How to get rid of a mattress in Austin, TX

For Austin Resource Recovery curbside customers, the main route is an on-demand bulk collection. The City's published list names furniture but does not name mattresses, so pick the mattress in the scheduling system (it shows what can be collected) or check the City's What Do I Do With tool before you book.

Last checked against the official Austin Resource Recovery (City of Austin) website. See sources.

Cost
No per-pickup fee is listed on the City's page for curbside customers
How
Book an on-demand bulk collection and check that mattresses are offered
Drop-off
Not accepted at the Recycle and Reuse Center

Option 1: City pickup (On-demand bulk collection)

Who can use it

  • For Austin Resource Recovery residential customers: single-family homes and up to fourplexes in Austin, plus homes in certain Limited Districts.
  • Items will not be collected in an alley, in front of a vacant lot, or in front of a business.

How to book

  1. Book through the Austin Recycles app, online, or by calling Austin 3-1-1 (512-974-2000).
  2. Select every item you will set out. The scheduling system shows which items can be collected.
  3. You get an email confirmation and a reminder before your date.
  4. Appointments cannot be changed. To move a date, cancel the old one (using the same method you booked with) and book again.

Mattress rules

  • The City's accepted-items list says it is not complete and points you to the Austin Recycles app or the What Do I Do With tool to confirm an item.
  • Do not bag the mattress. Bagged items are treated as extra trash and may cost extra.
  • Set it out by 5:30 a.m. on your appointment date, in the non-metal pile.

Setting it out

  • Put items at the curb by 5:30 a.m. on your appointment date.
  • Sort into separate piles: metal items and rigid plastics (this includes appliances with doors removed), non-metal items, and tires.
  • Keep items 5 feet from carts, mailboxes, fences or walls, water meters, utility boxes, fire hydrants and parked cars. Keep them out from under low tree limbs and power lines.
  • Do not put items in bags, boxes or other containers. Bags are treated as extra trash and may cost extra.

Fees and limits

  • The City's bulk collection page does not list a per-appointment fee for curbside customers. Bags set out with bulk items may be charged as extra trash.

Option 2: Drop it off yourself

  • The City's Recycle and Reuse Center does not accept mattresses.
  • Recycle and Reuse Center, 2514 Business Center Dr, Austin, TX 78744. Appointment required (Austin Recycles app or online). Free for Austin and Travis County residents. It does not accept furniture or mattresses.

Option 3: Donate or give it away

  • Austin Habitat for Humanity ReStore does not accept used mattresses or box springs.
  • If you are buying a new mattress, ask the store whether it will haul the old one away.

Donation rules are set by each charity and can change. Call before you load up.

What we could not confirm

  • The City's bulk item list does not name mattresses. We could not confirm on the official page that mattresses are accepted in bulk collection.
  • We could not find a City of Austin mattress recycling program.
  • We could not find a City of Austin mattress recycling program.

Common questions

Will Austin pick up a mattress?
Mattresses are not named on the City's published list of accepted bulk items, which the City says is not complete. Check the Austin Recycles app or the What Do I Do With tool, or select it when booking an on-demand bulk collection.
Can I take a mattress to the Recycle and Reuse Center?
No. The center lists mattresses as not accepted.
Will Habitat for Humanity take my old mattress?
Austin Habitat for Humanity ReStore does not accept used mattresses or box springs.

Sources

Last checked Oct 21, 2026. We read each page below on that date.

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