How to get rid of a mattress in San José, CA

Book a no-cost Junk Pickup (mattresses are on the City's list), or use California's free options: retailer take-back when a new mattress is delivered, or a Bye Bye Mattress drop-off site.

Last checked against the official City of San José Environmental Services website. See sources.

Cost
No cost
How
Junk Pickup, retailer take-back or Bye Bye Mattress
When
Your regular collection day

Option 1: City pickup (No-cost Junk Pickup)

Who can use it

  • Owners and renters at single-family and multi-family homes served by the City's residential collection.

How to book

  1. Request online at 311.SanJoseCA.gov, in the San José 311 app, by dialing 3-1-1, or by calling (408) 535-3500.
  2. Appointments fall on your regular recycling and garbage collection day.
  3. You will get a separate appointment confirmation email within two business days. Need it sooner? Contact your recycling collection company (look it up in 311 My Collection Schedule).

Mattress rules

  • The City lists mattresses among Junk Pickup items.
  • Set out on the street next to the curb no more than 24 hours before your appointment.

Setting it out

  • Set items out no more than 24 hours before your appointment.
  • Put them on the street next to the curb, the same way you set out your carts.
  • Not in a red zone, not blocking a hydrant, and not directly next to a parked car.

Fees and limits

  • Junk Pickup is no cost.

Option 2: Drop it off yourself

We did not find an official public drop-off site for this item. Ask a private hauler, or check the city's page listed under Sources.

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 (the City notes this depends on the mattress's condition).
  • 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.
  • Habitat for Humanity ReStores do not accept mattresses or box springs (national guidance).

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

What we could not confirm

  • We could not open the City's acceptable-items list (PDF) when we checked, so item-specific rules beyond the City's main Junk Pickup page are not confirmed.

Common questions

Does San José pick up mattresses?
Yes, through no-cost Junk Pickup.
Can the store take my old mattress?
If a new one is delivered, California law requires the retailer to offer take-back at no additional cost.

Sources

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

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