Why you’re charged to get rid of a mattress
British Columbia has recycling programs for a lot of household goods, and they’re paid for by a fee added when you buy the item. Electronics, appliances, paint, tires and batteries are all covered, which is why you can drop a TV or a fridge at a collection point free of charge.
Mattresses aren’t covered by any BC program. The province left them out of the October 2025 recycling regulation update, and the Ministry of Environment and Parks postponed adding them. No fee was collected when you bought your mattress, so you’re required to pay for the recycling when you get rid of it.
Every recycling and waste centre in Metro Vancouver takes mattresses as their own separate category and charges per item.
When to call 220-JUNK instead
We take everything — mattresses, box springs, headboards, and other bedroom furniture, and your household furniture as well. If you need help with furniture disassembly, we can do that too. If you’re not sure how much it’s going to be, send us a photo with all the items that you’re planning to remove and we’ll send over an estimate.
Common questions
Can I put a mattress in the garbage in Metro Vancouver?
No. Mattresses are banned from regular garbage across the region. They’re accepted at recycling and waste centres as their own separate category, charged per item, with a limit of four per visit counting box springs.
Why do I have to pay for a mattress when a TV is free?
Electronics, appliances, paint, tires and batteries are covered by provincial recycling programs that take them free of charge, within limits. Mattresses aren’t covered by any BC program, so you’re required to pay for the recycling when you get rid of one.
Does Vancouver collect mattresses from the curb?
No. Vancouver has no large item pickup program, and the City asks residents to take large items to a transfer station or recycling centre themselves. Leaving a mattress at the curb is illegal dumping.
Which cities collect large items?
Surrey, Richmond and Burnaby all have programs with different limits and booking rules. Surrey allows six items a year for most households, Richmond six, and Burnaby three per pickup for houses. Apartment and strata residents are treated differently in all three, and Surrey routes them through the property manager.
Do I have to wrap the mattress?
For curbside collection, yes. Surrey, Richmond and Burnaby all require mattresses to be wrapped in plastic, and Burnaby also requires them to be over four inches thick.
What if the mattress is wet?
Most programs refuse wet mattresses. Contaminated foam and fibre can’t be sold on, and damp mattresses stacked together heat up and become a fire risk. Richmond excludes wet mattresses from curbside collection specifically.
How many mattresses can I take at once?
Four items per visit at a Metro Vancouver recycling and waste centre, counting mattresses and box springs together.
Do you take box springs and bed frames too?
Yes, along with headboards and anything else in the room. If the frame was put together in the room and can’t come out safely, we’ll take it apart first.