California runs a mattress program
Mattresses are not a bin item. California also set up a State program for them.
CalRecycle says California's Mattress Stewardship Program ensures used mattresses, box springs and futons are reused, recycled or properly disposed, that CalRecycle oversees it, and that it is run by the Mattress Recycling Council, the nonprofit stewardship organization created by mattress manufacturers, renovators and retailers.1
Public Resources Code section 42985, added by Senate Bill 254, establishes the Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act. The code says it is established in order to reduce illegal dumping, increase recycling, and substantially reduce public agency costs for the end-of-life management of used mattresses, and that it is the intent of the Legislature that consumers have the opportunity to drop off their used mattresses free of charge.2 The section was added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 388, Sec. 1, and took effect January 1, 2014.
Drop-off locations and the local government route
Bye Bye Mattress says an old mattress can be dropped off at no additional cost at participating locations, and that some local governments may provide a free bulky item pickup, noting those that recycle mattresses with the program.3
The page notes two separate paths. A household can look up participating drop-off locations and take the mattress in, or check what a local government offers at the curb. The participating-location list on the Bye Bye Mattress page is where a household looks to find a drop-off that is close. Whether the City of Los Angeles' own curbside bulky pickup recycles mattresses with the program is a question the Bye Bye Mattress page handles through its address lookup.
Two routes for an old mattress
Two separate routes a household can take: a Mattress Recycling Council drop-off at a participating location, or LA Sanitation's bulky item pickup for the households it serves.
Drop-off at a participating location
- An old mattress can be dropped off at participating locations.
- California's Mattress Stewardship Program ensures used mattresses are reused, recycled or properly disposed; CalRecycle oversees it and the Mattress Recycling Council runs it.
The City's curbside pickup
- Mattresses and box springs are on LA Sanitation's bulky item pickup list.
- An unlimited curbside service, for the single-family households LA Sanitation serves.
- Collected on the regular trash day; scheduled through the online form, the MyLA311 app or the Customer Care Center.
Sources: Mattress Recycling Council, Bye Bye Mattress: Mattress Disposal in California; CalRecycle, Mattress Product Management; LA Sanitation & Environment, Schedule a Bulky Item Pickup.
What the City's bulky pickup says about mattresses and box springs
The City's bulky item pickup carries mattresses on its own list. LA Sanitation says it will gladly take furniture (couches, tables, chairs), mattresses and box springs, toilets and sinks, carpet rolled and tied, large wood pieces or doors, and electronic waste4 at the curb. Mattresses and box springs are named by name on the City's list.
The City's black bin page5 also sends mattresses off the bin: oversized items such as furniture and mattresses do not fit the bin, and the page says residents can schedule a free curbside bulky item pickup for them instead. The bulky pickup is the City's route for mattresses, not the trash bin. The bulky item pickup guide covers the City's service in more detail.
| Route | Who runs it | What its own page says |
|---|---|---|
| Drop-off at a participating location | Mattress Recycling Council | Bye Bye Mattress3 |
| Curbside bulky item pickup | LA Sanitation | Bulky item pickup4 |
| State program oversight | CalRecycle | Mattress Product Management1 |
| Statute | California Public Resources Code 42985 | Section 42985 (SB 254)2 |
Dumping a mattress in a back alley or a park
The Mattress Recycling Council's California page says dumping a discarded mattress in a back alley or in a park is illegal.3
The City also tracks the problem on its streets. LA Sanitation's CleanStat program6 assesses City streets at least twice a year for unreported items, and names mattresses on its survey list.