appointment-only, four times a year, not a standing mattress weekday.
  • Saint Paul, Minnesota — the city stopped advance bulky scheduling on July 1, 2026 and sends mattresses to Second Chance Recycling, free and not counted against the 12-item bulky quota.
  • Middlebury, Connecticut — the transfer station listed a $50 mattress fee on its published fee page.

Open your city’s page, or use your city’s official lookup where it has one. Start at States & Cities, or read the general bulk pickup patterns.

By state