How to get rid of a mattress in New York City
For most NYC residents with DSNY trash service, the cheapest option is free curbside bulk collection: seal the mattress or box spring in a plastic bag, put it out the evening before your trash-only day (not recycling day), and stay within the six-item daily limit. No appointment is needed or available. There are no public dumps for bulk drop-off in the five boroughs.
- DSNY house or apartment with city trash service: seal the mattress or box spring in a plastic bag, set it at the curb between 6 PM and midnight the night before your trash-only collection day. Look up your schedule first. No booking.
- Buying a new mattress? Ask the retailer about one-for-one take-back with delivery (Mattress Firm describes this as included; IKEA offers removal but New York is not on its free-states list—confirm the NY fee).
- NYCHA resident at a participating development? Leave bagged mattresses for staff recycling per NYCHA’s page.
- Can't get it to the curb? Paid haulers are listed further down. Get a firm price before you book.
1. DSNY curbside bulk pickup (free)
NYC Department of Sanitation: mattresses, box springs, and futons
- Cost: Free curbside removal for NYC residents. No pickup appointment—DSNY says appointments “are no longer offered and cannot be scheduled.”
- Accepted: mattresses, box springs, and futons (set out with trash). Bed frames are bulk items too (metal/plastic frames go with recycling; wood with trash).
- Limit: up to 6 bulk items per collection day.
- When: place curbside between 6 PM and midnight the evening before your trash-only collection day—not recycling day.
- Bag rule (required): seal the mattress or box spring in a plastic bag so bed bugs don’t spread. NYC 311 says bags can be any color except red or orange. DSNY’s collection-laws page instead says a clear plastic bag. Use a clear sealed bag that is not red or orange, and re-check 311 before you set out if the wording still conflicts.
- Bags: the City does not provide mattress bags. Buy them at a department, home-improvement, or moving-supply store.
- Placement: not in the street, not in front of another property, and not blocking pedestrians. Items left on private property are “unserviceable” and will not be collected.
- How to find your day: DSNY collection schedule lookup (link in Sources).
Sources: NYC 311: Mattress or Box Spring Disposal · DSNY: Furniture, Mattresses, and Rugs · DSNY: Large Items · last checked 2026-11-05
Step by step: setting out a mattress
- Confirm you get DSNY residential collection. Look up your address on the collection schedule.
- Buy a plastic mattress bag (clear / not red or orange) and seal the mattress or box spring completely.
- Between 6 PM and midnight the night before your trash-only day, put it at the designated curb spot—not recycling day.
- Count other bulk items so you stay at or under six for that day. Spread a big cleanout across several days if needed.
- Renters: check with your building or super. Some buildings handle bulk through a private hauler or refuse room rules.
What improper set-out can cost
Official pages do not all cite the same number. NYC 311 lists $50 (first), $100 (second), $200 (third and later). DSNY’s furniture/mattresses page says you may be fined up to $300. Improperly bagged items also may not be collected. Check the current 311 article before you set out.
Sources: NYC 311 KA-02378 · DSNY furniture & mattresses · last checked 2026-11-05
If your collection day falls on a sanitation holiday, the schedule shifts. As of this check, Veterans Day, Wed Nov 11, 2026, is on DSNY’s 2026 holiday list—confirm near the date on the collection schedule page before you set out.
Source: NYC 311 holiday list on mattress article · last checked 2026-11-05
2. NYCHA residents (participating developments)
NYCHA says it provides pickup for discarded mattresses at listed developments: leave bagged mattresses and box springs for staff, who place them in a special container for recycling. This is not a citywide public drop-off. Confirm your development is on NYCHA’s recycling page.
Source: NYCHA: Recycling · last checked 2026-11-05
3. Retailer take-back (buying a new mattress)
Mattress Firm
Mattress Firm’s disposal guide says unwanted mattress removal is part of delivery on a one-for-one basis (mattress for mattress; box spring only if the new order includes one). They say they will not haul unsanitary, bedbug-infested, or outdoor-left items. No separate NYC dollar fee is stated on that page.
Source: Mattress Firm: How to dispose of a mattress · last checked 2026-11-05
IKEA
IKEA’s US help page says you can arrange old-mattress collection when you buy a new IKEA mattress (store or customer service, 888-888-4352). Removal is free in CA, CT, OR, and RI. New York is not on that free list, so the NYC fee is unverified here—ask the store before you rely on it.
Source: IKEA US: mattress take-back · last checked 2026-11-05
4. Drop-off and recycling (no free city dump)
NYC 311: “There are no longer public dumps in New York City.” Special Waste sites take items like batteries, paint, and oil—not bulk mattresses. DSNY SAFE Disposal Events do not list mattresses as accepted.
Sources: NYC 311: Bulk Item Disposal · DSNY SAFE Disposal Events · last checked 2026-11-05
Bye Bye Mattress (Mattress Recycling Council) is not an active program in New York, and its facility finder listed no drop-offs inside the five boroughs as of this check. The nearest published NY option we found is paid drop-off on Long Island:
Renewable Recycling Inc. (Oceanside, Nassau County)
- Address (warehouse): 3001C New Street, Oceanside, NY 11572
- Drop-off price (company site): $45 for the first unit; units 2–3 at $22.50 each (mattress = 1 unit; box spring = 1 unit). 5+ units: contact for a quote.
- Rules: 24-hour notice; 20-unit limit per appointment; finish within 30 minutes of the appointment. No refunds for cancellations or no-shows.
- Hours (company site): Mon 6:30a–3p; Tue 6:30a–6p; Wed 6:30a–3p; Thu 6:30a–6p; Fri 6:30a–3p; Sat 8a–2p.
- Phone: office 516-612-0565; mobile 718-433-7444.
- Pickup: company says pickup within 50 miles of the facility (up to 20 mattresses). No flat NYC ZIP price is published—get a quote.
Source: renewablerecycling.com: Mattress drop-off · last checked 2026-11-05
5. Paid in-home pickup (haulers)
Paid pickup makes sense if you cannot get the mattress to the curb, or you need it gone outside your trash day. Get the full price in writing before the crew arrives.
LoadUp (national, booked online)
LoadUp’s New York City mattress page says removal begins at $75; final price depends on size and location. Outdoor/curbside pickup is described as a $5 discount versus indoor. Same-day or next-day is offered in most areas when booked early enough (page mentions booking before 12 PM for same-day). Confirm the live quote for your ZIP.
Source: goloadup.com/new-york/mattress-removal · last checked 2026-11-05
1-800-GOT-JUNK? and College HUNKS
We could not find a current published fixed price for a single mattress in NYC on either company’s public pricing pages. Quotes are volume- or estimate-based. NYC mattress sticker price: unconfirmed. Ask for the total in writing, including disposal fees.
Local independent haulers
Small local haulers often price by phone or text from a photo. We don’t list individual NYC haulers yet. Before you book anyone, ask for the total price in writing, whether disposal fees are included, and where the mattress goes.
6. Should you rent a dumpster for a mattress?
Usually not. For one or two mattresses, free DSNY curbside is cheaper. If you are renting a dumpster for a bigger cleanout anyway, get the included tonnage and per-ton overage price in writing before delivery.
Don't dump it
Leaving a mattress on the sidewalk without following DSNY set-out rules can mean no pickup and a fine. Dumping trash or debris on a street, lot, park, or other public or private space is illegal dumping. 311 says the vehicle owner or driver can face fines from $4,000 to $18,000; DSNY’s illegal-dumping page also cites fines up to $18,000 and possible impound. Report dumping in progress to 911.
Sources: DSNY: Illegal Dumping · NYC 311: Illegal Dumping · last checked 2026-11-05