How to Recycle a Mattress

How to recycle a mattress seems like a big challenge because mattresses are one of the heaviest items one can probably choose to recycle. Mattresses last for years and you are most likely to recycle one only after 8 to 10 years approximately However, as they are big in size and weight, the recycling process won’t be much easy. On average, more than 20 million mattresses make their way into landfills yearly. It adds to pollution and causes health issues. This informative blog post will help you learn ways to recycle your mattress in the best possible way. Recycling a mattress will not only help you in getting rid of your old worn-out bed but also promotes sustainability and environmental well-being.

How to Recycle A Mattress – Some Important Concepts

There are several recycling facilities operating in the USA and other countries where the companies come and pick the mattress for recycling purposes. You can find a recycling facility near your location and ask them if they can come to pick up the old mattress. If it’s feasible, you can also drop the mattress at a recycling organization.

Many recycling facilities only accept mattresses from manufacturers and brands and do not accept individual donations. However, some recycling companies may charge a little fee to pick up an old mattress from your home address.

A lot of times, mattress manufacturers also accept old mattresses from new buyers. So if you are thinking to invest in a new bed, you may ask the brand if they can accept your old mattress to recycle it.

Second-hand stores may also accept mattress donations and later recycle them to use the material in new furniture. Look out for thrift stores and second-hand furniture shops to see if they can pick up your old mattress.

Before we talk about how to recycle a mattress, let’s go through some important concepts.

What is Mattress Recycling?

Mattress recycling is all about breaking down a bed and taking out its components to reconstruct and reuse them for several different purposes. It is different from the process of refurbishing where a mattress is upholstered to give it a new life.

The majority of all the material used in the mattress can be recycled and reused once the bed is deconstructed. This saves valuable resources and supplies that would otherwise go to waste.

Why Do We Need to Recycle a Mattress?

No matter how well a mattress is constructed, it starts to wear out after a specific period of time. When after years of use your mattress stops delivering optimum performance, the only solution is to get a new one.

Buying a new mattress sounds pretty good but what would we do with the old mattress lying lifeless in our room? Well, we would have to get rid of it. The most recommended method of discarding a mattress is to recycle it.

Can We Recycle a Mattress Practically

Absolutely yes, all mattresses can be recycled but they need professional services. Around 80% of the material that is used in manufacturing a mattress can be recycled in a variety of ways.

A mattress is mainly made up of wool, foam, cotton, and steel. Most of these materials are recyclable. Wool, foam, and wood used in mattress construction can be recycled and used for making a lot of homeware accessories and decorative items. More details are here:

• Springs and steel can be melted to make new decorative items
• The foam used in the mattress can be upcycled to make carpet padding, furniture moving pads, and pillow fillings, or can be used as a source of producing fuel.
• Cotton, wool, and other fibers can be used for making filters, and furniture upholstery, or be burned to make fuel. Fabrics can also be recycled to make different types of home linen.
• Wood can be broken and chipped to make houseware products and animal shelters, or can be used as a source of fuel.

Recycling a mattress not only benefits the surrounding environment but also aids in the conservation of valuable materials and supplies. But how do we exactly recycle a mattress? Let’s find out.

Steps in Mattress Recycling

Now, we come across the question of how to recycle a mattress practically. As an answer, some steps have to be taken in this regard. Since mattresses compose of multiple layers, the first step in recycling a mattress is to cut it open and take out the layers. Different layers can be used for different purposes.

After opening up the mattress, all the material used in the construction is categorized according to their type. Coils, foam, wool, cotton, and fibers are separated and compressed.

The metal, wood, steel, and box spring parts are taken out for recycling in the scrap recyclers. The metal and other materials are then sent to factories and mills. The steel and metal are melted and remolded into different construction materials and appliances.

Conclusion

Recycling a mattress does only benefit you but also does a lot of good to the surrounding environment. It is easier to dump a mattress into a landfill but a responsible and sustainable approach is to recycle it. If you are thinking to buy a new mattress and want to get rid of the old one, you better recycle it with the help of professional companies. Thinking of how to recycle a mattress? Well, you can do that by ringing in your nearest recycling facility or asking mattress companies if they can pick the old bed up and get it recycled for you.

FAQs

Q: 1. How to recycle a mattress at home?

Ans: Recycling requires professional services. You can’t do it at home. Therefore, always contact recycling companies for that purpose.

Q: 2. How can recycling benefit society?

Ans: Recycling mattresses helps society in different ways:

• When we don’t throw our discarded mattresses in the bins outside our homes, we protect our environment from getting more polluted.
• We prevent ourselves from pests and diseases that can be transmitted through discarded bed mattresses.
• Also, we help the recycling industry grow because when we use these companies for mattress recycling, we create new jobs.