2026 LOCAL GUIDE
How to get rid of a mattress in San Marcos, TX.
6 local options.
Compare mattress pickup, recycling, and disposal options—with costs, conditions, and sources below.
See all 6 local optionsNOW AVAILABLE!
San Marcos Now Offers
Mattress Recycling Pickup.
Book a recycling pickup
A Bedder World is our recycling partner.
Hays County, Texas · 34 options, 9 free · checked Sep 25, 2026
Researched from each provider's own pages and approved for publication by Tim Sumerfield, who has worked in mattress recycling for over a decade. How we check these listings
6 ways to get rid of a mattress in San Marcos
Everything we could find for this city. Click any one of them for the full details.
- 1A Bedder World Mattress Recycling - San Marcos (our San Marcos mattress recycling partner)Easily book a curbside or in-home pickup for mattress recycling throughout TexasBook pickup online
- 2City curbside pickup in San MarcosBook a date with the city and leave it at the curbFee not published
- 3Drop-off options near San Marcos8 places that take mattresses, nearest 12 miles awayFree
- 4Junk removal options serving San Marcos4 national companies that come to your doorQuoted by address
- 5Store haul-away options in San Marcos20 retailers remove the old mattress on deliveryFree at 8
- 6Donation options in San Marcos2 charities checked, 1 will not take a mattressFree
Also on this page: San Marcos rules · Hays County · Texas rules · common questions · what to check first
1
A Bedder World Mattress Recycling - San Marcos
Use our San Marcos mattress recycling partner, A Bedder World.
A Bedder World is a curbside and in-home mattress pickup service, recycling mattresses for homes and businesses throughout Texas. They take it from the curb or carry it out of any room, and you book online and see the full price before you confirm.
- San Marcos division
- Curbside or any room in the house
- 90% of materials recovered
Metro areas in all 50 states; book online. Small-town and rural coverage not stated.
From $89A pickup fee plus a recycling fee on each piece, so this is where it starts, not a price per mattress. Your total is shown at the booking step before you confirm.
Book recycling pickupRun by the founder of this site. Every other option here is listed so you can compare.
Prices, conditions and sources
Curbside or inside pickup; stairs and long carries cost extra. The price is a pickup fee plus a recycling fee on each piece, so it is a starting price rather than a rate per mattress, and a second piece collected on the same visit costs less than the first. The total for your items is shown at the booking step before you confirm. Owned by the operator of this site.
$89 — Pickup starts at $89. The price is a pickup fee plus a recycling fee on each piece; the total for your items is shown at the booking step.
Not confirmed: The recycling fee charged on each piece is not published separately; it is included in the total shown at the booking step.
A Bedder World states it serves homes and businesses, listing bulk removal for hotels, apartments and commercial customers alongside residential pickup. Source
A Bedder World states it covers 1,000+ cities across all 50 states, with next-day pickup available. Source
A Bedder World states it removes the mattress from anywhere on the property, so pickup is from the curb or from inside the home. Source
A Bedder World states 90% of mattress materials are recovered and commits to sending none to landfill. Source
A Bedder World states it has recycled more than 1 million mattresses. Source
2City curbside pickup in San Marcos
San Marcos’s own collection service takes the mattress from outside your home. You normally have to book a date in advance and follow their wrapping rules.
City of San Marcos bulk pick-up (four a year, curbside)
Residential garbage customers of the City of San Marcos.
Conditions and source
Four pick-ups per year; each limited to 3 cubic yards. A detailed list of items is needed to schedule. The request must be confirmed no later than 3:00 p.m. two business days before the garbage service day, and scheduling is not guaranteed until Resource Recovery staff confirm it (512.393.8412). Serviced the first full week and the third week of the month on the garbage service day. Items placed neatly by the curb; small items boxed or bagged; carpet cut into 4 ft strips under 35 lbs, maximum 4 rolls. The city states that all items scheduled for pick-up go to the landfill, and tells residents with a mattress or box spring to call 512.393.8412 or email Resource Recovery about recycling options instead.
Not confirmed: The city publishes no charge for a bulk pick-up and does not state that the four annual pick-ups are free.
Not confirmed: The city does not say whether a mattress or box spring may be put out on an ordinary bulk pick-up, and the recycling options it points to are not published.
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 24, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
Fee not published
Visit siteA Bedder World collects from the curb too, or from any room in the house — see option 1.
3Drop-off options near San Marcos
Places that accept mattresses if you can get it there yourself. Distance is measured from the center of San Marcos. Some accept residents of their own city or county only, so check before you drive.
Cheapest
City of San Marcos Community Clean Up (mattresses and box springs accepted)
San Marcos Residential Garbage and Multifamily Recycling customers; a copy of the City utility bill must be provided to unload. Commercial waste, including material from multifamily property owners and managers, is not accepted.
Conditions and source
Second Saturday of April, May, September and October, 8 am to 1 pm or until the roll-off dumpsters are full; 2026 dates April 11, May 9, September 12 and October 10. Accepted: appliances and electronics, furniture, lumber, mattresses and box spring, passenger tires (limit 5), scrap metal, and loose yard waste. Not accepted: commercial waste, household hazardous waste, dirt or sod, roof shingles, trailers and vehicles.
Not confirmed: The city does not say whether material dropped at the event is landfilled, recycled or reused.
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 24, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
Free
Visit siteGreen Guy Recycling Center mattress and box spring drop-off
Open to the public at the published fee. The fee may be waived for San Marcos residents who pay for recycling services through their City of San Marcos Utility Bill; the bill must show the recycling center charge, must be in the owner's name, and must be presented in person during staffed hours.
Conditions and source
Monday through Friday 8:00am-5:00pm, Saturday 8:00am-12:00pm, closed Sunday. The operator states it recycles mattresses and box springs. The city's own card notes that mattresses are taken in limited quantity per customer, and that the waived items are only accepted during business hours when staff can verify the utility bill. The site also takes tires, televisions and monitors, Freon-bearing appliances, oil filters, and residential bulky waste such as furniture, mirrors, surplus home renovation materials, brush and playscapes.
- $0 — Waived once a year for a City of San Marcos residential garbage or multifamily recycling customer: one mattress and one box spring (or two mattresses or two box springs), brought during business hours with a City of San Marcos utility bill in the owner's name showing the Recycling Center Fee.
- $30 — Each mattress and each box spring: 'Green Guy now recycles mattresses and box springs, each for a $30 fee.'
Not confirmed: The operator states the site 'recycles' mattresses and box springs but does not describe what is done with the materials.
Not confirmed: Neither the city nor the operator states what the 'limited quantity per customer' limit on mattresses is.
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 24, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
Free–$30
Visit siteTexas Recycle Warehouse mattress and box spring recycling, San Marcos
No residency restriction is stated; the operator serves communities from Austin to San Antonio.
Conditions and source
Drop-off at 1942 S I-35 Frontage Rd, San Marcos. The operator states 'We recycle all mattresses and box springs' and prices by size. Collection is separately available by appointment, priced by distance from the San Marcos warehouse and by quantity.
- $10 — Crib and twin mattresses, dropped at the San Marcos warehouse.
- $15 — Full and queen mattresses, dropped at the San Marcos warehouse.
- $15 — Each box spring, dropped at the San Marcos warehouse.
- $20 — King mattresses, dropped at the San Marcos warehouse.
Not confirmed: The operator publishes no opening hours for the San Marcos warehouse.
Not confirmed: Pickup is priced by distance and quantity with no published rate.
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 24, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
$15
Visit siteThe other 5 places, further out
Nearest
Hays County Citizens Collection Wimberley mattress drop-off
Hays County's own words, and they pull in two directions. The Recycling & Solid Waste page says the “facilities offer drop-off locations for rural residents who do not have waste or recycling services at their home” and that “Hays County does not offer trash pick-up services.” The fee schedule for the same two sites is headed “Hays County Recycling & Solid Waste Centers — Serving Hays County Residents” and sets no resident/non-resident split and no proof-of-address rule. Neither page confines the stations to unincorporated Hays County, and neither says a household with curbside collection is turned away. Separately, and worded unambiguously, the county's household hazardous waste facility at 634 East Hopkins Street in San Marcos “is open to all Hays County residents”, and the annual Solid Waste Collection Event is “free to all Hays County residents” with “a valid drivers license or utility bill” checked at the gate.
Conditions and source
1691 Carney Lane, Wimberley. Open “Tuesday through Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm”; “Facilities are closed Sunday, Monday, and official county holidays.” Facility rules as published: “Unload by 4:00 PM”, “Large loads before 3:30 PM”, “Check in with attendant”, “Sort before unloading”. “Payment Accepted: Cash • Check • Credit Card”. The mattress price is flat by item and does not vary by size: “Mattresses (Twin) $30 each” through “Mattresses (King) $30 each” and “Box Springs (Twin-King) $30 each”, under a column headed “Disposal Fee as of 10/1/2026”. General household trash at the same sites is “$18 CY ($3 min)”. Household hazardous waste is not taken here and must go to 634 East Hopkins Street, San Marcos.
- $3 — The household-trash minimum at the same counter, “Household Trash (per CY/min) $18 CY ($3 min)”. The schedule does not say whether this minimum is charged on top of a per-item mattress fee.
- $30 — Hays County fee schedule, column “Disposal Fee as of 10/1/2026”: “Mattresses (Twin) $30 each”, “Mattresses (Full) $30 each”, “Mattresses (Queen) $30 each”, “Mattresses (King) $30 each” — one price per mattress at either county station whatever the size.
- $30 — Hays County fee schedule line “Box Springs (Twin-King) $30 each”, charged per box spring in addition to the mattress.
Not confirmed: Whether a resident of an incorporated Hays County city with curbside service may use the two collection stations is not resolved: the county calls them drop-offs for rural residents without home service, while the fee schedule for the same sites says “Serving Hays County Residents”.
Not confirmed: The county does not publish whether a mattress dropped here is landfilled or recycled.
Not confirmed: No proof-of-residency procedure is published for the two stations.
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 25, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
$30plus $3 for the load or entry
Visit siteMesquite Creek Landfill disposal (New Braunfels)
WM's facility page does not publish a residency or customer restriction; the City of New Braunfels states that mattresses are accepted here for a fee.
Conditions and source
1700 Kohlenberg Road, New Braunfels, open Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.–12 p.m., closed Sunday. WM directs visitors to its WM Solutions pages for the acceptable-materials list. The city's bulky trash page notes mattresses are 'Accepted for a fee at Mesquite Creek Landfill'.
Not confirmed: No gate rates or mattress fee are published by WM or the city
Not confirmed: WM does not state whether walk-in residential customers are accepted or what proof is required
Not confirmed: No stated outcome for mattresses
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 22, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
Fee not published
Visit siteHays County Citizens Collection Driftwood mattress drop-off
Hays County's own words, and they pull in two directions. The Recycling & Solid Waste page says the “facilities offer drop-off locations for rural residents who do not have waste or recycling services at their home” and that “Hays County does not offer trash pick-up services.” The fee schedule for the same two sites is headed “Hays County Recycling & Solid Waste Centers — Serving Hays County Residents” and sets no resident/non-resident split and no proof-of-address rule. Neither page confines the stations to unincorporated Hays County, and neither says a household with curbside collection is turned away. Separately, and worded unambiguously, the county's household hazardous waste facility at 634 East Hopkins Street in San Marcos “is open to all Hays County residents”, and the annual Solid Waste Collection Event is “free to all Hays County residents” with “a valid drivers license or utility bill” checked at the gate.
Conditions and source
20290 FM 150 West, Driftwood. Open “Tuesday through Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm”; “Facilities are closed Sunday, Monday, and official county holidays.” Facility rules as published: “Unload by 4:00 PM”, “Large loads before 3:30 PM”, “Check in with attendant”, “Sort before unloading”. “Payment Accepted: Cash • Check • Credit Card”. The mattress price is flat by item and does not vary by size: “Mattresses (Twin) $30 each” through “Mattresses (King) $30 each” and “Box Springs (Twin-King) $30 each”, under a column headed “Disposal Fee as of 10/1/2026”. General household trash at the same sites is “$18 CY ($3 min)”. Household hazardous waste is not taken here and must go to 634 East Hopkins Street, San Marcos.
- $3 — The household-trash minimum at the same counter, “Household Trash (per CY/min) $18 CY ($3 min)”. The schedule does not say whether this minimum is charged on top of a per-item mattress fee.
- $30 — Hays County fee schedule, column “Disposal Fee as of 10/1/2026”: “Mattresses (Twin) $30 each”, “Mattresses (Full) $30 each”, “Mattresses (Queen) $30 each”, “Mattresses (King) $30 each” — one price per mattress at either county station whatever the size.
- $30 — Hays County fee schedule line “Box Springs (Twin-King) $30 each”, charged per box spring in addition to the mattress.
Not confirmed: Whether a resident of an incorporated Hays County city with curbside service may use the two collection stations is not resolved: the county calls them drop-offs for rural residents without home service, while the fee schedule for the same sites says “Serving Hays County Residents”.
Not confirmed: The county does not publish whether a mattress dropped here is landfilled or recycled.
Not confirmed: No proof-of-residency procedure is published for the two stations.
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 25, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
$30plus $3 for the load or entry
Visit siteGuadalupe County community bulk clean-up day (mattresses named on the accepted list)
The county's wording is "residents of Guadalupe County": "The Road & Bridge Department determines dates and locations of clean-up events for residents of Guadalupe County", and "Community clean-up days may be provided up to four times a year to allow residents to properly dispose of waste and bulky items." There is no unincorporated-only restriction and no city exclusion anywhere in the notice, so residents of Seguin, Schertz, Cibolo, Universal City, Marion, Santa Clara, New Berlin, Kingsbury and Staples are inside it on the county's own terms. The county does not say whether residency is checked at the entrance.
This year’s was on Oct 31, 2026 — it has already happened, and the town has not published next year’s date yet.
Conditions and source
"DATE: Saturday, October 31, 2026. ENTRANCE LOCATION: Enter at 3100 N. Austin St., Seguin, TX. CONTACT: Environmental Health Department, (830) 303-8858. Maximum trailer length allowed is 12 foot trailer. No dump trailers allowed." Mattresses are named on the accepted list: "Furniture (sofas, tables mattresses, etc.)", alongside "Trash (paper, plastics)", "Junk debris", "Household appliances (stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers)", "Scrap metal", tires under 19.5 inches without rims limited to four and kept separate, "Dry paint", "Bagged yard waste" and "Ceramic toilets must be in a cardboard box". Not accepted: hazardous materials and chemicals, lead, NiCd and lithium batteries, brush and limbs, fencing, sheds, construction material and debris, dead livestock and pets, junk vehicles and boats, oil-based paint, dump trailers, and "No gas in mowers or equipment". The county says it may run this up to four times a year; only the one date is published.
Not confirmed: No fee is published and the county does not state that the event is free, so no price is recorded in either direction.
Not confirmed: No opening and closing times are published, only the date and the entrance address.
Not confirmed: The county does not say what happens to what it collects, so no recycling or disposal outcome is claimed.
Not confirmed: The other dates and locations of the up-to-four annual events are not published.
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 25, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
Fee not published
Visit sitePost Oak Landfill self-haul drop-off at the Guadalupe County citizen rate
Guadalupe County's own flyer sets the terms: "Drop-off of garbage and recycling items for Guadalupe County citizens is only available at Post Oak Landfill in Luling, TX, pursuant to an agreement with Waste Connection Lone Star, Inc., Addendum A." The rate card is headed "FEES FOR GUADALUPE COUNTY CITIZENS:". The qualifier is county citizenship and nothing narrower — the county does not confine it to unincorporated areas, does not exclude incorporated cities and sets no subdivision or precinct boundary — so a resident of Seguin, Schertz, Cibolo, Universal City, Marion, Santa Clara, New Berlin, Kingsbury or Staples, and of the Guadalupe County parts of New Braunfels and San Marcos, is covered by the same wording as a resident of the open county. The county publishes no statement of what the gate accepts as proof of citizenship.
Conditions and source
Post Oak Landfill, 7787 FM 1150, Luling, Texas 78155, (830) 433-7229, reached from Seguin east on IH-10 and then FM 1150, roughly twenty-five miles from Seguin and considerably further from Schertz and Cibolo at the western end of the county. The county's four published lines are: "Car or pickup truck loads are $20 for each car or pickup."; "Vehicles with Bulky Items/ Brush are $53 with a 1 ton minimum. 'Bulky Items,' are those items that cannot be compacted."; "Additional $25 charge for mattresses."; "Additional $25 charge for tires that are not at least quartered." A mattress cannot be compacted, so it is charged on the $53 bulky line and the $25 mattress surcharge is added on top of it — about $78 for one mattress hauled on its own, and $25 for each further mattress added to a load already being charged. Rate card revised 04/29/25.
- $20 — Guadalupe County citizen rate card line: "Car or pickup truck loads are $20 for each car or pickup." This is the compactable-household-waste rate; it does not cover a mattress, which the county prices on the bulky line plus the $25 mattress surcharge.
- $53 — Guadalupe County citizen rate card line: "Vehicles with Bulky Items/ Brush are $53 with a 1 ton minimum. 'Bulky Items,' are those items that cannot be compacted." A mattress cannot be compacted, so this is the load rate it is charged on.
- Plus $25 — Guadalupe County citizen rate card line: "Additional $25 charge for mattresses." This is a surcharge charged on top of the load fee, not instead of it, so a single mattress hauled on its own is charged the $53 bulky-load minimum plus this $25.
Not confirmed: No opening hours or days are published by the county for this site, and the operator's own location page was not used for them because this operator's facility pages have repeatedly been found serving another site's rate card and hours.
Not confirmed: No proof-of-residency rule is published for claiming the citizen rate.
Not confirmed: The county does not state whether a box spring is charged as a second mattress.
Not confirmed: The county does not state whether mattresses dropped here are landfilled or recovered; the site is named a landfill and no recycling is claimed.
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 25, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
$20
Visit siteNo way to move it yourself? See pickup services →
4Junk removal options serving San Marcos
Companies that come to your home and carry the mattress out, so you need no vehicle. The prices below are starting prices unless stated — stairs, box springs and extra items add to them.
1-800-GOT-JUNK? mattress removal
Franchise network; coverage varies by ZIP (some ZIPs not serviced).
Conditions and source
In-person estimate before work; single items priced by size, minimum charge applies (amount not published). Donates or recycles where possible.
Not confirmed: Coverage varies by ZIP.
Not confirmed: No published mattress price.
Not confirmed: Recycling/donation not guaranteed per job.
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 22, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
Ask provider
Visit siteCollege HUNKS mattress removal
Franchise network; coverage varies by ZIP.
Conditions and source
Free estimate at start of job; price depends on location and job. Mattress recycled or disposed of; few donation centers take mattresses.
Not confirmed: Coverage varies by ZIP.
Not confirmed: No published price.
Not confirmed: Recycling vs landfill not stated per location.
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 22, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
Ask provider
Visit siteJunk King mattress disposal
100+ franchise locations in U.S. and Canada; coverage varies by ZIP.
Conditions and source
Free onsite/photo/phone estimate; pricing varies by location. Works with local recyclers and donation partners.
Not confirmed: Coverage varies by ZIP.
Not confirmed: No published mattress price on primary pages.
Not confirmed: Per-location recycling outcome not stated.
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 22, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
Ask provider
Visit siteThe other 1 companies
The Junkluggers mattress removal
Franchise network; find a local Junkluggers; coverage varies by ZIP.
Conditions and source
Free up-front estimate; most locations offer same-day pickup. Donates/recycles/repurposes when possible.
Not confirmed: Coverage varies by ZIP.
Not confirmed: No published price.
Not confirmed: Disposal of non-reusable mattresses not described.
From the provider’s own page, checked Sep 22, 2026. Not confirmed by phone.
Ask provider
Visit site5Store haul-away options in San Marcos
If you are replacing the mattress, the shop will often take the old one when they deliver. Usually one old mattress per new one, and only if it is dry and clean.
- Casper
- Free
- Casper mattress order with In-Home Delivery & Setup ($249), continental US; one used mattress per mattress ordered. Sanitary condition judged on site; box springs must be removable intact. Source
- Purple
- Free
- Non-California: free with Rejuvenate mattresses; $200 add-on for select Essentials/Restore mattresses. Mattress only (no box springs); unsanitary mattresses may be refused. Source
- Raymour & Flanigan
- Free
- New mattress purchase with delivery; free with mattress set of $500+. Safe, sanitary, free of rips and tears. Source
- Rooms To Go
- Free
- New mattress with full service delivery. Not heavily soiled; not with Doorway Delivery. Source
The other 15 retailers
- Saatva
- Free
- New Saatva mattress with white glove delivery; select removal at checkout; continental US. Clean, undamaged mattress/foundation only; no adjustable bases, frames, waterbed or Sleep Number bases. Source
- Sam's Club
- Free
- Select mattresses with White Glove Delivery; free White Glove for Plus members buying online; not PR/AK/HI. Haul-away on request; biohazard items refused. Source
- Tempur-Pedic direct
- Free
- Mattress (not TEMPUR-Cloud), power base or foundation bought directly from Tempur-Pedic; like-for-like. Adult 18+ present; bedding removed; unsanitary/heavily soiled items may be refused. Source
- Amazon
- $79.99
- Purchased with an eligible mattress; available in select cities. One mattress or box spring; no bodily fluids or bed bugs; adult present. Source
- Avocado Green Mattress
- Ask provider
- Avocado In-Home Delivery & Setup order in select areas; must buy the equivalent item. Subject to local health regulations; no bed frames/furniture. Source
- Bob's Discount Furniture
- Ask provider
- New mattress/foundation delivered via BOBtastic White Glove Delivery. Safe and sanitary condition. Source
- Costco
- Ask provider
- Costco mattress delivery in select areas; one-for-one like item. Not damaged, soiled or infested; ready at delivery; additional fees may apply. Source
- Helix Sleep
- $219
- Helix order with In-Home Setup & Removal selected at checkout; contiguous 48 states. Stained/soiled items may be refused. Source
- IKEA
- $30
- Mattress or box spring bought in store with in-home delivery, in select markets / ZIP codes in the continental US; not online orders. Removal may be on a different date from delivery. Source
- Living Spaces
- Ask provider
- Full Service Delivery; request at checkout. Stained/soiled mattresses not eligible. Source
- Macys
- $25
- Macy's mattress with White Glove ($125) or Room of Choice ($75) delivery; one-for-one. No stained, soiled or bed-bug items; no frames/adjustable bases/furniture. Source
- Mattress Firm
- Ask provider
- Mattress ordered for delivery from Mattress Firm; one-for-one. Box spring removed only if new order includes one; no wet, unsanitary or infested bedding; no furniture. Source
- Mattress Warehouse
- $29.99
- With delivery of a new purchase; add before delivery date. Mattresses/box springs only; stained items excluded. Source
- Resident (Nectar, DreamCloud)
- $199
- Nectar or DreamCloud order with paid White Glove Delivery, where offered. Removal at the provider's discretion; may be unavailable in some areas; CA/RI/CT add a state-mandated fee. Source
- Sleep Number
- Ask provider
- With a Sleep Number bed delivery: included with Ultimate delivery ($350) or added for $100 with Premium/Doorstep; one disposal per Smart Bed delivered. Adult 18+ present; no bed bugs/extreme soiling; Doorstep customers must put the old bed outside. Source
6Donation options in San Marcos
Most charities will not take a used mattress. These are the ones we checked, including the ones that say no.
- The Salvation Army (satruck.org): accepted-items list includes 'Mattresses' and beds; also says local ordinances and need vary by location and to call 1-800-SA-TRUCK to confirm what a local center accepts. Source
- Doesn’t take mattresses. Habitat for Humanity national ReStore guide: 'Mattresses and box springs are not accepted.' Source
Policies vary by branch. Call before you carry one over — we asked each of the big three directly: Goodwill, the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity.
What San Marcos itself says
What we established about this city in particular — including where it runs nothing of its own and residents have to look elsewhere.
- San Marcos City Code, Chapter 66 SOLID WASTE (codified through Ordinance No. 2025-43, adopted October 21, 2025; online content updated August 28, 2026). Sec. 66.001 Definitions: "Bulky waste consists of three cubic yards or less of Freon-free appliances, furniture and other large waste materials, construction debris, or items that do not fit in the cart other than dead animals, hazardous waste or stable matter." "Bundle means tree, shrub and brush trimmings or newspapers and magazines securely tied together forming an easily handled package not exceeding four feet in length or 35 pounds in weight." Sec. 66.030 Placement of bags and containers for collection: "(a) The owner and the occupant of premises served by the city's contract solid waste service are each responsible for compliance with this article. The city's utility billing records are prima facie evidence of the identity of the occupant. (b) All solid waste, other than bulky waste, construction debris and yard waste, shall be placed for collection only in bags and containers. (c) Bags and containers shall placed for collection between 9:00 p.m. the night preceding collection day and 7:00 a.m. of collection day and shall be placed as close to the roadway as practicable without interfering with vehicles or pedestrians. (d) Bulky waste, construction debris and yard waste shall be placed for collection only after the city has been notified of the need for special collection. Yard waste must be securely tied together in bundles not exceeding four feet in length or 35 pounds in weight. (e) Emptied containers shall be removed to a location at the side or rear of a building on the premises by 9:00 p.m. of collection day." Sec. 66.031 Placing solid waste outside buildings makes it unlawful for an owner or occupant to "(1) Cause or permit any garbage or rubbish generated on the premises to be placed or to remain outside of a building on the premises unless it is inside a securely closed bag, bin or container"; "(2) Cause or permit any solid waste to be placed or to remain outside of a building on the premises in a manner that is likely to: a. Create a harborage or breeding place for mosquitoes, flies or vermin; or b. Allow the waste to be scattered or carried away by the elements"; "(5) Cause or permit any solid waste to be burned on the premises"; and "(6) Cause or permit the placement of more than three cubic yards of construction debris in bulky waste pickup". Sec. 66.032 requires owners of multifamily units (five or more dwelling units) either to take the city contractor's bag and container collection or to furnish their own containers and contract in writing for collection at least once per week. Source
- Not an option: City of San Marcos Reuse Warehouse, 634 E Hopkins (across from HEB), open "Saturdays 8 am-12 pm (Shop)" and "8 am-11:30 am (donate)". San Marcos garbage customers may donate items in good condition or shop for free, with a limit on items per visit. The accepted list is school supplies, scrap wood, shipping pallets, books, drinkware, home decor, kitchenware, outdoor gear, and paints and stains. The warehouse names three things it will not take, and mattresses head the list: "Mattresses & Box Springs", "Upholstered Furniture" and "Clothing". The page adds that "Staff will verify items are in working condition and reserve the right to not accept any items." This is a refusal, not an option: the city's own reuse operation will not accept a mattress or a box spring. Source
- City of San Marcos SMTX Gives Back page. "SMTX Gives Back (formerly Bobcats Give Back) is a sustainable move-out program created to provide an outlet for gently used and unwanted items during move-out season." It is administered by San Marcos Resource Recovery, and the 2026 program ran from June 22 to August 5, 2026. Participating apartment complexes hold a donation station in the leasing office where residents may bring items; items are taken to the Resource Recovery Warehouse where staff and volunteers weigh, categorize and sort them, and donations are distributed to local non-profit organizations, recycling centers or reuse businesses. The city maintains separate Partners and Donations pages for the list of complexes and the accepted-item conditions. Source Not confirmed: The page does not name a mattress or box spring as either accepted or refused by the move-out program, and the city's own Reuse Warehouse - where donated goods are handled - explicitly refuses them. Not confirmed: The list of participating apartment complexes is on a separate page and was not established here.
- City of San Marcos Multifamily Services page, which prints the city's own card of drop-off options. On Green Guy Recycling, 937 TX Hwy-80: "San Marcos recycling customers can access FREE 24-Hour drop-off for household recyclables", and "They also accept: air conditioners, refrigerators, computers, monitors, cell phones, electronics, TVs*, Tires* Mattresses*", where the asterisk is defined on the same page as "limited quantity per customer". The card also lists the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 634 E. Hopkins St. (Friday 12:00 pm - 3:30 pm and Saturday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm, free for San Marcos and Hays County residents with proof of address, for batteries, fluorescent bulbs, paint, household cleaners, pesticides, used oil and filters, medical needles and vapes), the Reuse Warehouse at the same address, and the Community Clean Up at 750 River Rd. Source Not confirmed: The card does not say what the 'limited quantity per customer' limit on mattresses is.
What Hays County offers
Established for the county as a whole, so it applies across San Marcos and its neighbors.
- Once a year Hays County takes mattresses for nothing, from anyone who lives in the county. Its Solid Waste Collection Event is set for “Saturday October 24, 2026”, “8:00 AM – 12:00 PM OR UNTIL FULL”, at Civic Center Loop, San Marcos. “This event will be free to all Hays County residents”, and “A valid drivers license or utility bill will be checked before entering”. It takes “Non-hazardous solid waste, furniture items, mattresses, stoves, washers and dryers, water heaters, BBQ grills” and other household goods. It will not take “No Tires, No Brush, No paints, No chemicals of any kind, No explosives, No ammunition, No fireworks, No medical waste”, nor commercial waste. Residents stay in their vehicles and county staff unload. Unlike the two collection stations, the event is open to every Hays County resident by its own words, not only to rural households without curbside service. Source Not confirmed: No per-household limit on items is published, beyond “or until full”. Not confirmed: The county does not publish whether this event recurs annually or its date for later years.
- Not an option: The nearest ReStore to a Hays County reader is in San Marcos, and it will not take the mattress. Austin Habitat for Humanity's donation guidelines list “Used mattresses and box springs” among the items not accepted, and the guidelines apply across its stores, which include “San Marcos — 2521 S Interstate 35, San Marcos, TX 78666”, (512) 738-8383, “Mon – Sat: 10am – 6pm, Sunday: 11am – 6pm”, as well as the two Austin stores. Linens are accepted; the mattress is not. Source Not confirmed: No Hays County furniture bank or shelter with a published policy of accepting used mattresses could be established from a primary source.
Texas mattress disposal rules
- Current homepage says drop-off is coming soon, whereas existing MRC card 42 lists commercial drop-off at 1915 Kramer Ln and open 24 hours. Do not rely on that old drop-off listing as current. Homepage offers indoor/curb pickup and states reuse, then recycling, then landfill as its routing preference. Source
- Operator lists Austin yard at 6546 Burnet Road, Austin TX 78757 and Manor yard at 20301 Hog Eye Rd, Manor TX 78653. Earlier national65 Duke’s listing uses 1602 Bench Mark Dr.; no move or branch-equivalence statement found. Preserve all addresses separately. Source
- No statewide mattress stewardship program or landfill ban found on TCEQ pages as of 2026-09-22; mattress disposal is handled by local governments. Source
- TCEQ's Take Care of Texas (Mar 4, 2025) notes many mattress retailers offer pickup of old mattresses on new-mattress delivery, organizations such as Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity may accept good-condition mattresses, and many cities/haulers offer bulk pickup or collection events. Source
Questions people ask about San Marcos
Is there free mattress disposal in San Marcos?
Yes: City of San Marcos Community Clean Up (mattresses and box springs accepted) (750 River Road (behind the Animal Shelter), San Marcos, TX 78666); Casper removal with In-Home Delivery & Setup; Havertys complimentary mattress removal. Check eligibility and conditions before you go.
How much does mattress pickup cost in San Marcos?
Published starting prices: A Bedder World mattress pickup from $89. Stairs, box springs, and extra items can add fees.
Will the store take my old mattress when I buy a new one?
Several retailers offer haul-away with a new mattress delivery, usually with conditions: Casper, Havertys, Purple, Raymour & Flanigan, Rooms To Go, Saatva.
Are there state rules for mattress disposal in Texas?
Current homepage says drop-off is coming soon, whereas existing MRC card 42 lists commercial drop-off at 1915 Kramer Ln and open 24 hours. Do not rely on that old drop-off listing as current. Homepage offers indoor/curb pickup and states reuse, then recycling, then landfill as its routing preference.
What to check before you go
- Say if the mattress is wet, stained, or has any sign of pests — that is the usual reason one is turned away.
- Ask what the total will be. Box springs, stairs, and extra items are often charged separately.
- Check you qualify. Many sites serve only residents of their own city or county.