Old Mattress Removal Ontario: Every Option in 2026

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Why Mattress Disposal Is Harder Than It Should Be

An old mattress is one of the most inconvenient household items to dispose of. It is too large for any standard garbage bin. It does not fold. It weighs 25 to 65 kilograms. It takes up the entire bed of a pickup truck or the back seat and trunk of an SUV (neither of which work well). And the rules for disposal vary by municipality, which means the answer to "how do I get rid of this?" depends entirely on where you live.

Ontario does not have a province-wide Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program for mattresses as of 2026. British Columbia launched one in 2023, and Quebec has had mattress recycling infrastructure for years through Recyc-Mattress. Ontario has been slow to follow. This means mattress disposal is handled municipality by municipality, creating a patchwork of rules, fees, and options that can be genuinely confusing.

The Mattress Recycling Council estimates that approximately 35,000 mattresses and box springs are disposed of daily across North America, with recovery rates below 20%. The remaining 80% end up in landfills, where they take up significant space and are difficult to compact (Mattress Recycling Council, Annual Report, 2023).

A single mattress takes up roughly 2 cubic metres of landfill space. The steel coils inside can damage compaction equipment. The foam and fabric decompose slowly. This is not an argument for guilt, it is context for why municipalities have complicated rules about mattress disposal. The items are genuinely difficult to process.

Six Ways to Get Rid of an Old Mattress in Ontario

Here are your options, ranked from most convenient to most effort.

1. Retailer Removal (Easiest)

If you are buying a new mattress, the simplest disposal method is having the retailer take the old one when they deliver the new one. Most in-store retailers offer this as part of their delivery service (sometimes included, sometimes for an additional $30 to $75).

This is the option we recommend because it solves two problems at once: you get the old mattress out of your house and the new one in, on the same day, with no separate scheduling or logistical headaches. The old mattress goes from your bedroom to the delivery truck, and you never have to figure out where to take it.

Sleep Country includes old mattress removal with their white glove delivery service. The Brick and Leon's offer it at some locations, sometimes with an additional charge. Online mattress retailers (Endy, Douglas, Casper) generally do not offer removal, though some partner with third-party services for an add-on fee.

2. Municipal Bulky Item Pickup

Most Ontario municipalities offer scheduled bulky item pickup as part of their waste management services. The process typically involves calling your local waste department or booking online, being assigned a pickup date (which may be weeks away), and placing the mattress at the curb by a specified time.

The advantages are that it is usually free or low-cost, and you do not need a vehicle to transport the mattress. The disadvantages are the waiting period (some municipalities have limited pickup dates), the requirement to get the mattress to the curb yourself, and potential weather exposure if the pickup date is days away and the mattress sits outside in rain or snow.

3. Landfill or Transfer Station Drop-Off

You can drive the mattress to your local landfill or waste transfer station yourself. Fees vary: some municipalities charge nothing for residents, others charge $10 to $25 per mattress as a bulky waste fee. You will need a vehicle large enough to transport the mattress (pickup truck, van, or SUV with the seats folded).

This is the fastest disposal method if you have the vehicle and the time. Most transfer stations accept mattresses during regular operating hours without an appointment. Bring identification or a utility bill to prove residency, as some stations offer free disposal only to local residents.

4. Private Junk Removal Services

Companies like 1-800-GOT-JUNK, local hauling services, and independent operators will come to your home, carry the mattress out, and take it away. Prices range from $80 to $200 depending on the company, location, and whether you are also disposing of other items. Some services quote by volume (how much space your items take in their truck), and a mattress alone typically costs more per item than bundling it with other junk.

The advantage is convenience: they come to you, they do the lifting, and they handle disposal. The disadvantage is cost, which can be significant for a single mattress.

5. Mattress Recycling

Private mattress recycling companies accept old mattresses and deconstruct them into recoverable materials. A typical mattress yields:

• Steel coils: Melted and recycled as scrap steel
• Foam: Shredded and used as carpet underpad, animal bedding, or insulation
• Fabric: Recycled as industrial rags or fibre fill
• Wood: Chipped for biomass fuel or composting

Recyc-Mattress, which operates primarily in Quebec and is expanding into Ontario, is the largest dedicated mattress recycler in Canada. In Ontario, private recyclers and some municipal partnerships handle mattress recycling, but coverage is inconsistent. Fees for drop-off recycling range from $20 to $50 per mattress.

The Canadian Standards Association has published guidelines on mattress component recycling (CSA Z600), and some municipalities offer periodic mattress collection events in partnership with recyclers. Check your local waste authority's website for upcoming events.

6. Donation

If your mattress is in genuinely good condition, meaning no stains, no structural damage, no bed bug history, and less than 8 years old, donation is an option that keeps the mattress out of the landfill and helps someone in need.

Potential donation recipients in Ontario:

• Habitat for Humanity ReStores: Accept clean, usable mattresses for resale. Proceeds fund Habitat for Humanity building projects.
• Salvation Army: May accept mattresses in good condition, though policies vary by location.
• Local shelters and transition homes: Contact directly, as mattress needs and acceptance policies vary.
• Community Facebook groups: "Buy Nothing" and local free-cycle groups connect donors with people who need mattresses.

Be honest about condition. Most charities will not accept mattresses with visible stains or odours, and donating a mattress that is not genuinely usable just shifts the disposal burden to an organization with even fewer resources for handling it.

Municipality-by-Municipality: Ontario's Biggest Cities

These details are current as of early 2026 but municipal policies change. Always confirm with your local waste management department before putting a mattress at the curb or loading it in your car.

Brantford and Brant County Disposal Options

For our local customers, here are the specific options for getting rid of an old mattress in Brantford and the County of Brant.

Mohawk Street Transfer Station. The City of Brantford operates a waste transfer station on Mohawk Street that accepts mattresses. Brantford residents can drop off mattresses as bulky waste. Check the city's website or call Brantford Public Works for current hours, fees, and any size restrictions.

County of Brant residents (Paris, St. George, Burford, Scotland) have separate waste management from the City of Brantford. The County operates waste sites that accept bulky items, but policies and schedules differ from the city. Check the County of Brant website for your specific waste site and its rules.

Retailer removal. If you are buying a new mattress from Mattress Miracle, we handle removal as part of our delivery service. We pick up the old mattress and box spring from your bedroom when we deliver the new one. No separate trip, no separate scheduling, no hauling it to the curb. This is the option most Brantford customers choose because it eliminates every logistical headache.

Private hauling. Several local hauling and junk removal services operate in Brantford and the surrounding area. Expect to pay $80 to $150 for pickup and disposal of a single mattress. If you have other items to dispose of, bundling reduces the per-item cost.

8 min read

The Recycling Reality: What Actually Happens

Mattress recycling sounds straightforward: take apart the mattress, separate the materials, recycle each one. In practice, it is labour-intensive, expensive, and not available everywhere in Ontario.

A typical innerspring mattress contains approximately 11 kilograms of steel (coils and wire), 6 to 12 kilograms of foam, 3 to 5 kilograms of fabric and fibre, and 3 to 5 kilograms of wood (frame components). Separating these materials requires manual deconstruction because automated systems cannot efficiently handle the variety of mattress designs on the market (International Sleep Products Association, "Mattress Component Analysis," 2022).

The economics of mattress recycling are challenging. The most valuable component is steel, which is worth roughly $0.15 to $0.25 per kilogram as scrap. Eleven kilograms of steel yields $1.65 to $2.75 in scrap value. Foam recycling and fabric recycling add marginally to the recovery value. The total material value of a deconstructed mattress is typically $5 to $15, while the labour cost to deconstruct it is $15 to $30. Without subsidies, tipping fees, or EPR program funding, mattress recycling is not economically viable on its own.

This economic reality is why Ontario has been slower than Quebec and British Columbia to develop mattress recycling infrastructure. It also explains why most mattresses in Ontario still end up in landfills despite the recyclability of their components. An EPR program, which would require mattress manufacturers to fund end-of-life recycling through a fee on new mattresses, is the model most likely to change this. Quebec's program has been operating successfully for years, and British Columbia launched one in 2023.

What Not to Do With an Old Mattress

Do not leave it in an alley or on a sidewalk. Illegal dumping of mattresses is a bylaw violation in every Ontario municipality. Fines range from $250 to $5,000 depending on the city. Beyond fines, abandoned mattresses absorb rainwater, attract pests, and become neighbourhood eyesores. If you see an illegally dumped mattress, report it to your municipal bylaw office.

Do not put it out with regular garbage without checking first. Most municipalities will not pick up mattresses with regular garbage collection. The truck cannot compact them, and the size disrupts regular collection routes. Putting a mattress out on regular garbage day usually results in it sitting at the curb untouched and a possible bylaw notice.

Do not burn it. Mattress foam releases toxic fumes when burned, including hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide. Burning a mattress outdoors violates Ontario's Environmental Protection Act and most municipal open-burning bylaws. It is dangerous and illegal.

Do not assume someone will take it if you put it on the curb with a "free" sign. This works occasionally, but more often the mattress sits for days, gets wet, and becomes harder to dispose of. If nobody takes it within 24 hours, it becomes your problem again, but now it is also wet and heavier.

Mattress Miracle's Removal Service

When you purchase a new mattress from Mattress Miracle, old mattress and box spring removal is part of our white glove delivery service. Here is exactly what happens:

1. Our delivery team arrives at your home at the scheduled time.
2. They bring the new mattress and foundation to your bedroom.
3. They remove your old mattress and box spring from the bed frame.
4. They set up the new mattress on your frame, foundation, or adjustable base.
5. They carry the old mattress and box spring out of your home and load it on the truck.
6. They remove all packaging from the new mattress.
7. Your bedroom is left clean and ready to sleep in.

The entire process takes 20 to 30 minutes for a standard delivery. For adjustable base setups or bedroom furniture assembly, it takes longer.

We deliver to Brantford and surrounding communities (Paris, St. George, Cainsville, Mount Pleasant) with extended delivery to Hamilton, Burlington, Mississauga, Toronto, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, London, Barrie, and Oshawa. Old mattress removal is included in all delivery areas.

Sources

• Mattress Recycling Council. Annual Report on Mattress Recycling and Diversion, 2023.
• International Sleep Products Association. "Mattress Component Analysis and Recyclability." 2022.
• Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (Ontario). "Waste Diversion and Recycling Progress Report." 2024.
• Canadian Standards Association. "Mattress Component Recycling Guidelines." CSA Z600, 2019.
• Recyc-Mattress. "Mattress Recycling Process and Environmental Impact Report." 2024.

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