Print
Share page with AddThis

Winter Mattress Recycling Update

Posted on: December 15, 2021 - 3:01pm
Green background graphic of mattress recycling symbol, logos of Melrose DPW, Green Mattress, and MassDEP

Our mattress recycling initiative is off to a great start! The City of Melrose has already diverted 200 mattresses from the waste stream to be recycled, thanks to our partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and Green Mattress Recycling, LLC of Milford.

Because mattress purchases typically drop in winter, and the City Yard is closed on Saturdays until April, the mattress recycling program is changing for the winter.

The Post-holiday Recycling Event at the City Yard (72 Tremont Street) on Saturday January 8, 8:00 am – Noon, will include mattress drop-off for $10 per item. Please bring a check, payable to “City of Melrose.”

Mattresses will be accepted for drop-off at the City Yard on the following Thursdays, 8:00 am – 2:45 pm for $10 per item (Please bring a check, payable to “City of Melrose”): 

  • Thursday, January 27
  • Thursday, February 3
  • Thursday, February 17
  • Thursday, March 10
  • Thursday, March 24

Residents interested in signing up for curbside pickup may do so through DPW, and Green Mattress will carry out the collection. Current available dates for curbside collection in 2022 are:

  • February 16
  • March 16
  • April 13
  • May 4
  • May 25
  • June 15
  • June 29
  • July 13
  • July 27
  • August 10
  • August 17 (Tentative, will be reviewed in June)
  • August 31
  • September 21
  • October 5
  • October 26

Payment of $25 per item must be made in advance by check at the Resident Services Office at the City Yard or the Engineering Division in City Hall, Monday through Friday.

Please note that mattresses are no longer collected as trash.

Mattresses and box springs pose a waste disposal challenge, as they are difficult to transport, do not compact easily, and can get caught in incinerator processing equipment. As a result, MassDEP has added mattresses to the list of materials to be banned from disposal in Massachusetts.

Green Mattress disassembles mattresses and box springs, separating them into component parts fit for recycling: foam, fabrics and fibers, box springs and steel inner-springs, and wood, with an aim of recycling 95% of each unit.

All size mattresses, including crib mattresses, and all size box springs are part of this program. Each piece is considered one unit, no matter the size. The recycling program does not include futon mattresses, sofa bed mattresses, air or water beds, mattress pads and toppers, or pet beds. Bed frames are not part of this program and should be discarded as a normal bulky item or recycled as a metal good, depending on content.

If you have questions, please contact Lisa Scott, Environmental Outreach Coordinator, at recycle@cityofmelrose.org or 781-665-0142.