You may try to sell or give the mattress or box spring away. Here are some helpful options:
Facebook Marketplace
Buy Nothing Cambridge on Facebook
Craigslist
There are potentially other options to get rid of a mattress but requires payment and you should coordinate with beforehand:
Furnishing Hope: Pick-up requires 6 substantial pieces of furniture in addition to mattress/box spring. Drop off in Acton is available. Please contact beforehand.
ReSupply
HandUp Mattress Resale & Recycling. Some mattresses are sanitized and resold. Select “Boston” as your town. Drop off available (New Bedford).
Mattress Pro Recycling: Also accepts futon mattresses, extra items, toppers, bed frames.
Marvin Junk Removal
There are no locations in Cambridge for dropping off items. Some drop-off options are listed below. You should contact beforehand for costs and scheduling:
Furnishing Hope (Acton) – Mattress/box spring must be stain, rip, and tear-free.
UTEC (Haverhill)
HandUp Mattress Resale & Recycling (New Bedford)
No. Your items must be placed at the curb in front of your address by 7AM the morning of the collection. The collection crew will pick up the mattresses or box springs before 3PM. Do not place the item at the curb earlier than 6PM the day before your collection. The crew is prohibited from coming onto private property to pick up mattresses.
The springs of a mattress are scrapped to make a new steel item. The foam can be made into carpet padding. The fabrics and fibers can be made into new textiles or padding. Wood can be mulched or used as fuel.
Most mattresses and box springs are accepted. A few exceptions are:
- Excessively torn, punctured, soiled or moldy items;
- Items infested (or previously infested) with bed bugs or other pests;
- Futons, mattress pads or toppers; or
- Infant sleeping pads; air or water beds; any other furniture or textiles.
Contact DPW at recycle@cambridgema.gov with any questions regarding disposing of these items.
The four major components of mattresses (foam, steel, textiles, and wood) are highly recyclable and valuable when recycled. When trashed, we lose those raw materials forever. Furthermore, mattresses are unique in that they take up a lot of space in landfills. Capacity for trash regionally is declining and we must recycle, separate our food waste, and reduce/reuse. On November 1, 2022, mattresses and box springs were banned from trash disposal in Massachusetts.
No. UTEC will only pick up standard mattresses and box springs. Use the "Get Rid of It Right Tool" to determine how to dispose of these items.
Please ask your building manager what procedure they have in place for mattresses. You may need to contact an alternative hauler. See the first two FAQs for suggestions.
If you are moving before your collection date you must make arrangements for your item(s) to be placed at the curb for pick up after 6pm the day before your scheduled pick up (and by 7am on the morning of collection). Your item may not be placed at the curb before 6pm the day before collection.
We recommend attaching a note to your item(s) that says "UTEC", your order number and pick-up date. If you item is being picked up by another company, include that on your note.
There is a $5 discount for those experiencing a financial hardship. Please call UTEC directly for more information: 978-856-3997.