Mattress Disposal in Sydney: Your Options & What They Cost

You have four real options for getting rid of a mattress in Sydney: a booked council collection, dropping it at a recycler yourself, donating it if it's genuinely near-new, or booking a pickup. A booked pickup is a flat $80 with us — any size, any condition — and saves you hiring a ute. Collection is kerbside only, so please arrange for the mattress to be safely placed outside at the kerbside before pickup.

Can you put a mattress in the bin?

Mattresses are far too bulky for kerbside bins, and they're one of the hardest household items to recycle — springs, foam, timber and fabric all have to be separated by machine or by hand.

They're also the single most dumped item in Sydney. Councils spend millions a year collecting mattresses that were left on nature strips, in laneways and on vacant blocks, which is exactly why enforcement has got sharper. Leaving one out without a booked collection can be treated as illegal dumping, and in high-density areas it's often caught on camera.

Your four options, compared

1. Booked council collection — free to low cost, but slow

Most Sydney councils give households a limited number of booked bulky collections each year, and the allowance varies widely: two a year in Canterbury-Bankstown, up to 12 a year in Blacktown, and a weekly booked pick-up in the City of Sydney (council websites, checked 27 Sep 2026). Check your own council's rules before you plan around it. It's the cheapest route if you're not in a hurry.

The catches: you wait for an allocated date, which can be weeks out in busy periods. There are annual limits and caps on how much you can put out. You still have to carry the mattress to the kerb yourself. And if you're in a strata block, the owners corporation usually has to coordinate it — you can't just put yours out.

Cost: usually free within your annual allocation.

2. Drop it at a recycler yourself

Sydney has dedicated mattress recyclers who'll take one over the weighbridge. Good option if you already have a ute or trailer.

The catches: you pay a gate fee, you do all the lifting twice, and you need a vehicle that fits a queen mattress — which most cars don't, and roof-strapping one is both illegal and a good way to lose it on the M4.

Cost: $54 per mattress at Soft Landing's drop-off site at 29 Chifley Street, Smithfield (card only; price as of 1 Jul 2026, checked 27 Sep 2026), plus transport and your time. Other tips and transfer stations set their own fees.

3. Donate it — only if it's genuinely near-new

Charities will accept mattresses, but the bar is much higher than people expect: no stains, no tears, no sagging, no odour, and generally under a few years old. Most used mattresses simply don't qualify, and dropping a rejected one at a charity bin creates a disposal cost for them.

Cost: free if accepted — but call first, don't just turn up.

4. Book a pickup — flat $80, any size

We collect it from the kerbside and take it to be recycled. Any size from single to super king, and any condition including soiled, torn or water-damaged. You don't need to be home, and you don't need a vehicle.

Cost: a flat $80 per mattress. No call-out fee, no fuel levy, no size surcharge.

How much does mattress removal cost in Sydney?

Two published prices give you a benchmark (checked 27 Sep 2026):

• Soft Landing collection — from $78 for the first mattress and $65 for each additional one in Sydney (prices as of 1 Jul 2026; they vary with distance from the recycling site).
• IKEA — $55 per mattress, but only when you buy a new IKEA mattress for delivery and add the removal when you book.

Lower advertised prices usually come with a catch — a new-mattress purchase, a minimum load, a stair fee, a size surcharge, or a call-out charge added at the door.

We keep it simple: $80 flat, any size, any condition, collected within 24–48 hours anywhere in Sydney. Booking several at once is the same $80 each, so a share house getting rid of three beds pays $240 and it's done in one visit.

What about the base or bed frame?

Worth being upfront: we take mattresses, not bed frames, bases or ensembles. A mattress is a recyclable product we can strip into steel, foam and timber. Frames and bases are a different job and we'd rather point you elsewhere than take your money for something we don't do well.

Which option should you pick?

• No rush, ground floor, and you have a council booking available? Use the council collection.
• Own a ute and want the cheapest possible outcome? Drop it at a recycler.
• Mattress is genuinely near-new? Ring a charity first — someone gets a bed out of it.
• No vehicle, lease ending, or you just want it gone this week? Book a pickup.

Frequently asked questions

Do you take mattresses in any condition?

Yes — including soiled, torn, water-damaged or heavily worn. Condition doesn't change the price or whether we'll take it. Every mattress goes to recycling regardless.

Do I need to be home?

No, provided the mattress is outside at the agreed kerbside collection point before pickup. Add any kerbside access instructions when you book.

Will you carry it down from an apartment?

No. Collection is kerbside only. Please arrange for the mattress to be safely taken downstairs and placed outside at the kerbside before pickup; our team does not carry items from inside homes, on stairs or from apartments.

What if it's got bed bugs?

Still fine, and please tell us when you book. We'll bag and handle it accordingly so it doesn't spread — it changes nothing about the price.

How fast can you collect?

Within 24–48 hours across Sydney, and often same-day if you book early. We run Monday to Friday, 6am–4pm.

How much does it cost to get rid of a king or queen mattress?

With us it's $80 for a king or a queen, the same as a single — there's no size surcharge. Soft Landing and IKEA also publish a flat per-mattress price rather than size tiers (see the prices above).

Will the store take my old mattress when I buy a new one?

Some will when they deliver the new one — IKEA, for example, charges $55 per mattress and only with a new IKEA mattress delivery (checked 27 Sep 2026). If your retailer doesn't offer it, or the timing doesn't suit, a booked pickup is $80 any size.

Where can I drop off a mattress myself?

Soft Landing takes drop-offs at 29 Chifley Street, Smithfield for $54 per mattress, card only (as of 1 Jul 2026). You'll need a vehicle that fits it, so check their drop-off page for opening hours before you go.

Replacing the couch too? Armchair $80, 2–3 seater $180, 4–5 seater or modular $300 — add a sofa or lounge pickup and we take it in the same trip.

Book a mattress pickup

Flat $80, any size, any condition, recycled rather than buried. Pick how many, choose a date, and arrange for the mattresses to be safely placed outside at the kerbside before pickup.

Book a mattress pickup — $80 →

Old fridge or freezer going at the same time? Add a pickup from $80. E-waste too? A flat $80 per load. Car? Get a free quote.