12
free Special Collections per account per calendar year
8
large items (or 25 bags and bundles) per collection, out by 6 a.m.
5
tires up to 16 inches per pickup, kept separate
Every route for a mattress in Long Beach, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Long Beach guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Long Beach, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Long Beach Special Collection: mattresses
FreeMattresses go on a Special Collection with nothing stacked on top, or use the city's free 24/7 mattress drop-off any time.
Who qualifies: Every City-serviced refuse account in Long Beach. Buildings served by private haulers arrange bulky pickups with their hauler.
How to schedule: Request online at lbcity.info/specialcollection or call 562-570-2876. Each account gets 12 free Special Collections per calendar year, each up to 8 large items or 25 bags, bundles, or boxes, and you can use two on the same day. A regulatory fee may apply to items needing special handling (appliances, TVs, monitors, tires).
Limits: 12 collections a year, 8 large items each. Items no larger than 72 by 48 inches unless you flag an oversized piece like a sofa when scheduling. Bundles under 48 inches and 40 pounds; bags under 25 pounds.
Set-out: At your regular collection location by 6 a.m. on your confirmed day, never before. Appliances, TVs, monitors, and tires are collected by a separate truck and must be kept apart from other items. Wrap all large glass. Nothing stacked on mattresses. Crews cannot enter private property.
Long Beach 24/7 Mattress Drop-Off: mattresses
Free24/7 drop-off.
Where: Public Works yard; details at longbeach.gov/pw/services/247-mattress-drop-off
How it works: Free around-the-clock drop-off for mattresses and box springs from Long Beach residents under California's Bye Bye Mattress program.
Donation pickup in Long Beach (usable mattresses)
FreeDonation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (subject to program rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
Items typically not accepted: damaged or stained furniture, mattresses with bedbug history or significant wear, appliances that don’t work, particle-board furniture in poor condition, cribs (federal safety regulations have changed), and exercise equipment that requires reassembly. Always call the program before scheduling.
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in Long Beach: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, covering mattresses, furniture, appliances, and bulk household items within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in Long Beach: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Long Beach, California provides one of the more generous bulk waste programs in the country: each City-serviced residential refuse account receives 12 free Special Collections per year. The Energy and Environmental Services Department serves approximately 130,000 residential and 118,000 total accounts. California SB 1383 mandates the three-cart system: gray trash, blue recycling (collected by Waste Management under contract), and green organics for food scraps and yard trimmings. Long Beach is rolling out new blue recycling carts February through October 2026. Crews cannot enter private property due to insurance liabilities. This guide covers every disposal option for City of Long Beach residents.
The Long Beach rule for mattresses: Mattresses go on a Special Collection with nothing stacked on top, or use the city's free 24/7 mattress drop-off any time.
Program basics: 12 collections a year, 8 large items each. Items no larger than 72 by 48 inches unless you flag an oversized piece like a sofa when scheduling. Bundles under 48 inches and 40 pounds; bags under 25 pounds. At your regular collection location by 6 a.m. on your confirmed day, never before. Appliances, TVs, monitors, and tires are collected by a separate truck and must be kept apart from other items. Wrap all large glass. Nothing stacked on mattresses. Crews cannot enter private property.
What the city will not take: Household hazardous waste (city HHW events), construction debris beyond small amounts, and unwrapped glass.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: Long Beach Recycles: Special Collection 101. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why mattresses are different from ordinary bulk. Mattresses contain springs, foam, fabric, and wood, all recyclable individually but bonded together in a way that makes them hard to process. They’re also a notorious vector for bedbugs, which has led several cities to require plastic-wrapping before curbside pickup (NYC and Cleveland have explicit rules).
Three mistakes that get mattresses left at the curb:
When free options don’t fit your timeline or volume:
LoadUp paid mattress pickup
$80+For Long Beach households needing in-home loading (city crews can’t enter property), items beyond city size and weight limits, or service when you’ve used your annual 12 Special Collections, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Long Beach area for upfront-priced pickup.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your mattress. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book mattress pickup in Long Beach with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Long Beach proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Long Beach junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national mattress disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Long Beach: couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher.
Does Long Beach pick up mattresses for free?
Yes, with a Special Collection, or free at the 24/7 mattress drop-off.
Where can I donate a mattress in Long Beach?
Donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (subject to program rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
How much does paid mattress removal cost in Long Beach?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single mattress pickup in Long Beach starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For Long Beach households needing in-home loading (city crews can’t enter property), items beyond city size and weight limits, or service when you’ve used your annual 12 Special Collections, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Long Beach area for upfront-priced pickup.
Can I just put a mattress in my regular trash?
No. Mattresses are too big for residential trash bins and are explicitly banned from regular trash collection in most U.S. cities. Connecticut, Rhode Island, California, and Oregon ban mattresses from landfills entirely under state law. Use one of the free or paid options above instead.
How much do paid mattress pickups cost?
Single mattress pickups typically range $80 to $200 depending on the service and your city. National services (LoadUp, 1-800-Got-Junk, College Hunks) cluster in the $80 to $130 range for one mattress. Local independent haulers can be cheaper ($50 to $100). Booking 2 mattresses together is often only marginally more expensive than booking 1, ask about bundled pricing.
What about box springs, are they treated the same?
Yes, box springs follow the same rules as mattresses in nearly every city, same pickup eligibility, same disposal channels, same bedbug-wrap requirements. State recycling programs (CT, RI, CA, OR) accept both. Most retailers haul both away together with new mattress delivery. King and queen splits typically count as 2 separate items, while single-piece box springs count as 1.
My mattress has bedbugs, what should I do?
Plastic-wrap the mattress fully before moving it (heavy-duty mattress disposal bags are sold at hardware stores for $5 to $15). Many cities require plastic-wrapping for ANY mattress disposal to prevent spreading bedbugs to other households along the route. Donation programs CANNOT accept mattresses with bedbug history. Use city bulk pickup (with proper plastic-wrapping) or paid hauler. Tell the hauler in advance, some services charge extra or refuse, while others handle bedbug mattresses routinely.
Is this Long Beach page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Long Beach guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
