What’s next for your old mattress? As a major source of landfills, it’s more important than ever to find ways to recycle and reuse your beloved bed. Here’s how.
Rest easy. It is possible to give your old mattress a second life—and avoid the landfill. Old mattresses haunt our hallways and clog our landfills. Hard to move and tough to break down for recycling, it’s not surprising that more than 50,000 mattresses end up in landfills every day in the United States. But don’t despair—there are greener options. According to the Mattress Recycling Council, up to 80 percent of the materials found in mattresses can be recycled. Here are some pointers for keeping that old mattress out of the trash.
Look into Take-Back Programs
Before you arrange for your new mattress to arrive, find out if the manufacturer will pick up your old mattress and take care of its recycling and disposal.
Recycle It Yourself
If the manufacturer doesn’t have a take-back program (or only offers to haul it to the landfill), you still have options. Companies that dismantle mattresses are not as common as other recycling services, but with a bit of sleuthing you can find one. Use these easy-to-search databases to find a drop-off location.
Memory foam mattresses pose a special recycling challenge, as the foam can’t be broken down into recyclable components. But it’s not impossible! Check out the Home for Foam database to find a foam recycling center.
Give It Away
If your mattress is still in OK shape and less than 10 years old, the easiest course of action is to give your old mattress to a friend or local charity. Try homeless shelters, churches, animal shelters, and domestic violence prevention centers in your town to see if they accept mattress donations.
The Salvation Army accepts mattress donations and will likely offer to make a pickup.
Habitat for Humanity accepts mattress donation drop-offs at multiple locations.
DonationTown is a great resource for finding a nonprofit in need of mattresses.
And finally, online sites like Craigslist and the Freecycle Network make it possible to find a neighbor willing to come fetch your free mattress.
Consider a New Use
Choose Green
If you’re thinking about recycling your old mattress, you’re probably also considering greener options for your next one. Fortunately, shoppers today can choose from a variety of products that don’t use toxic chemicals or other materials that may be harmful. For parents, we suggest the Naturepedic® Quilted Deluxe One-Sided Twin Mattress. It’s both hypoallergenic and free from harmful chemicals. Naturepedic’s more affordable brand, Lullaby Earth, is just as safe but does not use organic cotton. The Lullaby Earth Super Lightweight Baby Crib & Toddler Mattress is one of the few green baby mattresses available for under $200.