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Old mattresses and abandoned furniture in Westminster: who do you call?

A report going to Westminster’s City Council on October 28, 2026, records about 291 cleanup work orders in the third quarter. Reporting items abandoned in public areas is different from scheduling pickup of your household’s old furniture.

October 28, 2026

Summary — 3 things to remember
  1. Westminster recorded about 291 work orders and an estimated 14.5 tons of items and debris removed in the third quarter of 2026. Those figures do not establish that illegal dumping incidents doubled.
  2. Report items abandoned in public areas to the city. You can use MyWestminster or call (714) 895-⁠2876; this does not schedule household bulky-item pickup.
  3. Midway City Sanitary District schedules a maximum of two items per household every 30 days. It does not collect mattresses at the curb; you can take them to its free recycling drop-off.

Two different situations, two points of contact

A chair abandoned on a sidewalk is different from a chair you want to replace at home. Old mattresses and refrigerators also need the right disposal route, not simply a trip to the curb.

In Westminster, the city handles abandoned items in the public right-of-way, the public area used for streets and walkways. Scheduled household bulky-item pickup is a separate service.

A report listed as item 3.3 for the October 28, 2026, council meeting documents the city’s cleanup work. Staff recommends receiving and filing the report, not adopting new fees or fines.

What has the city removed?

The report’s figures reflect the work the cleanup team recorded.

In the second quarter, April through June 2026, the team completed about 146 work orders and removed an estimated 8 tons of items and debris.

In the third quarter, July through September 2026, the corresponding figures were about 291 work orders and 14.5 tons. The report uses “tons”; these figures have not been converted to metric tons.

The third-quarter list includes 98 mattresses, compared with 13 in the second quarter. The team also removed couches, refrigerators, tables, chairs and shopping carts.

Third-quarter work orders were nearly double the previous quarter’s count. The report does not, however, establish that illegal dumping incidents also doubled.

A work order does not automatically represent a separate dumping incident. The figures also do not identify who left the items or why.

According to the report, a dedicated team of seven part-time employees provides coverage every day of the week. The team checks recurring problem areas and responds to residents’ requests.

The report lists corridors including Bishop Place between Magnolia and Bushard, and Westminster Boulevard between Newland and Bushard. That does not mean every part of those stretches currently has debris.

If you see items abandoned outside

For items already abandoned in public areas, use the city’s reporting channels rather than scheduling household pickup.

Westminster’s abandoned-furniture reporting page directs residents to the MyWestminster app, an online form or the Corporation Yard.

For example, if you see a couch on the sidewalk outside a shopping area, describe the item and its specific location so the city can find it.

Midway City Sanitary District states that it does not collect personal property abandoned in the public right-of-way. Its scheduling line therefore does not replace the city’s abandoned-item reporting service.

If you want to dispose of household furniture

For your own household items, arrange pickup before putting them at the curb.

According to the service page at midwaycitysanitaryca.gov, Midway City Sanitary District picks up a maximum of two items per household every 30 days. That does not mean two pickups per month.

Call or email at least one week in advance of the requested service. The district asks residents not to put items at the curb until pickup is scheduled.

For example, if you have a couch and an old appliance, first ask whether both are accepted. The exclusion list and the driver’s discretion still apply.

For residents in communities with shared metal dumpsters, the district’s page directs them to CR&R to schedule pickup.

Mattresses have a separate drop-off

Mattresses and box springs are not part of the district’s curbside pickup service.

Its Mattress Drop-off page says mattresses, box springs and futons are accepted for free recycling at the following location and times:

Having an old mattress does not mean leaving it on the sidewalk will get it collected through regular service.

Cleaning up abandoned items and preventing more items from being left behind require different steps. Reporting to the right agency identifies a cleanup location; scheduling the right service helps a household know where its items will go.

Want to comment on the cleanup report?

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