A new pilot project is putting any questions about mattress disposals to rest.
Beginning April 1, Lethbridge residents will be able to dispose of their used mattresses and box springs at any of the city’s yard waste sites during regular operating hours.
“For many years, the default method of disposing of mattresses has been to send them to the landfill,” said James Nicholls, Collections Manager for the City of Lethbridge.
“However, mattresses are one of the trickiest items to manage in the landfill. They are bulky and extremely difficult to compact. Springs and metal components can also become caught in equipment tracks and create operational challenges for staff.”
In May 2025, the Waste and Environment department started diverting mattresses through the ‘Large Item Service’. Since then, officials said the program has diverted 381 mattresses and 243 box springs from the landfill.
“Throughout the past year, we’ve seen strong uptake in mattress diversion through the Large Item Service,” Nicholls said. “Expanding to self‑service drop‑off at our yard waste sites builds on that momentum by giving residents a convenient mattress disposal option while easing pressure on the landfill.”
As part of the new program, residents will be responsible for unloading their own mattresses and box springs.
Site attendants will help with storing them once they are placed on the ground, but officials said they are unable to remove mattresses and box springs from vehicles or trailers.
Additionally, mattresses with visible signs of bed bugs will not be accepted, and contaminated mattresses must be wrapped in plastic and taken to the Waste and Recycling Centre to be disposed of.
Lethbridge’s yard waste sites will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April 1 to Nov. 15. Sites are available at the following locations:
- 2200 Stafford Drive North
- 2665 28 Avenue South
- 296 Bridge Drive West
Mattresses collected at the sites will be sent to a local recycling processor, where officials said about 74 per cent of mattress materials are recycled by weight.
More information about waste and recycling is available on the City of Lethbridge website.
