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Boston, Massachusetts

Mattress disposal in Boston, Massachusetts

Boston will not take a mattress or box spring with regular curbside trash; you have to schedule a pickup. The city collects from buildings with six units or fewer, limits the service to 10 items per calendar year, and a city announcement updated August 28, 2026 calls the pickup free. The mattress page also says residents in buildings with more than seven units should check with their property manager.

Rules

Curbside allowed
Yes
Appointment required
Yes
Limits
Curbside mattress pickup is limited to 10 items per calendar year. The mattress page says the city picks up from residents in buildings with six units or fewer, and also says buildings with more than seven units should check with the property manager. The same page says the program collects from most residential properties with 6 units or fewer. A city news post last updated August 28, 2026 says the program does not service buildings with seven units or more.

Preparation

  • Place the mattress on the curb by 6 a.m. on the appointment day, or after 5 p.m. the night before. If it is not out, you may have to reschedule.
  • The city cannot collect mattresses on private property. Put the mattress curbside, where trash and recycling are usually placed.
  • Do not let vehicles or other waste receptacles block the mattress. Do not place anything on top of it.
  • Do not crush or cut the mattress or box spring.
  • A mattress that is soiled, dirty, or has bed bugs must be bagged and fully sealed. The page says bags are sold at hardware stores or online, and that a missed collection can follow if it is not bagged.
  • If the weather is bad, the page says to consider bagging the mattress so it can be fully recycled.
  • Cancel before 12 p.m. the day prior to the appointment, using the link in the confirmation or reminder email. Call 311 if you need help canceling.
  • If the mattress is not collected, call 311. Missed pickups must be reported within 24 hours of the scheduled date or you have to reschedule.

How to schedule

  1. Schedule a pickup on the city's mattress recycling page. Boston.gov/mattress redirects there. The page says to schedule online at the top of that page, and that the city will not collect a mattress without an appointment.
  2. Put the mattress curbside by 6 a.m. on the appointment day, or after 5 p.m. the night before. Leave it where trash and recycling usually go, clear of vehicles and other carts, with nothing on top of it.
  3. Leave the mattress and box spring whole. Bag and fully seal it if it is soiled, dirty, or has bed bugs.
  4. Buildings with more than six units are outside this pickup. The page tells those residents to contact the property manager. The August 28, 2026 city announcement says buildings with seven units or more are not served.

Phone, app, or portal

Fees

Curbside
Free. A City of Boston news post last updated August 28, 2026 says residents make an appointment for a free curbside pickup at Boston.gov/mattress. The mattress recycling page itself does not list a dollar fee.
Notes
Not published by the city

Drop-off locations

Not published by the city

What's not accepted

  • Mattresses and box springs set out with regular curbside trash.
  • Any mattress without an appointment.
  • Mattresses left on private property.
  • Futons, mattress toppers, and similar items that are not mattresses. The page says those may go out with curbside trash.
  • Buildings the city says are outside the program: more than six units on the mattress page's main rule, and seven or more units in the August 28, 2026 announcement.
  • Requests after the 10-item calendar-year limit. The page says to contact a private mattress recycling hauler.

Other free options

Ask the company that delivers a new mattress

The Boston mattress page says: 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 page does not name a company or say this is free.

Sources

Last verified: 2026-10-21

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