Mattress Removal Costs 2026: A Complete Melbourne Guide to Disposal Options

Updated 24 June 2026

Getting rid of an old mattress in Melbourne sounds simple until you go to do it. Mattress removal usually runs $70 to $200 per mattress for a professional pickup, depending on where you are, the size, and how you get rid of it. Knowing the numbers up front helps you pick the option that suits your budget.

Whether you’re upgrading, moving house, or just clearing out, here’s what mattress disposal costs around Melbourne and the cheapest ways to get it done.

Why mattress disposal costs so much

Most people are surprised by what it costs to get rid of a mattress, especially next to other household items. The short version: mattresses are a pain to recycle. They’re bulky, they’re built from materials that have to be pulled apart by hand, and the facilities that do it charge for the work.

Around 1.8 million mattresses are thrown out across Australia every year, and Melbourne makes up a big chunk of that. There’s good money locked inside them, steel springs, timber, foam and fabric, but separating it all is slow, manual work. That’s what you’re paying for.

What pushes the price up

A few things drive mattress removal costs:

• Hand dismantling. Unlike most recycling, a mattress can’t go through an automated line. Someone has to take it apart by hand, and that labour costs money.
• Awkward to move. Mattresses are big, floppy and heavy, so they need the right vehicle and usually two people to shift safely across a city as spread out as Melbourne.
• Not many recyclers. Melbourne has better mattress recycling than most Australian cities, but there still aren’t many facilities, so there’s more transport cost from the outer suburbs.
• Tip fees. Transfer stations and recyclers charge a fair bit to take a mattress, and that gets passed on to you.
• Health and safety. Old mattresses can carry contamination, so there are strict handling rules that add to the cost.

What mattress removal costs in Melbourne

Here’s how the main options stack up. Every price below is per mattress unless we say otherwise.

Professional pickup

A removal company comes to your door and does all the lifting. Easiest option, but you pay for it.

Typical pickup prices:

• Single or twin: $70 to $120
• Double or queen: $80 to $160
• King or super king: $100 to $200
• Extra mattresses: usually 10 to 20% off each one after the first
• Box spring or base: add $30 to $50
• Tricky access: $20 to $60 for stairs or tight apartment entries

Good if you want it gone today and don’t fancy hauling it yourself. The catch is you’ll pay two to three times what a drop-off costs, and you need to be home for the pickup. We do this across Melbourne’s inner and south-east suburbs, often same day, and the team handles all the lifting.

Drop-off yourself

If you’ve got a ute, van or trailer, dropping the mattress off yourself is the cheapest paid option.

Typical drop-off prices:

• ABSC-approved recyclers: $47 to $65 (certified, properly recycled)
• Dynon Road Waste and Recycling Centre: $30 to $60 (City of Melbourne facility)
• Private disposal sites: $50 to $80
• Licensed recycling centres: rates vary by location

Where to drop off:

• Dynon Road Waste and Recycling Centre: 437 Dynon Road, West Melbourne, open 9am to 3pm, 7 days
• Council transfer stations: across Melbourne’s 31 local council areas
• ABSC-approved recyclers: several around the metro area

It’s the lowest-cost way to do it, often half the price of a pickup, and you’re handing it straight to a recycler. You’ll need a vehicle that fits a mattress, the muscle to load and unload it, and the patience for Melbourne traffic.

Council collection

Melbourne’s 31 councils all run some form of hard waste collection that takes mattresses, and for residents it’s usually the best value going.

City of Melbourne:

• Free annual collection: $0 (one cubic metre per financial year)
• Drop-off at Dynon Road: $30 to $60

Other Melbourne councils:

• Most councils: one or two free hard waste collections a year
• Extra collections: $40 to $120 depending on the council
• Booked one-off pickup: $60 to $150 for urgent removal

A couple of examples:

• Whitehorse City Council: two free hard waste collections a year
• Merri-bek City Council: standard collection by booking, with paid options for extras

Free or close to it, and they collect from your property, so it’s hard to beat on price. The trade-offs: it’s usually only once or twice a year, you often need to book two to four weeks ahead, and not every council recycles the mattress, so some still end up in landfill.

Retailer take-back

Buying a new mattress? A lot of retailers will take the old one when they deliver.

• IKEA: around $55 per mattress when you buy a new IKEA mattress for delivery
• Major bedding stores: $70 to $150
• Local mattress shops: $60 to $120
• Online retailers: $80 to $140

Handy because it’s sorted in the one delivery, with no extra trip. The downside is you only get it if you’re buying new, and you’re tied to that retailer’s schedule.

What happens when a mattress gets recycled

Melbourne has built up its mattress recycling over the last few years and is now one of the better-set-up cities in the country for it.

How it’s pulled apart

A recycler dismantles the mattress by hand and sorts the materials:

• Steel springs go to scrap metal merchants, get melted down, and end up in buildings, vehicles and appliances.
• Timber is chipped and used for particleboard, animal bedding or garden mulch.
• Foam and padding become carpet underlay and similar products.
• Fabric gets processed into insulation and other materials.

Why it’s worth it

A mattress in landfill breaks down very slowly, likely over 100 years. Sending it to a recycler instead means you:

• Take pressure off Melbourne’s landfill sites
• Get the steel, timber and foam back into use
• Help keep mattresses out of parks and waterways
• Support local recycling jobs, including social enterprises

Free and low-cost options

A professional pickup is the easy road, but there are a few ways to cut the cost right down or skip it altogether.

Donate it

If the mattress is still in good nick, some charities will take it:

• Salvation Army: stores around Melbourne
• St Vincent de Paul: stores with collection in some areas
• Local support services that help people setting up a home

Most charities only take a mattress if it’s:

• Free of stains or damage
• Clean, with no pet hair or odours
• Still firm, with no sagging
• Under about 8 to 10 years old

You’ll usually need to drop it off yourself. Call ahead, because what they accept changes with demand.

Council hard waste

Most Melbourne councils give residents at least one free hard waste collection a year, and mattresses count.

• City of Melbourne: one free collection of one cubic metre per financial year
• Whitehorse City Council: two free hard waste collections a year
• Other councils: usually one or two a year

To use it, check your council’s hard waste schedule, book a couple of weeks ahead, and put the mattress out where and when they tell you.

Retailer take-back

If you’re buying new anyway, the retailer’s removal service is worth a look:

• IKEA: mattress removal from around $55 with a new mattress delivery
• Harvey Norman: removal packages on offer
• Local bedding stores: often priced competitively
• Online mattress brands: many include a removal option

Extra charges to watch for

When you’re budgeting, keep an eye out for add-ons. These are usually charged per mattress and can add up fast.

Difficult access

Anything that makes the mattress harder to carry out tends to attract a surcharge:

• Apartment stairs: $25 to $60 per flight
• Narrow terrace doorways: $20 to $40
• High-rise with lift access: $15 to $35
• Long carry: $10 to $25 if it’s more than 50 metres to the vehicle

Size and weight

Bigger and heavier means more labour and higher tip fees:

• King and super king: 25 to 40% more than standard pricing
• Heavy memory foam: add $20 to $35
• Ensemble bases: add $30 to $60 (separate from the mattress)
• Waterbed mattresses: add $40 to $80 for draining

Timing

Want it gone fast or at an awkward time? That costs more:

• Same-day pickup: 50 to 100% more than the standard rate
• Weekend or evening: $30 to $70 surcharge
• Public holidays: $40 to $80 extra
• Peak moving season: $20 to $40 more from December to February

The Bedding Stewardship Council scheme

The Australian Bedding Stewardship Council (ABSC) runs the industry’s push to recycle more mattresses across Melbourne and the rest of the country.

Locally that means:

• ABSC-approved recyclers working to certified standards
• Licensed recyclers running the bigger mattress recycling sites
• Retailers taking part in the $10 levy scheme

How the levy works

Under the scheme, a $10 fee (plus GST) is added to each new mattress by participating manufacturers and importers. It’s passed through the retailer to you as a visible charge when you buy.

That money is meant to:

• Fund more recycling infrastructure
• Back local recycling programs
• Create jobs, including for people who find work hard to get
• Bring the overall cost of mattress recycling down over time

There’s more on the scheme and the retailers taking part on the ABSC website.

Which option is right for you

It comes down to your budget, your timeline, the condition of the mattress, where you are, and how much the recycling side matters to you.

If you’re watching the budget

Wait for your free council collection, or drop it off yourself. Expect $0 to $60 per mattress. You’ll need transport and a bit of patience for the council schedule, but you’re saving $70 to $150 a mattress over a pickup.

If you just want it gone

Book a professional pickup. Expect $80 to $180 per mattress. You pay more, but you’re not lifting anything, sorting out a vehicle, or fighting for a park.

If recycling is the priority

Use an ABSC-approved recycler. Expect $47 to $120 per mattress. You get the most materials recovered and you’re backing local recycling jobs.

If you need it gone today

A same-day removal service is the fastest. Expect $120 to $250 per mattress. It’s a big premium, but worth it when you’re up against a settlement, an emergency move, or a lease deadline.

How to pay less

A bit of planning takes a real chunk off the bill:

Time it well

• Book council collection well ahead (two to four weeks)
• Line up removal of the old mattress with delivery of the new one
• Pick a weekday over a weekend where you can
• Steer clear of the December to February moving rush

Get it ready

• Clear the path out so the team isn’t working around obstacles
• Strip the bedding, since a clean mattress is easier to handle
• Tell them about stairs, narrow hallways or parking before they arrive
• Allow extra time for traffic if you’re dropping off

Bundle it up

• Get rid of a few mattresses at once for a better per-item rate
• Combine it with other hard waste you’ve been meaning to clear
• Roll it into your moving costs if you’re relocating

Shop around

• Get a couple of quotes from local providers
• Check what your rates already cover for council collection
• Factor removal into the price when you buy a new mattress

Where it’s all heading

As more Melburnians look to do the right thing, mattress recycling keeps improving.

Better mattress design

The ABSC and local researchers are working on fully recyclable bed bases made from recycled polypropylene that click together like building blocks. Designs like that should cut both the cost and the hassle of disposal down the track.

More recycling capacity

Melbourne keeps adding recycling capacity, backed by the ABSC’s $937,700 grant through the National Product Stewardship Investment Fund. Over the next few years that should mean:

• More facilities, so less transport cost from the outer suburbs
• Better processing that recovers more material
• More consistent pricing across retailers
• Wider collection in the outer suburbs

The short version

A professional mattress pickup in Melbourne usually runs $70 to $200 per mattress, but with a bit of planning you can pay a lot less, or nothing, through council collection or a drop-off. Either way, sending it to a recycler instead of landfill keeps the materials in use and keeps mattresses out of our parks and waterways.

Just remember to factor in the extras for tricky access, big mattresses or urgent pickups when you’re working out the cost. For the latest prices and what’s on offer near you, check with your council and local recyclers, since it’s all still changing as Melbourne adds capacity. You can find recyclers near you with Planet Ark’s Recycling Near You tool.

Want us to take it away?

If you’d rather not wrestle a mattress down the stairs or hunt for a trailer, we’ll sort it. It’s Done Rubbish Removal handles mattress removal across Melbourne’s inner and south-east suburbs, often same day, and we get them to a recycler wherever we can. You don’t lift a thing.

Give us a call on (03) 9820 1927 for a quick quote and we’ll knock it off your list. We’ve been clearing rubbish across Melbourne since 2008.

Frequently asked questions