Mattress & bulky item disposal in New York City, NY
New York City's Department of Sanitation (DSNY) picks up mattresses, furniture and other bulky items curbside for free on your regular collection days, with no appointment, up to 6 items per collection day. Mattresses and box springs must be sealed in a plastic bag.
Free curbside bulk pickup (no appointment)
- NYC residents get free curbside removal of bulk (large) items from residential buildings. You can set out up to 6 items per collection day.
- Pick up appointments are no longer offered and cannot be scheduled. Items go out on your regular collection days instead.
- Set items out between 6 PM and midnight the night before your collection day.
- Mostly metal or rigid plastic items go out the night before your recycling collection day. Everything else (wood furniture, sofas, mattresses) goes out the night before your trash collection day, not your recycling day.
- Find your days with DSNY's collection schedule lookup for your address (linked in Sources), or call 311.
- Items must not be in the street, extend in front of another property or block pedestrians. Items left on private property cannot be picked up; put them at the curb or designated alley.
- Have a lot of items? Spread them over several collection days.
Mattresses and box springs
- Mattresses, box springs and futons go out with trash, the evening before your trash collection day.
- They must be fully sealed in a plastic bag before set out, to prevent the spread of bed bugs. The City does not provide bags; department stores, home improvement stores and moving supply centers sell them.
- DSNY's Collection Laws page says the bag must be clear plastic; the NYC311 mattress page says any color except red or orange. A sealed clear bag meets both.
- Improperly set out mattresses won't be collected and can be fined: $50 first offense, $100 second, $200 third and after (per DSNY Collection Laws and NYC311).
- Bed frames: wood frames go out with trash, mostly metal or plastic frames with recycling. Tie pieces into bundles no larger than 2 x 4 feet.
Items with special rules
- Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and water coolers contain CFCs (Freon). DSNY won't collect them without an appointment to remove the CFCs first; book through the NYC311 CFC and Freon Removal page.
- TVs, monitors, computers and other e-waste can't go in the trash; see the NYC311 Electronics Disposal guidance.
- Rugs: cut to 4 foot widths and tie into bundles no higher than 2 feet.
- Sofa beds and pullouts: remove the metal frame and put it out with metal recycling.
- If items have bed bugs, you must put a sign on them saying so.
- Oversized items that won't fit in a regular collection truck should be broken down. To ask whether DSNY can take an item, email a description and dimensions to [email protected].
- Major renovation or contractor debris needs a private carter or dumpster, not curbside pickup.
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