A mattress is one of the hardest ordinary household items to get rid of. It does not fit in a car, it does not fit in a trash cart, nobody wants a used one, and every town handles it differently. Mattress disposal in South Jersey comes down to five options, and which one is right depends almost entirely on where you live and how soon you need it gone.
First: New Jersey Has No Mattress Recycling Program
A handful of states, including Connecticut, Rhode Island, California and Oregon, run statewide mattress recycling programs funded by a fee at the register. New Jersey is not one of them. There is no state drop-off network and no statewide rule, so a mattress here is treated as ordinary bulky waste and the rules are set town by town.
That is why the answer to “can I just put it at the curb?” changes every time you cross a municipal line.
Option 1: Your Town’s Curbside Pickup
Free, or close to it, if your town takes them. A sample of what municipalities around us publish:
- Monroe Township (Williamstown): mattresses are accepted on bulk day, which is two Fridays a month depending on your trash route. Details in our Williamstown bulk pickup guide.
- Glassboro: notify the Highway Office before putting out any bulk item. See our Glassboro guide.
- Cherry Hill: mattresses and box springs go out on your regular trash day, with four feet of clearance from the cart. See Cherry Hill bulk trash rules.
- Millville: the city’s collection contractor takes one bulk item per household on the regular collection day, and a mattress counts as that one item.
- Bridgeton: mattresses and box springs need a city sticker, listed at $3 in the city’s published rules, or can go to the city convenience center on Saturdays.
- Philadelphia: mattresses count toward the two-item weekly limit on compactible bulk. See Philadelphia bulk trash rules.
Two things to check with your own public works department before you drag it out: whether a mattress and a box spring count as one item or two, and whether your town wants it bagged. Rules on both vary, and a mattress left at the curb in the rain for a week because it was put out wrong is nobody’s idea of a good outcome.
Option 2: Haul It to the County Landfill Yourself
If you own a pickup, this works. A mattress is bulky waste, and you pay by weight with a minimum charge:
- Gloucester County Solid Waste Complex, South Harrison Township: bulky waste is $75 per ton with a $19 minimum as of January 2026. Open weekdays 7:00am to 3:30pm and selected Saturdays. Personal vehicles only, no rental trucks. Full rundown in where to dump trash in Gloucester County.
- Cumberland County Solid Waste Complex, 169 Jesse Bridge Road: open weekdays 7:30am to 3:30pm and Saturdays 8:00am to noon, with a $5 minimum disposal fee per load.
For one mattress you will pay the minimum. The real cost is the truck, the time and the drive.
Option 3: Have the Retailer Take the Old One
If you are buying a new mattress, ask about haul-away before you pay. Many retailers and delivery services will take the old set when they deliver the new one, sometimes free and sometimes for a fee. It is the easiest option there is, and it only exists at the moment of purchase. Once the delivery truck leaves, it is gone.
Option 4: Donation (Usually Not)
We wish this worked more often. Most donation outlets will not accept used mattresses or box springs for hygiene reasons, and that includes many thrift stores and Habitat ReStores. A nearly new mattress with no stains might find a taker through a local buy-nothing group or a furniture bank. Call before you load it. Do not leave it outside a donation center.
Option 5: Junk Removal
This is the pay-for-convenience option, and it makes sense in specific situations:
- It is upstairs. A queen mattress down a turning staircase is a two-person job. A queen box spring sometimes will not make the turn at all.
- There is more than one. Clearing three bedrooms means six pieces, and most curbside programs will not take that in a week.
- You have a deadline. Move-out day, a closing, new furniture arriving tomorrow.
- It is part of a bigger job. If the mattress is one item in a bedroom set or a full house cleanout, it all goes on one truck.
- The property is a rental or vacant. Some towns, Cherry Hill among them, do not provide collection to vacant or commercial properties.
Our mattress removal service takes mattresses and box springs from anywhere in the house. They carry a per-piece disposal fee at the facility, which we pass through at cost and name in your quote before you agree. More on that on our what we take and pricing pages.
What Not to Do
- Do not leave it at a dumpster, a vacant lot or the side of a road. That is illegal dumping in New Jersey, and the fines are far higher than any disposal fee.
- Do not burn it.
- Do not put it out days early. A rain-soaked mattress is far heavier than a dry one, and crews can refuse it.
- If there is any chance of bed bugs, seal it in a mattress bag before it leaves the bedroom, and tell whoever is collecting it.
Quick Reference
- Cheapest: your town’s curbside bulk pickup, if it takes mattresses.
- Easiest: retailer haul-away when the new one is delivered.
- DIY: county landfill, minimum fee, personal vehicle required.
- Fastest: junk removal, including the carry from upstairs.
- Least likely: donation.
Town rules and landfill fees change. Confirm with your municipal public works department or the county facility before relying on any of the above.
Mattress Disposal FAQs
Does New Jersey have a mattress recycling program?
No. New Jersey has no statewide mattress recycling or stewardship program. Mattresses are handled as ordinary bulky waste, and the rules are set by each municipality and county disposal facility.
Can I put a mattress out with the trash in South Jersey?
It depends on the town. Monroe Township accepts mattresses on bulk Fridays, Cherry Hill takes them on the regular trash day, Millville’s collector takes one bulk item per collection day, and Bridgeton requires a city sticker. Check with your public works department first.
How much does it cost to dump a mattress at the landfill?
At the Gloucester County Solid Waste Complex, bulky waste is $75 per ton with a $19 minimum as of January 2026, so a single mattress costs the minimum. The Cumberland County Solid Waste Complex has a $5 minimum disposal fee per load.
Will anyone take a used mattress as a donation?
Rarely. Most thrift stores and donation centers do not accept used mattresses or box springs for hygiene reasons. A clean, nearly new mattress may be accepted by a furniture bank or a local giving group, so call first.
Do junk removal companies take mattresses?
Yes. Roadside Cleanouts removes mattresses and box springs from any room in the house. They carry a per-piece disposal fee at the facility, which is named in the quote upfront.
One Mattress or a Whole Houseful
Roadside Cleanouts is family owned and operated by Steven, Debbie and Gary, based in Franklinville and working across South Jersey seven days a week. Text us a photo and the floor it is on, and we will give you a price.
Call or text (848) 221-7034, or use our contact page. 7am to 7pm, every day.