How to Dispose of a Mattress in Irvine, CA
Three ways to get rid of a mattress in Irvine, from free to fastest — with the city rules that decide whether it actually gets taken.
Putting it out with your regular trash in Irvine
- How many items
- One trash cart collected weekly, in 96, 64 or 32 gallon sizes.
- What it costs
- Included in your WM service; the rate follows the cart size you choose.
- Good to know
- Carts go out by 6 a.m. with the wheels against the kerb and three feet clear of parked cars and mailboxes. Everything bagged and the lid shut — overflow can be charged for or left behind. Construction waste, auto parts, tyres, paint, motor oil, household cleaners, medical and electronic waste are not accepted in the cart, and under SB 1383 food scraps belong in the organics cart rather than the trash.
Booking a city pickup
Anything too big to fit inside the cart.
- How many items
- Four items per pickup and four pickups a year — sixteen items in total.
- How to book
- Book before your regular collection day: sign in to My WM, open "Do More Online" and choose "Bulk Pickup". WM Irvine also takes calls on 949-642-1191.
- What it costs
- Free. The sixteen items a year are part of the service the city contracted.
- Good to know
- Sixteen items goes a long way for a sofa or a fridge and nowhere near far enough for a full garage — that is the line where a hauler starts to make sense.
Dropping it off yourself: Olinda Alpha in Brea and Prima Deshecha in San Juan Capistrano
2 sites across Irvine.
- What it costs
- $15 for a car, minivan or SUV under 360 lb; $30 for a pickup or cargo van under 880 lb; add $15 for anything longer than six feet, such as furniture or a mattress. Above 880 lb it is $92.70 a ton, or $107.70 a ton once hard-to-handle items are in the load. These rates run 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
- Opening hours
- Monday to Saturday, with hours varying by site. Closed on six major holidays.
- What to bring
- Proof the load came from Orange County — an Orange County driving licence, a current utility bill, or a contract showing the address.
- How much at a time
- Charged by vehicle and weight rather than by the item.
- Your vehicle
- A car, minivan or SUV under 360 lb and a pickup or cargo van under 880 lb pay a flat rate; anything heavier is weighed at the booth.
- What they turn away
- Frank R. Bowerman Landfill sits inside Irvine but accepts no public disposal at all — commercial haulers only, showing a business or contractor licence at the fee booth. Household hazardous waste is not landfill material either: paint, motor oil, cleaners and batteries go free to the Irvine Collection Center at 6411 Oak Canyon, Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., capped at 15 gallons or 125 pounds per vehicle per trip and closed in the rain.
The California mattress recycling program
California runs a statewide mattress recycling program funded by a fee collected when a new mattress is sold. Because that fee is already paid, dropping an old mattress off costs residents nothing.
Drop off your old mattress at no additional cost at participating collection sites.
The program does not include free household pickup. Scheduled container pickups exist only for businesses handling at least 100 mattresses a month.
- What it costs
- Free for residents at participating sites.
- How much at a time
- Participating sites typically cap drop-offs at 3 units per vehicle per day.
Or have someone take it
City routes are cheap but slow, and they all assume you can get the item to the curb yourself. If it is upstairs, if it is heavy, or if you need it gone this week, a local pro is the faster answer.
Post the job free, and vetted pros in Irvine bid on it. You pick the offer you like and pay your pro directly — JunkerClub takes no cut of the price.
See what mattress removal costs in Irvine →
Getting rid of a mattress in Irvine — common questions
How many bulk items can I put out at once in Irvine?
One trash cart collected weekly, in 96, 64 or 32 gallon sizes.
Does it cost anything to drop a mattress off in Irvine?
$15 for a car, minivan or SUV under 360 lb; $30 for a pickup or cargo van under 880 lb; add $15 for anything longer than six feet, such as furniture or a mattress. Above 880 lb it is $92.70 a ton, or $107.70 a ton once hard-to-handle items are in the load. These rates run 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
What do I need to bring to the drop-off site in Irvine?
Proof the load came from Orange County — an Orange County driving licence, a current utility bill, or a contract showing the address.
Is mattress recycling free in California?
Free for residents at participating sites. The program does not include free household pickup. Scheduled container pickups exist only for businesses handling at least 100 mattresses a month.
How do I book a bulk pickup in Irvine?
Book before your regular collection day: sign in to My WM, open "Do More Online" and choose "Bulk Pickup". WM Irvine also takes calls on 949-642-1191. Four items per pickup and four pickups a year — sixteen items in total.
Where this comes from
Checked against official sources on 2026-09-02. City rules change — if something here does not match, the city page wins.
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