Somerville to Launch Mattress & Box Spring Recycling

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne announces that the City of Somerville is launching mattress and box spring recycling starting the week of April 4, 2022. This free service is available to all residential households that have City-managed trash collection. Residents will simply need to schedule a pickup and place their items on the curb on the pickup day. 

The City has hired Boston Carting to collect mattresses and box springs and Green Mattress Recycling to arrange for their recycling. Foam and fabric will be made into new foam and textiles. Metal will be sent to scrap yards. Wood will be converted to mulch and other materials. Somerville was awarded a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Sustainable Materials Recovery Program Municipal Grant of up to $46,406 to offset costs.  

The program will give the City a head start on meeting new state requirements. As of November 2022, all municipalities must have mattress and box spring recycling in place. MassDEP reports that approximately 600,000 mattresses and box springs are discarded in Massachusetts each year. 

Removing these items from the solid waste stream will support the goals of the State’s 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan to reduce all waste disposal statewide by 30 percent (from 5.7 million tons in 2018 to 4 million tons in 2030) over the next decade. 

“As we focus on how to reduce our impact on the planet, making sure we recycle to conserve resources and reduce landfill is just common sense. And for mattresses in particular, because many are made with fossil-fuel-based products, recycling them helps reduce carbon emissions and gets us closer to our Net-Zero Carbon Negative climate goals,” said Mayor Ballantyne. “I want to commend MassDEP, our Office of Sustainability and Environment, and our Department of Public Works for moving this effort forward. I look forward to our residents doing their part to schedule pickups as needed.”

How to Recycle Your Mattress and Box Spring 

• Schedule a pickup: Residents must contact 311 Constituent Services in advance to schedule a mattress and/or box spring pickup. Call 311 at 617-666-3311 or visit somervillema.gov/311 for more contact options.
• Put items on the curb on the arranged pickup day: The mattress or box spring will be picked up curbside one day after your regular trash day with one exception. For residents with Friday trash pickup, mattresses and box springs will also be picked up on Friday.
• Place on the curb by 7 a.m. on the pickup day: Mattresses and box springs may be placed outside for pickup starting at 4 p.m. on the day before the pickup day — and must be out before 7 a.m. on the pickup day.
• Please follow the rules: Recyclable mattresses placed out with trash and not scheduled for pickup will be left on the curb and, after a grace period at the start of the program, may be subject to fines.  

Which mattresses and box springs can be recycled?

• Most mattress types can be recycled including foam, spring, mixed material, or latex mattresses and all box springs. All mattress sizes will be accepted, from king to crib size. 
• There are a few exceptions. The following items should be disposed of with the trash and will not be accepted for recycling:
  • infant sleeping pads not meant for cribs 
  • futons, mattress pads, or toppers
  • excessively torn, soiled, or moldy items
  • broken, crushed, or twisted items
  • air or water beds
  • bed-bug-infested mattresses (For information on how to properly mark and dispose of an infested mattress, visit somervillema.gov/bedbugs.)

For more information on recycling in Somerville, please visit www.somervillema.gov/MattressRecycling.