How to Dispose of a Mattress in Melbourne (+ What It Costs)

Old mattresses are among the most awkward things to get rid of. They don't fit in a bin, they don't fit in most cars, they're heavy and floppy enough to need two people, and if you leave one on the nature strip at the wrong time you can be fined for illegal dumping.

The good news: you've got several options in Melbourne, and one of them is free. Here's each one, what it costs, and how to pick.

Your options at a glance

1. Council hard waste collection (free)

Most Melbourne councils run a free hard waste collection for residents, and mattresses are usually accepted.

Cost: free, generally one or two collections a year. Wait: you book a slot, and it can be days or weeks away depending on the council and time of year.

The catches:

• Item limits. Some councils cap how many mattresses you can put out - often one or two.
• Booking required. Most councils need it booked in advance; you can't just put it out.
• Timing rules. Put it out too early and you risk a fine, and a rain-soaked mattress may be rejected.
• Wrapping. Some councils require mattresses bagged or wrapped for health and safety.

Best for: anyone who can wait and hasn't used their allocation. If that's you, this is genuinely your cheapest option and we'd tell you to use it.

2. Transfer station drop-off (~$40–80)

If you've got a ute, trailer or a roof rack and a friend, you can take it to a council transfer station or resource recovery centre yourself.

Cost: roughly $40–80 per mattress. Wait: none, go when they're open.

The catches: you need transport, you're doing the lifting twice (in and out), and some sites have residency requirements. Factor in fuel and an hour of your Saturday.

Best for: people with a trailer who'd rather pay a bit than wait.

3. Mattress recyclers (~$50–100)

Specialist mattress recyclers dismantle mattresses rather than burying them. Some offer collection, some are drop-off only.

Cost: roughly $50–100 depending on service and location.

Best for: people who want to be certain it's recycled and don't mind arranging it.

4. Junk removal pickup (we do this)

We come to you, carry it out, and take it away. No lifting, no transport, no waiting for a collection date.

Our minimum charge is $200 for a standard job - that covers the truck, crew and trip out to you.

But if it's just one mattress, give us a call. Depending on where you are and what's already on the run that day, we can often do a single mattress pickup for less than our usual minimum. It's worth a quick phone call to find out - we'll tell you straight either way, and if council collection is a better deal for you, we'll say so.

Where we're clearly the right call:

• You need it gone today or this week, not next month
• It's upstairs, in an apartment, or awkward to get out
• You've already used your council collection
• *You've got a mattress plus other stuff* - bed frame, old sofa, wardrobe, the pile in the garage. This is where the pricing genuinely works in your favour: one visit, one fixed price, the lot gone.

Full pricing: How much does junk removal cost in Melbourne?

What actually happens to a recycled mattress

A mattress is more recyclable than it looks. Pulled apart properly:

• Steel springs → scrap metal, melted down and reused
• Foam → shredded for carpet underlay
• Timber from the base → chipped for mulch or particleboard
• Fabric and fibre → insulation and industrial felt

Buried instead, a single mattress takes up around three-quarters of a cubic metre of landfill and can sit there for decades. Australians throw out roughly 1.8 million of them a year, which is why recycling is worth the effort.

We send mattresses to recyclers wherever we can. Across all our jobs, around 80% of what we collect is kept out of landfill.

Can you sell or donate an old mattress?

Usually not, and it's worth knowing before you waste time trying.

Most Australian charities won't accept used mattresses for hygiene and safety reasons, and second-hand sales are restricted. Victorian rules around reselling used bedding are strict - mattresses generally have to meet sanitisation requirements to be legally resold.

If yours is genuinely near-new, it's worth asking a charity first, but expect a no. Anything stained, sagging or older than a few years is a disposal job, not a donation.

Frequently asked questions

Need a mattress gone? Call 0435 377 111 or send a photo for a free, fixed quote. Often same day.

Family-run and based in Oakleigh, servicing all Melbourne suburbs. Rated 5.0 from 105 Google reviews, fully insured, and around 80% of what we collect is kept out of landfill.