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New York City, New York

Mattress disposal in New York City, New York

New York City will take a mattress, box spring, or futon at the curb with trash, and the city pages call that pickup free. No appointment is offered. Seal it in a plastic bag and set it out between 6 PM and midnight the evening before the bulk trash day, up to 6 bulk items. The collection-laws page requires a clear bag that is securely sealed. The NYC311 mattress page says any color except red or orange. Those pages also publish different fines for an improper set-out.

Rules

Curbside allowed
Yes
Appointment required
No
Limits
Up to 6 bulk items per collection day. The NYC311 mattress page says you can put out up to 6 bulk items per collection day. The DSNY large-items page and the NYC311 bulk page say you can set out up to 6 items at the curb per collection day. The DSNY residents page says the department collects from most residential buildings in NYC. It lists exceptions: buildings where owners have opted to use private carter service, buildings still under development and without a certificate of occupancy, and buildings in areas that are undergoing zoning changes. The same page says a residential property on private carter collection must follow NYC commercial trash, recycling, and composting rules. No page read on 2026-10-22 states a separate numeric cap for mattresses.

Preparation

  • DSNY furniture page: set out mattresses and box springs on your trash-only day, NOT your recycling day. Bedding items like mattresses and box springs MUST be sealed in plastic bags (to prevent the spread of bed bugs).
  • DSNY collection-laws page: any mattresses or box spring set out for collection must be fully contained within a clear plastic bag and the bag must be securely sealed to prevent the spread of bed bugs.
  • NYC311 mattress page: you can dispose of a mattress, box spring, or futon with your trash. Before you put it out for collection, you must seal it in a plastic bag. Bags can be any color except red or orange. The City does not provide mattress or box spring bags or covers. You can get them at department stores, home improvement stores, and moving supply centers.
  • NYC311 mattress page: place these items curbside between 6 PM and midnight the evening before your bulk trash collection day.
  • NYC311 collection-schedule page: bundled cardboard and bulk items can be placed out any time between 6 PM and midnight. To ensure collection, all waste must be set out no later than midnight the night before your collection day.
  • NYC311 bulk page: place non-recyclable bulk items out the night before your bulk trash ("large item") collection day, not your recycling day. Bulk items must not be placed in the street, extend in front of another property, or impede pedestrian traffic. Items left out on private property are "unserviceable" and cannot be picked up. Place items in the designated area (curb or alley).
  • NYC311 bulk page: if your bulk items are infested with bed bugs, you must put a sign on them that says they have bed bugs. This will let people know not to take the items from the trash.
  • NYC311 collection-schedule page: property owners of buildings with 9+ residential units and a janitorial staff can apply for an alternate set-out time between 4 AM to 7 AM on their collection day. The online application is only open during the opt-in period, which runs between January 1 and January 31 each year. If the application was approved, the building's alternate set-out time is in effect from April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027. If it was not approved, the building must follow the set-out times for all other residential properties. Properties enrolled in the program are required to set out waste only during 4 AM to 7 AM on their collection day. If you set out your material at any other time, including the evening before, you may be fined. If you receive two of these fines, your property may be removed from the program.
  • DSNY residents page: we do not collect waste on most federal holidays. The DSNY holiday page says holiday service is subject to change and lists the recognized holidays by name: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Lincoln's Birthday, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4th/Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day/Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous People's Day, Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. It says to check the DSNY homepage, DSNY social media, the press-release section, or 311 for updated direction. The NYC311 mattress page says that if your collection day falls on a holiday, there may be changes, and to check back near the date. That page's 2026 list is January 1 (New Year's Day), January 19 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), February 12 (Lincoln's Birthday), February 16 (Washington's Birthday / Presidents' Day), May 25 (Memorial Day), June 19 (Juneteenth), July 4 (Independence Day), September 7 (Labor Day), October 12 (Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day), November 3 (Election Day), November 11 (Veterans Day), November 26 (Thanksgiving), and December 25 (Christmas). It does not publish the replacement collection day.
  • DSNY residents page: the collections schedule may be delayed or suspended due to snowstorms or other severe weather.

How to schedule

  1. Do not schedule a pickup. The DSNY large-items page and the NYC311 bulk page both say pick-up appointments are no longer offered and cannot be scheduled.
  2. Look up the trash and recycling days for the address on the DSNY collection-schedule form. The NYC311 mattress page says to put the mattress, box spring, or futon out the evening before the bulk trash collection day. The DSNY furniture page says mattresses and box springs go out on the trash-only day, not the recycling day.
  3. Seal the mattress or box spring in a plastic bag before it goes out. The collection-laws page requires a clear bag that is securely sealed. The NYC311 mattress page says the bag can be any color except red or orange. The city does not provide the bag.
  4. Set it at the curb or alley between 6 PM and midnight the evening before collection, and stay within 6 bulk items that day. Keep it out of the street, off the neighboring property, and out of the pedestrian path. A building enrolled in the multiunit alternate set-out program uses 4 AM to 7 AM on collection day instead of the evening window, through March 31, 2027.
  5. If the collection day is a holiday, check again near that date. The residents page says DSNY does not collect waste on most federal holidays, and the holiday page says holiday service is subject to change.

Phone, app, or portal

Fees

Curbside
Free. The DSNY furniture, mattresses, and rugs page says NYC residents can get free curbside removal of these items. The DSNY large-items page says NYC residents can get free curbside removal of large items. The NYC311 bulk page says you can get free curbside removal of bulk items from residential buildings. The DSNY residents page says it provides free weekly curbside collection service to New York City residents.
Notes
The pages do not publish one fine amount. DSNY furniture page: if you do not dispose of a mattress or box spring correctly, you may be fined up to $300. DSNY collection-laws page, for mattresses and box springs: $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second offense, and $200 for the third and subsequent offenses. NYC311 mattress page: the same $50, $100, and $200 amounts. NYC311 bulk page, under Mattresses: items not properly disposed of will not be collected and may result in a $100 fine. None of these pages publishes a dollar charge for a mattress that is set out correctly.

Drop-off locations

The NYC311 bulk page says there are no longer public dumps in New York City. There are only Special Waste Disposal sites for items such as batteries, paints, and motor oils. These sites don't accept bulk items. No DSNY or NYC311 page read on 2026-10-22 prints a mattress drop-off address, hours, or phone number.

Not published by the city

What's not accepted

  • NYC311 mattress page: if you don't dispose of mattresses or box springs properly, they won't be collected.
  • NYC311 bulk page: any mattress or box spring put out for bulk collection must be sealed in a plastic bag. Items not properly disposed of will not be collected and may result in a $100 fine.
  • DSNY large-items page: mattresses and box springs have special disposal rules. If you do not follow the requirements, DSNY may refuse to collect them and you may be fined.
  • NYC311 bulk page: items left out on private property are unserviceable and cannot be picked up by the Department of Sanitation.
  • DSNY residents page: buildings where owners have opted to use private carter service, buildings still under development and without a certificate of occupancy, and buildings in areas that are undergoing zoning changes.
  • NYC311 bulk page: there are no longer public dumps in New York City. There are only Special Waste Disposal sites for items such as batteries, paints, and motor oils. These sites don't accept bulk items.

Other free options

Not published by the city

Sources

Last verified: 2026-10-22

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