Item: Mattresses, box springs and futons (adjacent: bed frames and general bulk-item rules) Jurisdiction: New York City — all five boroughs inside the DSNY curbside service area Official sources: NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and NYC311 Last verified: September 2026
Quick Answer
Getting rid of a mattress in New York City is free. What trips people up is the sequence: there is no appointment to book, no city yard to drive to, and no bare mattress allowed at the curb. A mattress, box spring or futon leaves your building one way — bagged and sealed, placed curbside on your trash-only collection night, between 6:00 PM and midnight.
For a residential address in any of the five boroughs served by DSNY:
- Free curbside removal of mattresses, box springs and futons. No application, no fee.
- No appointment exists. Bulk pickup appointments are no longer offered and cannot be scheduled; collection happens on your regular collection day.
- Trash-only night, never recycling night. Mattresses and box springs go out with trash on your trash-only (bulk trash) collection day.
- Sealed plastic bag required. The mattress must be fully contained in a plastic bag before set-out, to prevent the spread of bed bugs. The City supplies no bag.
- Set-out window: 6:00 PM to midnight the evening before collection. Nothing goes out after midnight.
- Up to 6 bulk items per collection day. Anything beyond that needs a second collection day.
- No drop-off exists. There are no public dumps in NYC, household hazardous waste sites exclude bulk items, and SAFE Disposal Events do not accept mattresses. New York also has no statewide mattress-recycling network.
- Items on private property are not collected. The mattress has to reach the curb or the designated set-out area.
Quick Facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does it cost anything? | No — free curbside bulk collection for residential addresses served by DSNY |
| Can I book a pickup? | No — bulk pickup appointments are no longer offered and cannot be scheduled |
| Which night does it go out? | Your trash-only (bulk trash) collection night, never recycling night |
| What time? | Between 6:00 PM and midnight the evening before collection day |
| How many items at once? | Up to 6 bulk items per collection day |
| Does it need a bag? | Yes — fully sealed in a plastic bag, and you buy the bag yourself |
| Is there a drop-off? | No — no public dumps, Special Waste sites exclude bulk items, SAFE events exclude mattresses |
| Who is not covered? | Businesses and commercial spaces, buildings not served by DSNY, and items left on private property |
Who qualifies — eligibility in plain terms
This covers residential addresses in the DSNY curbside service area — all five boroughs. Renters and owners both qualify, because eligibility follows the address, not who owns the building.
What counts. NYC311 explicitly covers mattresses, box springs and futons on this route. Other bedding — mattress toppers, sofa-beds and similar items — has no dedicated rule and falls under the general bulk-item rules, so treat it as a bulk item and confirm with 311 if you are unsure.
It does not cover businesses or commercial spaces, which cannot use the residential bulk channel and generally need a private carter. It does not cover items left on private property: DSNY treats those as unserviceable, so a mattress left in a lobby, courtyard, garage or driveway is not collected. And it does not cover buildings that do not receive DSNY collection — confirm who handles bulk items if your building contracts its own waste removal.
That distinction matters most in co-ops, condos, NYCHA developments and large rentals, where bulk disposal is often routed through building staff or a contracted carter rather than an individual resident.
Free curbside pickup: no appointment, 6 items per day
DSNY removes large items from residential buildings at the curb at no cost. A bulk item is one too large to fit in a bin or bag, which a mattress always is.
The part readers most often get wrong: there is no bulk pickup appointment to make. A bulk appointment system existed years ago and is gone — DSNY's large-items page states that pickup appointments are no longer offered and cannot be scheduled. You do not call, you do not file a request, and nothing confirms a pickup. You use your regular collection day.
The cap is 6 bulk items per collection day. One mattress is one item. A four-mattress, two-sofa cleanout is exactly six, and anything beyond it needs another day. Spread a multi-mattress clear-out across several collection days rather than stacking everything at the curb at once.
Which night: trash-only day, never recycling day
This is the routing rule behind most missed collections. Mattresses, box springs and futons are disposed of with trash, so they go out on your trash-only (bulk trash) day — not your recycling day.
The step before set-out is looking up your address with the DSNY collection schedule tool, which returns your trash, recycling and bulk days for that location. Those days decide which evening you carry the mattress down.
The bed frame beside the mattress often follows the opposite rule:
| Item | Goes out the night before |
|---|---|
| Mattress, box spring, futon | Trash-only collection day |
| Bed frame mostly metal or plastic | Recycling day |
| Bed frame made of wood | Trash-only collection day |
Both the mattress and the frame are bulk items, and each counts toward the 6-item allowance for its own collection day. Where a frame can be broken down and bundled, doing so keeps the set-out tidy.
The bag rule: sealed plastic, bed-bug prevention, and where to buy bags
Mattresses and box springs must be fully contained in a sealed plastic bag before set-out, and the stated reason is to prevent the spread of bed bugs. Improperly set-out items are not collected, so this step is not optional.
Two practical points follow. First, the City does not provide the bag. DSNY and NYC311 both state that mattress and box-spring bags or covers are not supplied; you buy one. Official pages name the retailer types — department stores, home improvement stores and moving supply centres — but publish no price, so treat the cost as whatever your retailer charges. Second, buy it before set-out night. Finding out at 9:00 PM with the mattress already in the hallway is the standard failure mode; have the bag in hand a day or two early.
Two official pages disagree on bag colour. The NYC311 mattress article says the bag may be any colour except red or orange. DSNY's Collection Laws for Residents page specifies a clear plastic bag, securely sealed. Both are official and they do not match. A clear bag satisfies both readings, so it is the safer purchase; if your building issues instructions through the super, follow those and confirm with 311 if anything is unclear.
Set-out rules: 6 PM to midnight, placement and containerization
The set-out window is 6:00 PM to midnight the evening before collection day, and everything must be out by midnight. A mattress put out at 10:00 AM on collection day has missed that day's run; one put out at 12:30 AM is also late.
Placement rules are strict:
- Not in the street, and not extending in front of a neighbouring property.
- Not blocking sidewalks or impeding pedestrians.
- Not on private property — items placed there are unserviceable and will not be collected.
Since 12 November 2024, containerization rules apply to the rest of a building's trash, and they interact with bulk set-out in a way renters should understand. Buildings with 1–9 units set trash out after 6:00 PM in bins of 55 gallons or less with secure lids. Buildings with 10 or more units use bins after 6:00 PM, or may place bags directly at the curb after 8:00 PM. An oversized mattress cannot go in a bin, so it remains a bulk item placed at the curb on the trash-only collection day, outside those containers.
If your item is not picked up, report a missed collection through 311 starting at 8:00 AM the day after your collection day — after checking that it was out by midnight, on the right night, sealed, and within the placement rules. Uncovered mattresses or box springs left at the curb can also be reported to the City through the 311 Trash or Recycling Disposal Complaint channel.
Fines for improper set-out — why official figures differ
Improperly set-out mattresses are not collected and may draw a fine, but official pages publish different amounts. Any single number presented as "the fine" would be wrong. As checked on 9 September 2026:
| Source | Figure published |
|---|---|
| DSNY — Furniture and Mattresses page | Improper disposal may be fined up to $300 |
| NYC311 — Mattress or Box Spring Disposal (KA-02378) | $50 first offence / $100 second / $200 third and subsequent |
| NYC311 — Bulk Item Disposal (KA-01969) | States a $100 fine |
| DSNY — Collection Laws for Residents | Set-out violations generally listed at $50 / $100 / $200 escalating |
These conflict. The actionable takeaway does not change with the number: bag it, put it out on the right night, in the right place. Confirm the current enforcement position with 311 rather than relying on any one figure.
No drop-off exists: dumps, Special Waste sites, SAFE events and state programs
Readers most often waste a trip here, so the exclusions are worth stating explicitly.
- There are no public dumps in NYC. The city does not operate a self-haul yard where a resident can drive a mattress.
- DSNY Special Waste Disposal (household hazardous waste) sites do not accept bulk items. They take paint, solvents, batteries and similar harmful household products — not bedding.
- DSNY SAFE Disposal Events do not accept mattresses. The events run annually across all five boroughs and cover automotive products, electronics, harmful household products and medical waste.
- New York has no statewide mattress-recycling network. The Mattress Recycling Council's Bye Bye Mattress program operates in California, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Oregon; New York is not a program state, so there is no state drop-off network and no stewardship fee on mattresses sold here.
Which route fits your situation?
| Route | Who it fits | Cost | Appointment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free curbside bulk, trash-only day | Almost every NYC household; 1–6 items | Free | None — appointments are no longer offered |
| NYCHA staff pickup, participating developments | NYCHA residents whose development participates | No resident fee stated | None — leave bagged items out for staff |
| Private junk-removal service | Businesses, over-cap cleanouts, no-access situations | Not published by the City — request quotes | Yes, with the provider |
| Donation or reuse | Clean, recent mattresses where reuse is the goal | Not published — check with the organisation | Usually yes, with the organisation |
| Retailer take-back when buying a replacement | Not an official NYC or New York State route | Unknown — ask the retailer | Unknown — ask the retailer |
Two cautions. Retailer take-back when buying a replacement is sometimes offered by individual stores, but no official NYC or New York State program page was found and New York is not in the Bye Bye Mattress network — treat it as unknown and ask the retailer directly. Donation acceptance rules and pickup eligibility vary by organisation, so confirm with the group itself before counting on it.
Apartment and renter edge cases
Buildings with 1–9 units. Trash goes out after 6:00 PM in bins of 55 gallons or less with secure lids. A mattress is a bulk item, so the bin rule does not apply to it — it goes to the curb on the trash-only collection night. If your building's set-out area is a shared alley rather than the public curb, confirm where bulk items are expected to go.
Buildings with 10 or more units. Bins go out after 6:00 PM, or bagged waste directly to the curb after 8:00 PM, and DSNY's containerization guidance notes that large items such as a wrapped mattress can be placed at the curb in front of your building on your trash-only day. Many large buildings have the super or porters handle bulk set-out, and some prohibit resident set-out entirely — ask management before you drag a mattress into the lobby.
NYCHA residents. There is a separate correct action. At participating developments, NYCHA runs a staff-pickup mattress recycling program: bagged mattresses and box springs left out for building staff go into a dedicated recycling container. Do not rely on ordinary curbside bulk set-out. Check whether your development participates before deciding what to do.
Placement and missed pickups. Items on private property are not collected, and a set-out that blocks a sidewalk, sits in the street or extends in front of a neighbouring building can be treated as a violation. In dense blocks, place the mattress parallel to the building line and keep the walkway passable. Report a missed pickup through 311 starting at 8:00 AM the day after collection day.
Prep and safety before the mattress leaves your home
- Buy the bag first. One bag or cover per mattress or box spring. Clear plastic satisfies both published bag wordings.
- Bag it where it lies. Seal the mattress where it currently sits rather than dragging an unwrapped unit through stairwells or a shared lobby.
- Seal it completely. The requirement is full containment with a secure seal, not a draped cover — tape or tie the opening closed.
- Handle a bed-bug-affected mattress sealed. Do not cut the cover indoors to inspect it, and take it straight to the set-out point once sealed.
- Plan the carry. Mattresses are awkward rather than heavy, and a queen or king size is difficult for one person on stairs.
- Nothing goes out after midnight, in the street, or in front of another property.
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for a bulk pickup appointment that no longer exists.
- Setting the mattress out on recycling night instead of the trash-only day.
- Putting out a bare mattress — unbagged items are not collected and improper set-out may draw a fine.
- Assuming a drop-off exists somewhere in the city.
- Stacking more than 6 bulk items on one collection day.
- Staging the mattress inside the building's private property, where it will be left behind.
- Treating a holiday week as normal — sanitation holidays can shift your collection day.
Official verification checklist
- Look up your address's collection days with the DSNY collection schedule tool.
- Note the trash-only night and set a reminder for the 6:00 PM–midnight window the evening before.
- Buy the mattress bag or cover before set-out night; the City supplies none.
- Confirm with your landlord, super or building management where bulk items may be staged and whether staff handle set-out.
- NYCHA residents: check whether your development participates in the staff mattress-recycling pickup program.
- Check the DSNY holiday schedule if your collection day falls near a holiday — do not assume the week runs normally.
- Call 311 (or 212-639-9675) from 8:00 AM the day after collection day to report a missed pickup.
- Verify current fine amounts and bag wording with 311 before quoting either, since published figures conflict.
Frequently asked questions
Is NYC mattress disposal really free? Yes, for residential buildings serviced by DSNY. Mattresses, box springs and futons are removed at the curb at no charge, with no application and no per-item fee. Bags or covers are not free — you buy those yourself, and private haulers set their own rates.
Can I schedule a bulk pickup for a mattress? No. Bulk pickup appointments are no longer offered and cannot be scheduled. Your mattress is collected on your regular trash-only collection day.
Which night do I put my mattress out? Your trash-only collection night, never recycling night, curbside between 6:00 PM and midnight the evening before that collection day.
Do I have to bag it, and what colour bag? Yes — mattresses and box springs must be fully sealed in a plastic bag to prevent the spread of bed bugs, and the City does not provide one. Official pages disagree on colour: NYC311 says any colour except red or orange, while DSNY's Collection Laws page specifies clear plastic. A clear bag satisfies both.
Where can I drop a mattress off in NYC? Nowhere through DSNY. There are no public dumps, household hazardous waste sites do not accept bulk items, and SAFE Disposal Events do not accept mattresses. New York is not a Bye Bye Mattress program state, so there is no statewide recycling drop-off either.
Will my metal bed frame go out the same night? No. Mostly metal or plastic frames go out the night before recycling day; wood frames go out the night before trash day. Both are bulk items and both count toward the 6-item allowance.
Do futons, mattress toppers and sofa-beds follow the same rules? Futons are explicitly covered by the mattress and box-spring rules, so they go out bagged on the trash-only night. Toppers, sofa-beds and other bedding have no dedicated rule — treat them as general bulk items and confirm with 311 if you are unsure.
What if my mattress is not picked up? First check that it was out by midnight, on the trash-only night, sealed in a bag and within the placement rules. Then report a missed collection through 311 starting at 8:00 AM the day after collection day.
I live in a big building and the super handles trash. Can I still set a mattress out myself? Maybe not. Many co-ops, condos and large rentals route bulk items through building staff or a private carter, and some prohibit resident set-out. Ask management where bulk items go before you carry anything downstairs.
I run a business. Can I use this route? No. The free curbside bulk channel is for residential addresses only. Commercial and institutional spaces need their own waste service, usually a private carter.
Sources
- DSNY — Furniture and Mattresses: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/get-rid-of/furniture-mattresses.page
- NYC311 — Mattress or Box Spring Disposal (KA-02378): https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-02378
- DSNY — Large Items: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/get-rid-of/large-items.page
- NYC311 — Bulk Item Disposal (KA-01969): https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-01969
- DSNY — Trash (containerization and missed collection): https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/residents/trash.page
- DSNY — Collection Laws for Residents: https://nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/residents/collection-laws-residents.page
- DSNY — Find Your Collection Schedule: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/forms/collection-schedule
- DSNY — SAFE Disposal Events: https://nyc.gov/site/dsny/what-we-do/programs/safe-disposal-events.page
- DSNY — Empire Bins FAQ: https://nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/containerization/empire-bins-faq.page
- DSNY — Get Rid of … index: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/get-rid-of.page
- NYCHA — Recycling (staff mattress pickup): https://home4.nyc.gov/site/nycha/residents/recycling.page
- Bye Bye Mattress — program states: https://byebyemattress.com/
The rules above cover New York City's five boroughs inside the DSNY curbside service area, and residential set-out only — businesses, commercial spaces and buildings outside DSNY collection follow different rules, and a landlord, co-op or condo board can require bulk items to be staged in a specific place. DSNY and NYC311 pages are the final authority for curbside rules, eligibility, bagging and timing. Confirm current details on the live pages before you set anything out. Sources checked 9 September 2026; next review 9 December 2026. If your situation does not match the routes described here, call 311 or 212-639-9675.