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Mattress removal in Lowell

A queen mattress leaning against a gray Lowell triple-decker beside a stack of wet autumn leaves

UTEC's Lowell pickup, step by step

The city's Q&A says mattresses and box springs must be recycled and tells residents to use UTEC. Massachusetts has banned them from disposal since November 1, 2022. UTEC's Lowell page says curbside pickups occur weekly on Wednesdays, with the mattress on the curb outside your building by 7:30 am. The crew will not enter private property or take anything that is not curbside, and a split or king box spring counts as two pieces.

After you book, wait for your pickup date before you set anything out. The city's curbside page does not allow items out earlier than the day before collection, with fines up to $100 for violations.

What UTEC will not take

UTEC rejects mattresses discovered or known to have bed bugs and tells residents to contact their town's DPW about other options. For Lowell, that is the Solid Waste & Recycling Office at 978-674-4309. Its mattress page says UTEC picks up only standard mattresses and box springs, not couches, futons or appliances, and sets an 8-piece limit per pickup.

Futons, sofa beds and pull-out couches are not covered by the program; we take those from our furniture menu (a sofa is $139, a sleeper sofa $189).

Why people pay for carry-out

In a triple-decker the issue is not the curb, it is the two flights of stairs and a turn on the landing. A queen box spring rarely makes that turn without being cut down. We carry from any floor, and the state recycling fee is included in the price: twin mattress $89, full $99, queen $109, king $129; box springs $59 twin, $69 full, $79 queen, $99 king. Because of the $159 minimum, a queen set ($188) clears it, but a lone twin mattress is billed at $159.

A UTEC mattress booking, from order to curb

  1. Day 0

    Book on utecinc.org or call 978-856-3997 and choose Lowell

  2. Within 1 to 2 business days

    UTEC emails the pickup date (check spam)

  3. The Tuesday night before

    Confirm the floor path and that the bed is dry; do not set it out yet

  4. Pickup Wednesday, before 7:30 am

    Mattress and box spring on the curb outside your building

  5. By mid-afternoon

    Crew collects; keep items out if you get a weather delay email

Local resources in Lowell

Donation, reuse and recycling options near the pickup. We are not affiliated with these; confirm hours and what they accept before you go.

Quick answers

Can I drop a mattress at the Lowell DPW?

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The city's recycling page lists a locked recycling container open Tuesday to Thursday, 10 am to 3 pm, but does not say it takes mattresses. Call 978-674-4309 first.

Is a wet mattress still accepted?

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UTEC's pages say nothing about moisture, but rain on a stack of foam makes it heavy and hard to move. Put it out the morning of pickup.

Sources

Rules, fees and hours change, so confirm with Lowell before you go.

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