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Mattress Recycling Program

mattress recycling

More than 50,000 mattresses are discarded each day throughout the United States. Typically, they end up in the trash taking up valuable landfill space, or worse, illegally disposed of in our communities. But many materials from mattresses including metals, foam, fibers and wood can be recycled and repurposed. In addition, California law provides resources to offer free options for both residential and commercial mattress recycling.

In Orange County, OC Waste & Recycling and the Mattress Recycling Council have partnered to offer several convenient options to ensure recycling of recoverable mattress materials through the Bye Bye Mattress Program.  These include:

Free Residential Mattress Recycling at OC Landfills

  • OC residents may take unwanted mattresses and box springs to the Olinda Alpha or Prima Deshecha landfills. Mattresses can be brought to either site and MUST NOT be covered or mixed with trash or other waste. 
  • If bringing a load of waste for disposal and a mattress for recycling, mattresses must be separated from waste and STANDARD LANDFILL FEES WILL APPLY FOR WASTE DISPOSAL. 
  • Soiled  or contaminated mattresses and soiled or contaminated box springs will NOT be accepted. Please note the detailed list of acceptable and non-acceptable items is listed in the Frequently Asked Questions, question #1.
  • For more information, view the list of Frequently Asked Questions below or contact OC Waste & Recycling during regular business hours at 714-834-4000.

Residential Bulky Item Pick Up

  • OC residents may contact their local waste hauler to ask about a free bulky item pick up of mattresses.
  • Individual waste haulers may have their own specific guidelines which may vary from city to city.
  • Residents are encouraged to contact the hauler directly for more information. For a list of OC residential waste haulers by city, visit our website for more details.

Commercial Mattress Recycling at OC Landfills

  • Commercial customers  (businesses) may take recyclable mattresses and box springs ONLY (no mixed waste or trash) to the Frank R. Bowerman, the Olinda Alpha or Prima Deshecha landfills. 
  • There is no limit to the number of mattresses per load, however soiled or contaminated items WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.  Please note the detailed list of acceptable and non-acceptable items in the below list of Frequently Asked Questions, question #1.
  • For more information, view the list of Frequently Asked Questions below or contact OC Waste & Recycling during regular business hours at 714-834-4000.

Retailer Take Back

  • California retailers are required by law to pick up old mattresses at no cost when they deliver a new one (exceptions apply). Ask at the time of purchase for details. 
  • If a retailer does not agree to take back an old mattress when delivering a new one, please contact info@byebyemattress.com or call 1-855-700-9973.
  • Contaminated mattresses posing a health or safety hazard are not eligible for the recycling program. See the below list of Frequently Asked Questions for accepted or non-accepted items.
  • Keep in mind, as mattress retailers respond to COVID-19 this may impact how retailers take back mattresses. 

ACCEPTED items:

  • Standard mattresses
  • Standard box springs 
  • Futon mattresses (no bases or other furniture parts)

NON-ACCEPTED items:

  • Items that are wet, heavily soiled or infested with bedbugs
  • Air mattresses that contain no upholstery material (such as camping beds)
  • Car beds
  • Cushions (such as from chairs, couches or patio furniture)
  • Juvenile products including, carriages, baskets, dressing tables, strollers, playpens, infant carriers, lounge pad, crib bumpers
  • Mattress pads
  • Mattress toppers
  • Pillows
  • Sleeping bags
  • Sofa beds
  • Collapsible roll-away beds
  • Water beds that contain no upholstery material

Residents can take eligible mattresses and box springs to the Olinda Alpha Landfill or Prima Deshecha landfills as they are open for public disposal. The Frank R. Bowerman landfill is not open to the general public for disposal. 

Commercial customers  (businesses) may take eligible mattresses and box springs ONLY (not combined mixed waste or trash) to the Frank R. Bowerman, the Olinda Alpha or Prima Deshecha landfills.

Mattress-only loads (no mixed waste) are accepted for free at our Prima Deshecha and Olinda Alpha landfills for residential customers. If bringing a separated mattress along with waste for disposal, standard landfill fees will apply for the waste disposal. The mattress must NOT be soiled or contaminated. See list of acceptable and non -acceptable items in question #1 above.

Commercial businesses may recycle mattress-only loads for free (no mixed waste) at the Frank R. Bowerman,  Prima Deshecha and Olinda Alpha landfills if eligible for recycling (not soiled or contaminated) at . See list of acceptable and non-acceptable items in question #1 above.

Residents are not limited to the number of recyclable mattresses they can bring to the Olinda Alpha and Prima Deschecha landfills. For details on acceptable or non-acceptable items, click here.

Commercial customers (businesses) can drop off unlimited mattresses to any of our three active landfills for free as long as the load contains mattresses only. Mixed loads, containing waste and mattresses, will be charged standard waste fees. For details on acceptable or non-acceptable items, click here.

Any load that contains mattresses and other waste will be charged our standard waste fees. If bringing a mattress with a load of waste for disposal, the eligible mattress(es) must be separated from waste and cannot be soiled or contaminated. For a list of acceptable or non-acceptable items, see question #1 above.

More than 80% of a mattress can be recycled, saving valuable resources and preserving the environment. The Bye Bye Mattress program picks up recyclable mattresses from the landfill and processes the recoverable materials for reuse. For more information on how mattress materials are repurposed, click here.

OC Waste & Recycling and Bye Bye Mattress  estimates the partnership will prevent as many as 15,000 mattresses per year from being buried in our local landfills. The partnership also aims to reduce illegal mattress disposal by making recycling options more readily available to both residential and commercial customers. 

Acceptance of eligible mattresses for free at OC landfills and by OC waste haulers is made possible through the Bye Bye Mattress Program administered by the Mattress Recycling Council. California law requires retailers to collect a recycling fee on each mattress and box spring sold. The amount of the fee was approved by the state and is not set or controlled by individual retailers. 

For more information regarding the recycling fee, visit the Frequently Asked Questions here. 

Residential and commercial customers may find additional recycling options through the Bye Bye Mattress locator search tool located at byebyemattress.com. It is recommended you contact the location prior to bringing a mattress for recycling.