How to get rid of a mattress in Fresno, CA

Mattresses and box springs are accepted in Fresno's free One-Time Bulky Item Pickup and in Operation Clean Up. California's Bye Bye Mattress program also offers free drop-off at participating sites, and a retailer delivering a new mattress must offer to take back your old one.

Last checked against the official City of Fresno Department of Public Utilities, Solid Waste Management Division website. See sources.

Cost
Free once a year
How
311, (559) 621-2489 or FresGO
Also free
Bye Bye Mattress sites and retailer take-back

The last Fall 2026 Free Dump Event at CARTS is Saturday and Sunday, November 14 and 15, 2026, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Option 1: City pickup (One-Time Bulky Item Pickup (free once a year) and Operation Clean Up)

Who can use it

  • For City of Fresno residential solid waste customers whose account is in good standing.
  • One-Time Bulky Item Pickup: once per year per account; more than a year must have passed since your last bulky pickup.

How to book

  1. Call 311, (559) 621-CITY (2489), or use the FresGO app to request a One-Time Bulky Item Pickup.
  2. Solid Waste calls you within 7 business days to confirm a pickup date.
  3. Extra pickups in the same year are a paid Special Haul; call (559) 621-6888. Your annual Operation Clean Up date is on the City's lookup tool or from 311.

Mattress rules

  • Mattress and box spring are both on the One-Time Bulky Item Pickup accepted list.
  • Set it out no more than 36 hours before your scheduled date and by 6 a.m. that day.

Setting it out

  • Set the item out no more than 36 hours before your scheduled date, and by 6 a.m. on the day.
  • Place it 1 to 1.5 feet from the curb in front of your home, where your carts are serviced, away from sewer vents, water meters, mailboxes and fire hydrants, and 4 to 5 feet from speed bumps. Keep it clear of vehicles.
  • Only requested pickups are collected; other piles are treated as illegal dumping and cited.
  • Not accepted: refrigerators and freezers, tires, electronic waste, household hazardous waste, household garbage, automotive parts and batteries.

Fees and limits

  • One-Time Bulky Item Pickup: free once a year.
  • Special Haul: fee set in the City's Master Fee Schedule (30-minute minimum, 1-hour maximum).
  • Free Dump Events at CARTS: free for City residential solid waste customers, one full-size pickup truck load (about 8 x 4 x 4 ft) per household.

Option 2: Drop it off yourself

  • Bye Bye Mattress, California's mattress recycling program run by the Mattress Recycling Council, offers free drop-off at participating locations. Use the location search and call the site first.
  • Mattresses are accepted at the City's Free Dump Events at CARTS (next: November 14 and 15, 2026).
  • Free Dump Events, Cedar Avenue Recycling and Transfer Station (CARTS), 3457 S. Cedar Ave. Fall 2026 dates: September 12 and 13, October 17 and 18, and November 14 and 15, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Bring a City of Fresno utility bill (or the City's Proof of Eligibility Form) and a state-issued ID. Accepted items include appliances, couches, mattresses and box springs.

Option 3: Donate or give it away

  • If you are buying a new mattress and having it delivered, California law requires the retailer to offer to take back your old mattress at no additional cost (delivery fees may still apply). The retailer has up to 30 days to pick it up.
  • Habitat ReStores do not take mattresses under Habitat's national guidance.

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

What we could not confirm

  • The City's pages do not list the Special Haul price; it is in the Master Fee Schedule. Call (559) 621-6888.

Common questions

Will Fresno pick up a mattress?
Yes, through the free One-Time Bulky Item Pickup or your annual Operation Clean Up date.
Can I recycle a mattress for free?
Yes. Bye Bye Mattress lists free drop-off sites in California, and the City's Free Dump Events take mattresses.
Does the store have to take my old mattress?
In California, a retailer delivering your new mattress must offer to take back the old one at no additional cost, within 30 days.

Sources

Last checked Oct 27, 2026. We read each page below on that date.

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