Mattress Removal Toronto: Every Option for Getting Rid of Your Old Mattress in 2026

Reading Time: 12 minutes

You have an old mattress taking up space in your Toronto apartment. Maybe it is sagging in the middle after ten years. Maybe you just bought a condo and inherited a questionable queen from the previous owner. Either way, you need it gone, and you have no idea where to start.

You are not alone. Toronto generates thousands of discarded mattresses every year, and getting rid of one is surprisingly complicated. You cannot just toss it in the green bin. You cannot leave it by the dumpster (your building manager will have words). And dragging it down a narrow condo hallway while your neighbours watch? That is a workout nobody signed up for.

This guide covers every legitimate mattress removal option available to Toronto and GTA residents in 2026, from free city pickup to professional junk haulers, recycling depots, charitable donation, and one option that saves you the trouble entirely: buying your new mattress from a store that hauls the old one away as part of delivery.

Why Mattress Removal Is a Real Challenge in Toronto

Toronto is a city of condos, apartments, narrow Victorian rowhouses, and walk-ups with staircases that were clearly built for smaller furniture. Getting a mattress out of any of these spaces requires planning, muscle, and often a friend who owes you a favour.

A queen mattress weighs between 27 and 36 kilograms (60 to 80 pounds). A king can push past 45 kilograms. These are not items you tuck under your arm on the way to the curb. They bend awkwardly in stairwells, they do not fit in most elevators flat, and they absolutely will not fit in the back of a sedan.

Condo boards often have strict rules about when and how bulky items can be removed from the building. Some require advance booking of a service elevator. Others charge fees for improper disposal in common areas. If you live in a rental, your landlord may expect you to handle mattress disposal on your own.

The good news is that Toronto actually has more removal options than most Canadian cities. The challenge is knowing which one makes sense for your situation, your budget, and your conscience.

City of Toronto Curbside Pickup

If you live in a house (detached, semi, or townhouse) in Toronto, the simplest option is the City's oversized item collection program. Mattresses qualify as oversized items because they exceed 1.2 metres in any one dimension.

How It Works

Set your mattress at the curb on your regular garbage collection day. Items must be out by 7:00 a.m. The city collects oversized items on the same schedule as your normal garbage pickup, so there is no separate appointment needed for houses.

What You Need to Know

Condo and Apartment Residents

Here is where it gets tricky. If you live in a multi-residential building (condo or apartment), the city's curbside pickup does not apply the same way. Your building is responsible for its own waste management. Most buildings have a designated bulky item area or require you to arrange removal through building management.

Contact your property manager or superintendent to find out the process. Some buildings schedule periodic bulky item pickups. Others expect you to arrange your own disposal or use the building's waste room during specific hours.

Drop-Off Depots

If you have access to a vehicle large enough to transport a mattress, you can bring it directly to one of the City of Toronto's transfer stations:

• Commissioners Transfer Station at 400 Commissioners Street, Toronto
• Dufferin Transfer Station at 35 Vanley Crescent, North York

Both locations accept mattresses during regular operating hours. This is a practical option if you need the mattress gone on your timeline rather than waiting for a collection day.

Private Junk Removal Services in Toronto

When the city option does not work (condo residents, urgent timelines, or you simply do not want to wrestle a king mattress down three flights of stairs), private junk removal services fill the gap. Toronto has no shortage of options.

Major Services Operating in Toronto

Prices vary based on mattress size, your location within the GTA, whether they need to navigate stairs or elevators, and how many items you are removing. A single mattress from a ground-floor house will cost less than a king mattress from a 20th-floor condo unit.

What to Ask Before Booking

Not all junk removal services are equal. Before you book, ask these questions:

• Is the quote all-inclusive, or are there extra fees for stairs, elevators, or distance from the truck?
• What happens to the mattress after pickup? Is it recycled, donated, or sent to landfill?
• Do they offer same-day or next-day service?
• Are they insured? (Important if they are moving through your hallway or condo common areas.)
• Can they handle multiple items if you are clearing out a bedroom set?

Mattress Recycling Options in Toronto and the GTA

If you care about where your mattress ends up (and you should), recycling is the most responsible option after donation. A mattress contains 10 to 20 kilograms of recoverable materials: steel springs, polyurethane foam, cotton batting, wood, and fabric. Up to 90% of these components can be repurposed rather than buried in a landfill.

Recyc-Matelas Canada

Recyc-Matelas is Canada's largest mattress recycler, with operations in Quebec, Ontario, France, and Belgium. They have recycled over 4 million mattresses to date and process more than 400,000 units annually between Quebec and Ontario alone. Their facility accepts mattresses from both individuals and institutions.

Canadian Mattress Recycling

Operating since 2011, Canadian Mattress Recycling serves the GTA and broader Ontario. They disassemble mattresses and sort components for reuse: metal goes to scrap recyclers, foam to carpet underlay manufacturers, and wood to biomass energy.

Furniture Bank Toronto

While primarily a donation service, Furniture Bank also partners with IKEA Canada to offer mattress removal for $80 (mattress) or $90 (sofa). You receive a charitable tax receipt directly from Furniture Bank, which partially offsets the cost. This option works well if your mattress is in poor condition and not suitable for donation but you still want to support a charitable organisation.

8 min read

Donating Your Old Mattress in Toronto

If your mattress is still in reasonable condition (no structural damage, no stains that would make someone uncomfortable, and absolutely no bed bugs), donation is the best possible outcome. Someone else gets a usable mattress, and you keep it out of the waste stream entirely.

Where to Donate in Toronto

For a comprehensive look at mattress donation across the province, including eligibility requirements and what condition your mattress needs to be in, see our guide on how to donate a used mattress in Ontario.

Donation Conditions

Most charities in Toronto have specific requirements:

• No bed bugs or pest infestations (they will inspect)
• No significant staining or odours
• Structurally sound (no broken springs poking through, no deep body impressions)
• Generally less than 8 to 10 years old
• You may need to deliver the mattress yourself, or pay for pickup service

Be honest about the condition of your mattress. Donating a mattress that does not meet these standards creates a disposal problem for the charity, which defeats the purpose.

How to Prepare Your Mattress for Removal