Niche A Last checked: 2026-10-28

How to Get Rid of an Old Mattress in Sydney: Free Council Pick-ups, Recyclers and What's Not Accepted

Quick answer

For most Sydney households the cheapest option is a free booked council collection. Book the mattress under the right category (some councils use a separate mattress category or a Soft Landing booking), put it out only when your booking says, and never leave it on the kerb without one. Not sure which council you're in? Use Which council am I in?. Short version: mattress guide.

City of Sydney

• Free booked bulky pick-up; Group 1: mattresses — any size or condition (foam, latex, futon), plus bed-base ensembles or fabric-covered bases.
• Bookings made by 2pm the day before your scheduled collection day are picked up that week; you can cancel online up to 2pm the day before.
• Limits: 1 cubic metre per booking for houses (about a box-trailer load); 4 cubic metres per booking for apartment buildings.
• Items can be collected any time from 6am to 6pm on the day.

Official: Book a free pick-up for bulky items

Inner West

• Mattresses are not in the general bulky category — book the separate Mattresses clean-up category.
• Accepted: mattresses, ensemble bases, futons. Not accepted: sofa beds, metal bed frames and other items listed on the council page.
• Collected mattresses go to Soft Landing and Mattress Recycler for recycling.
• Limit of 2 cubic metres (2m × 1m × 1m) per collection; change or cancel up to 48 hours before collection.
• Booked clean-ups are only for properties paying a domestic waste charge. Extra collections attract a fee — see the council page for the current amount.

Official: Inner West council clean-ups

Willoughby

• Mattresses are not on the general bulky clean-up — use the free booked mattress collection run with Soft Landing.
• Up to 4 eligible items; fabric-covered ensemble bases without drawers; label items on both sides as instructed.
• Place out by 6am on collection day (or the evening before).

Official: Booked mattress collections

More councils

• City of Parramatta: mattresses and bed frames are listed among accepted clean-up items (max 2m length) — clean-up services.
• Northern Beaches: mattresses and bed bases are on the accepted bulky goods list — what we can and can't collect.
• Other councils (e.g. Sutherland Shire, Canterbury-Bankstown): search your council's site for “mattress” or “clean-up”; many offer a booked collection.

What's usually accepted vs rejected

Put-out timing and illegal dumping

Put the mattress out only in the window your council gives, at the kerb outside your own property (apartments: where your building manager says). Leaving a mattress out without a booking, or too early, can be treated as illegal dumping and fined. Standing it up and keeping it dry helps it get recycled.

Paid drop-off: Soft Landing and recyclers

If you can't wait for a council booking, paid drop-off is available at mattress recyclers such as Soft Landing (Smithfield), and some waste facilities in western Sydney (e.g. Eastern Creek) accept mattresses. Fees and opening hours vary — call ahead or use the Australian Bedding Stewardship Council's find a recycler tool. We don't list fees because they change.

Retailer take-back

Many bed retailers offer removal of your old mattress when they deliver a new one, sometimes for an added fee. Ask at checkout whether the old mattress goes to a recycler.

What happens to a recycled mattress?

City of Sydney says its contractor recycles up to 75% of mattress parts: steel springs become products like metal roofing, foam becomes carpet underlay, and timber can be reused.

Handy gear for moving a mattress (optional)

Not needed for a council collection, but helpful if you're carrying a mattress down stairs or into a trailer.

Sources: City of Sydney · Inner West · Willoughby · Parramatta · Northern Beaches · ABSC recyclers. Last checked 2026-10-28.