Mattresses are the one household item California built a whole program around, so you have more free options than you might think. You can hand it to the city, drop it at a recycling site, or make the store that sold you the new one take the old one away. The hard part is usually the stairs and the timing. Here's each route, plus the rules in Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena.
Three free ways, in order of effort
1. Retailer take-back (least effort, if you're buying new). When a store delivers a new mattress in California, it must offer to take back your old one at no additional cost. It has up to 30 days to do it, and delivery or setup fees may still apply.[1] Burbank's guidance adds that this applies to online sellers too when the delivery is free.[2] Ask about it when you order, not when the truck arrives.
2. City bulky pickup (low effort, you carry it to the curb). In the City of Los Angeles, LASAN picks up mattresses and box springs as bulky items at no charge for homes it services.[3] Book it one business day before trash day through MyLA311 or 1-800-773-2489.[3]
3. Bye Bye Mattress drop-off (you drive it there). California's Mattress Stewardship Program, run by the Mattress Recycling Council under CalRecycle, goes by the name Bye Bye Mattress.[1],[4] Participating sites take mattresses and box springs at no additional cost, in any condition and no matter when you bought them.[1],[5]
Bye Bye Mattress: what it covers and how to use it
The program takes all-foam and innerspring mattresses, futon mattresses that come off the frame, and box springs or foundations used by California consumers.[6] It doesn't cover:
- bed frames or futon frames;
- crib and bassinet mattresses;
- sofa beds;
- mattress toppers and pads, pillows and cushions;
- sleeping bags, air mattresses and water beds with no upholstery;
- stripped or partial mattresses, and mattresses from out of state.[6]
A site may still accept some of those on its own terms. Find the nearest drop-off with the location search on byebyemattress.com, check what that site accepts, and call before you go.[1] Don't leave a mattress outside a site that's closed; the program specifically asks people not to.[1]
One catch: Burbank notes that wet, heavily soiled or bedbug-infested mattresses don't qualify for free drop-off.[2] Stores can also refuse a contaminated mattress at delivery,[7] so a mattress in that state is usually a job for city pickup or a hauler.
The recycling fee you already paid
Every new mattress and box spring sold in California carries a recycling fee, whether or not the buyer recycles anything.[5] For units sold on or after April 1, 2026, it's $18.00 per piece, up from $16.00, and it's printed as its own line on your receipt.[8] That fee is what pays for free drop-off. Retailers that take mattresses back aren't required to send them through the recycling program, though.[7]
City rules: LA, Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena
| City | Curbside mattress pickup | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Free with bulky pickup[3] | Book 1 business day before trash day |
| Burbank | $12.14 per mattress or box spring[9] | Or free drop-off at the Recycle Center (1 + 1 per household)[9] |
| Glendale | Free with bulky pickup[10],[11] | Must be bagged or wrapped[12] |
| Pasadena | Counts toward 2 free pickups a year[13] | Book 2 weeks ahead; 3 cubic yard cap[14] |
Los Angeles
A mattress never goes in the black bin or the blue bin in LA. LASAN says both are off-limits for mattresses, which are meant for bulky pickup.[15],[16] When you book, list the mattress and the box spring as two items so the crew expects both. If you have a truck, LASAN's free Saturday bulky drop-off events at the Sun Valley and Northridge yards are another option; the last 2026 dates are October 10, November 21 and December 12.[3]
Burbank
Burbank is the one city here that charges for curbside mattress pickup. Since July 1, 2025, mattresses and box springs carry a $12.14 special handling fee each, billed to the Burbank Water and Power account, and only the account holder can book it.[9] The cheaper move for a resident with a car: the Burbank Recycle Center takes one mattress and one box spring per household, Monday through Saturday, with no special handling fee.[9] The Recycle Center is at 500 S. Flower St., (818) 238-3900.[2] Burbank says the mattresses it collects are recycled rather than landfilled.[9]
Glendale
Glendale's bulky pickup takes mattresses and box springs only if they're in a mattress bag or safely wrapped.[12] Request pickup at least three business days ahead.[10] The Glendale Recycling Center on Chevy Chase Dr. doesn't take mattresses, so don't drive one there.[17]
Pasadena
A mattress is fine in Pasadena's bulky pickup; it isn't on the list of excluded items.[14] But City customers get only two free pickups a year and must book two weeks ahead,[13] so it's worth saving a pickup for a bigger load or using a drop-off site for a single mattress.
Altadena
Altadena is unincorporated county, not Pasadena. Its hauler, Universal Waste Systems, gives customers up to four free on-call bulky pickups a year, and each one can include any number of large items such as mattresses.[18] Call (800) 631-7016, Option 6, at least 24 hours ahead.[19]
Your options compared
| Route | What you pay | How soon | Your work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retailer take-back | No added cost; delivery fees may apply[1] | Up to 30 days after delivery | None if they carry it out |
| LA or Glendale bulky pickup | Free[3],[10] | 1–3 business days' notice | Carry it to the curb (bag it in Glendale) |
| Burbank bulky pickup | $12.14 each[9] | 1–2 business days' notice | Carry it to the curb |
| Bye Bye Mattress or Burbank Recycle Center drop-off | Free[1],[9] | Site hours | Load, drive, unload |
| Charity | Rarely accepted | Varies | Call first |
| Hauler | Quoted from photos | Same or next day when open | Nothing to carry |
Can you donate a used mattress?
Mostly, no. Nearly every big thrift operation in the area turns them away:
- Goodwill Southern California won't take mattresses, box springs or sofa-bed mattresses.[20]
- Habitat LA ReStores don't accept mattresses or box springs.[21]
- Out of the Closet doesn't take mattresses, headboards, bed frames or bedding.[22]
- Pickup Please doesn't take mattresses or box springs.[23]
The exception is The Salvation Army, whose FAQ lists mattresses among the furniture it accepts, though each location decides.[24] Call 1-800-SA-TRUCK before you count on it. The bed frame and headboard are easier to place than the mattress, as long as they're solid and complete.
Bedding is a different story. Burbank's recycling guide says animal shelters often take old bedding in good condition even when thrift stores won't,[25] and LA Animal Services lists towels and blankets among the items it always needs.[26] Pasadena Humane takes gently used towels and bedding, but not sheets, pillowcases or pillows.[27]
Apartments, frames and box springs
If you rent in a larger building. Much of the Valley lives in apartments. In Van Nuys ZIP 91405, about 66% of housing units are in buildings with 5 or more units.[28] LASAN's bulky pages are written for homes with 1 to 4 units that it services,[3] and in Glendale and Pasadena, bigger buildings go through a private hauler instead of the City.[10],[14] Ask your manager how mattresses are handled before you carry one down, and never leave it by the building's dumpsters.
Bed frames. A frame isn't part of the mattress program,[6] so it goes out as furniture: LASAN takes furniture at the curb,[3] and Burbank lists bed frames among the items with no special handling fee.[9] Metal frames come apart with a wrench and take up very little room once they're flat.
Box springs. Box springs count as their own unit everywhere. Burbank charges its fee per box spring,[9] and Bye Bye Mattress sites take them just like mattresses.[6] Unlike a foam mattress, a box spring won't fold, which matters on narrow stairs.
Don't leave it in the alley
A mattress propped against a dumpster or left in an alley is illegal dumping, and Bye Bye Mattress says so directly.[1] Under the Penal Code, a first conviction brings a mandatory fine of $250 to $1,000, and each day the waste stays counts as another violation.[29] It's also how the city ends up paying: the City Controller's audit found LASAN picked up nearly 16,000 tons of illegally dumped waste in 2019.[30]
Mattress pickup prep
- Decide the route first: new mattress coming? Ask the store about take-back before delivery day.
- Strip all bedding and check the mattress for anything tucked underneath.
- Count pieces: mattress, box spring or foundation, and frame are separate items.
- Bag or wrap the mattress (required in Glendale, and it keeps it clean at the curb anywhere).
- If it's wet, moldy or has bedbugs, skip the drop-off sites and charities.
- In Burbank, compare the $12.14 curbside fee with the free Recycle Center drop-off.[9]
- Clear the path: mattresses bend, but box springs don't, so check the stair turn.
- Put it out only on the day or evening your city allows.
When to call a hauler
The free routes cover most mattresses. A crew is worth it when:
- it's a king or a heavy hybrid on the second or third floor and nobody wants to wrestle it down;
- it's soiled or has bedbugs, so the store and the drop-off sites won't take it;
- you're moving out and the mattress has to be gone before a walkthrough;
- you've got a whole bedroom set going, frame, headboard and dresser included;
- you're in Burbank with several pieces, where the per-item fees add up.
Fast and affordable!! I needed a quick mattress pickup on a Sunday and they were there. I highly recommend them!
Legacy Junk Removal is a family-run crew out of North Hollywood that works across the Valley and in Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena. Same-day service most days when you reach us by early afternoon; next-morning slots are common. Send a photo of the mattress and tell us the floor, and we'll reply with a price. The mattress removal page has more on how it works.