How to Get Rid of an Old Mattress in Manatee County

Old mattresses are the item everybody underestimates. A queen weighs more than it looks, folds the wrong way on the stairs, will not fit in most cars, and does not go in the trash cart. Then the question comes up: can I just put it at the curb?

Sometimes, yes. In Manatee County the answer depends on where you live, what day it is, how many other bulky items you have, and whether the mattress has to be carried out of a bedroom first. This guide covers your real options in Bradenton, Palmetto, Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, Ellenton, and nearby Sarasota County, plus when it makes more sense to have someone else haul it.

Option 1: Use Manatee County's Monthly Bulk Pickup

On May 1, 2026, Manatee County Utilities started a Bulk Collection Pilot Program for residential customers in unincorporated Manatee County. Here is how it works:

• You can put up to two bulk items at the curb once a month on your zone's bulk collection day, which falls on your regular service day. You can look up your zone and next bulk day with the County's Resident Information Tool.
• Mattresses and box springs are on the County's approved bulk item list.
• There is no extra fee during the pilot, which runs through April 30, 2027.
• Each property also gets one scheduled annual pickup of up to 10 cubic yards of the same material. You book it through the Customer Self-Service Portal at mymanatee.org/css.
• If you need more than the monthly two items, the County will do additional bulk collections for $59 per item.

This is the cheapest option if you are in the service area and can wait for your day. Keep the limits in mind, though. A mattress and a box spring can take both of your slots for the month. That leaves the old bed frame, the dresser, and the recliner from the same bedroom waiting until next month or costing $59 each.

Before you rely on it, confirm your address is in unincorporated Manatee County. City addresses, condo communities, and properties with private or shared dumpster service often follow different rules. If you are not sure whether something qualifies, the County says to call 311 or check its Waste Wizard tool.

Option 2: Bradenton and Palmetto City Pickup

If your address is inside city limits, the County bulk program probably is not your program.

City of Bradenton: Mattresses and box springs are on the city's bulk list and are picked up by request. Call Solid Waste at 941-708-6340 to schedule. Items have to be at the curb by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day, and the fee is a flat $10 per item added to your utility bill. Here is the part people miss: the city says you must call within 48 hours of putting items at the curb, or you could be charged a $300 illegal dumping fee. Do not set a mattress out and hope it disappears.

City of Palmetto: Palmetto started a new monthly curbside bulk collection program on June 1, 2026, with collection days set by zone. The city also offers one free annual collection per year for qualifying homeowner-occupied homes with an active, paid-up garbage account. Call Palmetto Solid Waste at 941-723-4580 to confirm your zone, what counts toward the limit, and whether you qualify.

Option 3: Haul It to Lena Road Landfill Yourself

If you have the vehicle and the back for it, Manatee County's Lena Road Landfill accepts residential drop-offs:

• Address: 3333 Lena Road, Bradenton, FL 34211, south of SR 64 and about a mile east of I-75
• Hours: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on major holidays
• Residential drop-off: a $5 flat rate for cars, SUVs, and standard passenger minivans, or a $23 flat rate for residential pickup trucks under 1,000 lbs. Vehicles towing a trailer do not get the flat rate.
• Watch out: uncovered loads are charged double, and waste from outside Manatee County is charged triple.

The fee is the cheap part. The real cost is the rest of it: getting a floppy king mattress down the stairs without wrecking the drywall, finding a truck, strapping it down so it does not take off on I-75, and spending a Saturday morning in the scale line. If you already own a truck and have a helper, it can be a fine option. If you are renting a truck or bribing a friend, the math changes fast.

Option 4: Donate or Sell It (If It Is Truly Like New)

Be realistic here. Many donation centers do not accept used mattresses because of hygiene concerns, and the ones that do usually want them nearly new, clean, and free of stains, tears, odors, or sagging. A mattress still in its plastic from a guest room can be worth a call. A ten-year-old mattress from the main bedroom usually is not.

Check the charity's current rules before you load anything. Driving across town with a mattress they cannot take is a rough way to spend an afternoon.

Sarasota County Is Different

If you are just over the county line, unincorporated Sarasota County gives each eligible residential property four free scheduled bulk pickups per calendar year (up to 10 cubic yards each), and mattresses count as bulk waste. You have to schedule at least 48 hours ahead with your area's hauler: Waste Pro in the north service area or FCC Environmental in the south. The City of Sarasota, Venice, and North Port run their own programs, so check with your city if you live inside its limits.

For more on clearing out bedroom furniture south of the line, see our guide to getting rid of old furniture in Sarasota County, or our Sarasota junk removal page.

Please Do Not Dump It

The roadside mattress is a Florida classic for a reason, but it is not a free option. Under the Florida Litter Law, dumping on public land, roadsides, or someone else's property without permission is illegal. Most mattresses weigh well over 15 pounds, and the penalty for a load that size goes from a $150 civil fine to a first-degree misdemeanor. Leaving one on the curb in Bradenton without scheduling a pickup can also trigger the city's $300 illegal dumping fee. Paying a few bucks at the landfill beats all of that.

"Isn't Junk Removal Free?"

We get this question a lot, and it is a fair one. County bulk pickup can be free, within its limits: the right address, the right day, two items, and you get it to the curb yourself. That is a great deal when it fits.

Professional mattress removal is a different service, and it is not free. With a junk removal company, you are paying for a two-person crew, the lifting and carrying, the truck, fuel, and the disposal or recycling fees, plus the scheduling convenience. At Junk Savior, pricing is based on how much space your items take up in the truck, small loads start at our roughly $99 minimum, and we give you the price before anything gets loaded. See our pricing page for how it works, or our junk removal cost guide for the details.

The fastest way to get a real number is to text a photo to (941) 713-5165 or email it to hello@junksavior.co. Tell us the size, where it is (upstairs, in a bedroom, already at the curb), and anything else you want gone with it.

When Mattress Removal Makes the Most Sense

Calling a crew usually makes sense when:

• You need it gone today or tomorrow, not on next month's bulk day
• The mattress is upstairs, in a condo, or in a back bedroom and you do not want to move it yourself
• You have more than two bulky items, like a mattress, box spring, frame, headboard, and dresser
• You are clearing a rental turnover, move-out, estate, or listing on a deadline
• You do not have a truck, or the help to load one
• You want it recycled where possible instead of buried

We take mattresses of all sizes and types, along with box springs, crib and futon mattresses, toppers, bed frames, and headboards. If it is part of a bigger job, our full-service junk removal and bulk trash pickup options cover the whole pile.

What Happens to the Mattress After We Haul It

Mattresses are mostly steel springs, foam, wood, and fabric, and a lot of that does not have to end up in a landfill. When we can, we route mattresses to recycling so the steel and other materials get a second life instead of taking up landfill space. If the mattress is genuinely reusable, we look at donation first. If it is wet, moldy, or infested, it goes to proper disposal.

One request: if you have had bed bugs, tell us when you book. Wrap the mattress in plastic if you can. It protects our crew, our truck, and the next customer.

Want the full picture? Read what happens to your junk after we haul it away.

Mattress Disposal FAQ

Is mattress pickup free in Manatee County?

In unincorporated Manatee County, a mattress can go out on your monthly bulk day at no extra charge during the pilot program, within the two-item limit. Additional County pickups are $59 per item. Inside Bradenton city limits, it is $10 per item by request.

Can I put a mattress out with my regular trash?

No. Your regular trash pickup only takes what fits in the cart with the lid closed. A mattress has to go out on your bulk day or through a scheduled pickup.

Where can I drop off a mattress in Bradenton?

At the residential drop-off at Lena Road Landfill, 3333 Lena Road, Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is a $5 flat rate for a car, SUV, or minivan, or $23 for a pickup truck under 1,000 lbs.

How much does mattress removal cost?

It depends on how many items you have and where they are. Junk Savior prices by truck space, with about a $99 minimum for small loads, and we confirm the price before loading. Text a photo to (941) 713-5165 for a fast quote.

Do you take box springs and bed frames too?

Yes. We take mattresses, box springs, frames, headboards, and the rest of the bedroom set.

Bottom Line

If you are in unincorporated Manatee County, have just one or two items, and can wait for your bulk day, use the County program. It is a good deal. If you live in Bradenton or Palmetto, check your city's rules first so you do not get hit with a fee. If you have a truck, Lena Road is cheap.

If the mattress is upstairs, it is part of a bigger cleanout, or it needs to be gone before the weekend, send us a photo. We serve Palmetto, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, Ellenton, Sarasota, and nearby communities. You will get a clear price before anything gets loaded.