How to get rid of a mattress in Metro Vancouver (2026 guide)

You can't put a mattress in the garbage in Metro Vancouver. Mattresses and box springs have been banned from regional garbage since 2011 because they jam equipment and most of a mattress can be recycled. A mattress found in a garbage load gets the whole load surcharged.

Here is every legitimate way to get rid of one in 2026, what each costs, and which suits whom.

Why can't a mattress go in the garbage?

Metro Vancouver's Disposal Ban Program lists mattresses as a banned material. If an inspector finds even one in a garbage load at a regional facility, the load is charged a minimum $80 surcharge, plus any clean-up cost (Metro Vancouver Disposal Ban Program). Leaving a mattress in a lane or beside a dumpster counts as illegal dumping, and most cities fine for it.

So a mattress has to go to a recycler. The only question is who takes it there.

Option 1: Drop it at a recycling and waste centre ($20)

Metro Vancouver's recycling and waste centres accept mattresses and box springs as paid recycling. As of July 2026 the fee is $20 per mattress or box spring, up to 4 per visit (Metro Vancouver 2026 fees). Centres that list mattresses in their visitor guides include:

• United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre, Coquitlam
• Central Surrey Recycling and Waste Centre, Surrey
• North Shore Recycling and Waste Centre, North Vancouver

The City of Vancouver runs its own sites, the Vancouver Landfill and the Vancouver South Transfer Station, which also take mattresses for a per-unit fee. Check vancouver.ca for current rates and hours.

Best for: anyone with a truck or a large van and a free hour. Watch for: a queen mattress won't fit in most cars, and a wet mattress is heavy and messy to load.

Option 2: Your city's large-item pickup

Several cities collect mattresses from the curb a few times a year. These programs are usually for houses on city garbage collection, not apartments or stratas with private collection, so check before you book.

• Surrey: the City's free Large Item Pickup covers up to 6 items per household per year (8 with a registered secondary suite), and the City supplies a bag for mattresses. Book at surrey.ca/largeitems. Expect to wait a couple of weeks.
• Burnaby: Large Item Pickup covers up to 3 items per household per year. Book through burnaby.ca or at 604-294-7972.
• Other cities: Vancouver, Richmond, Coquitlam and others run their own programs with different rules. Search for your city's name plus "large item pickup".

Best for: houses that can wait a couple of weeks and have a spot to leave the mattress at the curb.

Option 3: The retailer that sells your new one

Many mattress stores offer to take the old mattress away when they deliver the new one, sometimes for a fee. Ask before you buy. It's often the easiest option if you're replacing it anyway.

Option 4: Book a junk removal pickup

If you have no truck, live in a condo, can't wait two weeks, or the mattress is upstairs, a junk removal crew is the fastest route. We carry it out from any floor, including walk-ups and condo elevators. Because mattresses are banned from the garbage, every one we collect goes to recycling, and the disposal fee is included in the quote.

A mattress pickup runs $69 to $99 per mattress. Adding the frame, box spring or other items usually costs less than booking them separately. See mattress removal or our full pricing.

Which option is cheapest?

• A house in Surrey or Burnaby, and you're not in a hurry: city large-item pickup.
• You have a truck and one or two mattresses: a recycling and waste centre, at $20 each.
• You're buying a new mattress: ask the retailer to take the old one.
• You're in a condo, have no truck, or need it gone this week: a junk removal pickup.
• Several mattresses, e.g. after a rental turnover: junk removal priced by truck volume.

Common questions

Can I put a mattress out with my garbage?

No. Mattresses are banned from regional garbage, and a garbage load containing one is surcharged at least $80.

Is it cheaper to cut up a mattress myself?

Usually not. The steel springs and foam still have to go to a recycler, and the job is slow and messy. A whole mattress costs $20 to drop off.

Do you take mattresses with bed bugs?

Yes, as long as the mattress is fully sealed in plastic (a mattress bag works) before we arrive. Tell us when you book.

Do you pick up mattresses in Burnaby and Surrey?

Yes. We cover all of Metro Vancouver, including Burnaby, Surrey and Vancouver.

Need a mattress gone this week? Call 604-348-7640 or get a free quote.

Fees and program rules checked September 2026. Sources: Metro Vancouver Disposal Ban Program, 2026 garbage and recycling fees, and the recycling and waste centre visitor guides.