Australian Capital Territory · Canberra
Mattress disposal in Canberra
In Canberra, a mattress cannot go in any bin. Every ACT household can book one free bulky waste collection of up to 2 cubic metres each financial year, but mattresses and bed bases on that booking attract a fee. Soft Landing at Hume and the two resource management centres also take them for a fee.
Sources ACT Government: bulky waste collectionACT Recyclopaedia: mattressesGoodies Junction
What do I do with furniture & mattresses in the ACT?
- Sound and clean? Sell or give it away first. Marketplace, Buy Nothing groups, or a charity that collects larger items.
- Mattresses need a recycler Not kerbside. A recycler strips the steel, foam and timber, usually for a small fee. Keep it dry — wet mattresses get rejected.
- Genuinely finished? Council bulk collection, within the collection window only.
The ACT has no councils and runs no verge collections. Every Canberra household can book one free bulky waste collection of up to 2 cubic metres each financial year, online up to six months ahead, with bookings closing 14 days before the collection date.
Nearest drop-off: Recyclopaedia — the ACT A to Z guide to recycling, reuse and disposal
In the ACT, Goodies Junction runs the reuse sheds inside both resource management centres, the sites Canberra knew as The Green Shed until 2024, alongside Vinnies and Salvos shops. Ring before you drive: opening hours and what they accept change, and a closed door is how donations become dumping. Salvos and Vinnies both list stores by suburb.
Can I put a mattress in the bin in the ACT?
No. A mattress does not fit in an ACT kerbside bin and cannot go in one. The routes are Soft Landing Mattress Recycling at Hume, the Mugga Lane or Mitchell resource management centres, a booked bulky waste collection, or the retailer taking the old one away when a new one is delivered. A fee applies on all four.
How does the free bulky waste collection work in Canberra?
Every Canberra household is eligible for one free collection of up to 2 cubic metres each financial year. Book it online up to six months ahead, and note that bookings close 14 days before the collection date. Two trucks attend, one for reusable items and one for landfill waste, and they can arrive at different times on the same day.
What will the ACT bulky waste collection take?
Furniture, white goods, electrical items, metal, tools, timber up to 2 metres, televisions, computers, car parts, camping equipment, plant pots and children's car seats. Mattresses and bed bases are accepted but attract a fee. Items left in a garage, in a trailer, behind a gate or fence, or under a carport or veranda will not be collected.
Will a charity take used furniture in Canberra?
Only if it is clean, sound and resellable. Goodies Junction, run by St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn inside both ACT resource management centres, takes homewares, furniture, tools, building materials, clothing and sporting gear with reuse value. Vinnies discusses furniture collections by phone and Salvos runs a national home collection service. Book it rather than leaving anything outside a shop after hours.
Need it gone this week?
Compare council collection, recycling and pickup options on the mattress removal page for Canberra.