# Can you put mattresses and box springs in a dumpster?

> Usually, with conditions. This is the clearest case on the site of a question with a different correct answer depending on where you live. Most haulers take a…

Source: https://dumptergod.shop/what-can-go-in/mattress/
Last reviewed: 2026-08-17

# Can you put mattresses and box springs in a dumpster?

Direct answer
**Usually, with conditions.** This is the clearest case on the site of a question with a different correct answer depending on where you live. Most haulers take a mattress in a general container and add a per-item charge because mattresses wrap around landfill compactor drums. In Massachusetts they are banned from disposal outright.

**General status**: Usually, with conditions

**Rule type**: Varies by state

**Category**: Household

**States verified**: MA

## Check your local rules

Permit rules and disposal bans are set by state and city and change frequently. This page reflects the sources listed as of the review date. Verify with the department named before you order.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-17

## Where the answer is different
- Massachusetts — Banned from disposal since November 1, 2022, including any foundation or box spring. The ban has a real exception: a mattress contaminated with mold, bodily fluids, insects, oil or hazardous substances is excluded, so a genuinely soiled mattress can still be disposed of. (310 CMR 19.017)

States not listed here are unverified, not permitted. We publish a state verdict only after reading the rule at the state agency, because a wrong answer here gets a load rejected at the transfer station and the cost lands on whoever rented the container.

## Where it goes instead

Mattress recycling programs take the steel, foam and fibre separately. Retailers that deliver a new mattress will often haul the old one, which is the cheapest route in a ban state.

## What it costs if it goes in wrongly

Where it is allowed, expect a per-mattress surcharge rather than a rejected load.

## Related questions
- The full accepted and prohibited materials matrix
- Can you put general household junk in a dumpster?
- Can you put furniture, couches and tables in a dumpster?
- Can you put cardboard in a dumpster?
- Can you put textiles, clothing and bedding in a dumpster?
- State waste bans and recycling mandates

## Sources
- Primary source MassDEP Waste Disposal Bans — Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection · last reviewed 2026-08-17mass.gov refuses automated requests from this build environment (HTTP 403). The ban list was read from the publisher’s own guide through a search index and cross-checked against the October 2021 amendment document below.
- Primary source 310 CMR 19.000 Final Waste Ban Amendments (October 2021) — Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection · last reviewed 2026-08-17

Reviewed by [R. Tiwari](https://dumptergod.shop/authors/r-tiwari/) Last reviewed: 2026-08-17