Mattress Disposal in Edmonton (2026): Eco Station Fees, the Landfill Rule, Free Options and What Charities Accept

What does mattress disposal cost in Edmonton?

These are the City of Edmonton's published fees and rules on October 14, 2026, for residents. The City says Eco Station attendants and Waste Management Centre staff have the final say about accepted items and charges, so treat the table as the posted rate, not a quote.

For a queen mattress and its box spring, that is $38 at an Eco Station, and $38 at the Waste Management Centre if nothing else is in the vehicle. For context, the same Eco Station table charges $11 for a chair-sized item and $21 for a sofa-sized one, so a mattress sits between the two. If you hire a hauler, ask whether the quote includes the disposal fee: the City's fee table shows what the hauler pays at an Eco Station for each mattress it drops off.

Which Eco Stations take mattresses, and when are they open?

The City's Eco Stations page listed three open stations on October 14, 2026. Coronation, the fourth, is closed so that work on the Coronation Eco Station Expansion Project can begin, and the City anticipates it will reopen to residents in spring 2027.

The hours shown were the summer hours, effective March 31, 2026: 8am to 6pm, Monday to Sunday, closed on statutory holidays. The page did not show a separate winter schedule when we read it, so check it before a late-season trip. Payment is by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, debit or cash.

• Vehicle limits: maximum vehicle size 1 tonne and maximum trailer length 3 metres. Materials must be unloaded by hand, and self-dumping trailers cannot be raised on site. If your vehicle is bigger, the City sends you to the Waste Management Centre.
• Load order: drop-off is organized by item type, and the City suggests loading large items last because they come off first. A mattress is usually the first thing out.
• Safety: the City asks visitors to wear gloves and closed-toe shoes and to keep children and pets in the car.
• Who decides: the attendant has the final say about accepted items and fees.

Is it cheaper to take a mattress to the Edmonton Waste Management Centre?

Usually it costs the same, and only if you keep the load simple. The Centre at 250 Aurum Road NE weighs your vehicle on the way in and on the way out and charges by the difference. Mattresses and box springs are listed at $72 per tonne plus a $19 surcharge per item, with a minimum of $20 plus $19 per item. The footnote that matters is this one: for residential loads consisting only of mattresses, box springs and appliances containing refrigerants, only the per-item surcharge applies.

So a mattress-only trip costs $19 per item, the same as an Eco Station. Throw in a few bags of renovation waste and the City's rule for mixed loads applies: the disposal fee for the most expensive material is charged on the whole load, plus the per-item surcharge. If you are clearing out a basement at the same time, two separate trips can cost less than one combined trip. The Centre's hours were Monday to Friday 7:30am to 5:30pm and Saturday, Sunday and holidays 8am to 5pm, which makes it the option to use when an Eco Station is closed for a statutory holiday.

Is there free mattress disposal in Edmonton?

Yes, but not until spring. The City's Big Bin Events accept old couches, chairs, mattresses and appliances free of charge, and electronics for recycling. On October 14, 2026 the Big Bin page said the events have concluded for the year and to check back in spring 2027 for dates.

• What happens to the items: the City says bulky items and other garbage from Big Bin Events are taken to the Edmonton Waste Management Centre and transferred to landfill. Appliances, electronics, tires and scrap metal are recycled.
• Not for reuse: Big Bin Events do not accept items for reuse; the City points reusable items to the Reuse Centre or donation centres.
• Community events: the City offers grants through its Community Clean Up Grant Program to organizations that want to host their own drop-off event. A community league or building may run one; check with yours.

Until spring, the lowest posted cost for a resident is the $19 per item at an Eco Station or the Waste Management Centre.

Can you donate a used mattress in Edmonton?

It is harder than it sounds. We checked the places the City itself points to, and one large charity outlet:

• City of Edmonton Reuse Centre: its accepted items run from arts and crafts supplies to home decor, office supplies, wood and sports gear. Mattresses do not appear on the page.
• City Reuse Directory: lists donation sites by category, including "Furniture", but does not mention mattresses. Call before you load the car.
• Habitat for Humanity Edmonton ReStore: its donations page lists "Mattresses, box springs, futons, hide-a-beds, sleeper sofas, water beds" under items it cannot accept.

If the mattress is clean and in good shape, the realistic routes are a friend or family member, or a private listing, which the City also suggests for reusable items. If a mattress is stained, torn or sagging, plan on a drop-off.

Does Edmonton recycle mattresses?

The honest answer from the pages we read is that the City does not say. Its Eco Station and fee pages list the $19 charge without stating where mattresses go, while the Big Bin page says bulky items from those events go to landfill.

Redemptive Developments, an Edmonton social enterprise, says on its own site that a city surcharge on mattresses introduced in 2015 led it to open a mattress recycling facility, Evergreen Recycling, and that in 2017 it was awarded a contract to recycle an anticipated 30,000 or more units a year. That page describes the history; we could not confirm the current arrangement on the City's pages, so ask the attendant if recycling matters to you. Our guide to mattress disposal and recycling across Canada compares what other cities do.

What if you are replacing the mattress?

Timing is the part people get wrong. A few practical points:

• Keep the old one until the new one is in. A boxed mattress can take hours to expand, and you need something to sleep on in between. Our delivery guide walks through what happens after you order.
• Ask the seller about removal. Some retailers remove the old mattress, some charge for it and some do not offer it. Get the answer in writing before you rely on it.
• Keeping it for a guest room or storage? See how to store a mattress so it is still usable when you need it, and how to move a mattress if it is going to a new home.
• Still choosing? Our Edmonton mattress buying guide covers delivery to Alberta, showrooms and prices, and the sleep trial and return policy guide explains what happens if the new one does not work out.

Related reading

• How to dispose of or recycle an old mattress in Canada
• Best mattress in Edmonton
• Mattress delivery in Canada: what happens after you order
• How to store a mattress
• Mattress disposal in Montreal