Where to dump your old mattress in Metro Vancouver

A mattress in a back alley is not such an uncommon sight in Metro Vancouver.

For some, it’s a misguided attempt to continue the urban living circular economy. For others, it’s perhaps a symptom of laziness. Regardless of why you’ve dumped your furniture on the sidewalk, it is considered illegal dumping and can lead to costly fines.

Read more:Mayor Doug McCallum looks to stiffen fines for illegal waste dumping in Surrey

Instead, here’s what to know about where you can recycle, donate or dump your old mattress in Metro Vancouver, including Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, New Westminster, Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Delta, Surrey, Langley, White Rock and Abbotsford.

Generally, yes, but it will need to be packaged properly for transport and handling at the waste facility where you take it for recycling or dumping. Not all waste facilities will take mattresses with bed bugs, so check ahead before dragging it out there.

First, you’ll need to get a plastic mattress bag or plastic sheeting and wrap the entire mattress. Then seal it and use a permanent marker to write “CONTAINS BEDBUGS” on the exterior so that anyone handling the mattress can exercise caution.

When moving the mattress, avoid dragging it on the ground so the plastic wrapping does not tear.

Be sure to check your local waste facility for specific guidelines before bringing your bed bug-infested mattress.

If it has bed bugs? Please don’t.

Even if it’s a clean mattress with a lot of life left, you may be hard pressed to find a place that accepts second-hand mattresses due to health and safety guidelines.

You could potentially sell it yourself on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist or even gift it on a Buy Nothing group but many charities that accept other household donations won’t accept mattresses due to hygienic reasons.

Beg, plead or borrow a vehicle from a friend. Otherwise, there’s a number of junk or mattress removal companies in Metro Vancouver that will come take your mattress away for a fee, ranging from larger junk removal fleets to that guy up the street with a pickup truck.

Some municipalities may also run large item pickup programs, in an effort to cut illegal dumping. Most programs allow residents a certain number of free pickups each year for large items, while others require a small fee. The only challenge is that you will need to move the item yourself out to the curb for a scheduled date and time.