How Can I Reuse Or Recycle A Futon
By louisa on 25 Feb 2011 | 8
Weve had an email from Nicki:
How can I recycle a futon? I think Ive got a friend who will take the frame but she doesnt want the mattress. What can I do with that?
I suspect, like all mattresses, they wont be too not too popular secondhand as theyre hard to clean, especially if theyve been slept on a lot. Occasionally used ones may be more popular on Freecycle/Freegle.
When we were talking about mattress frames a few weeks ago, I mentioned an article on radical recycling of mattresses some of those reuses would apply to futon mattress too.
The frames are easier to pass on furniture charities may be willing to take them even if they dont want the mattress for bed bug/dirtiness reasons. It also might make interesting garden furniture.
Any other suggestion for the frame or the mattress?
Sell Your Mattress Online
There are many online resources for buying and selling used household items such as beds. Websites like Facebook Marketplace can allow you to find someone who is interested in purchasing your old mattress.
Be sure that whoever buys the mattress knows if it is new or used before you agree on a price! If there isnt interest after listing your item on a site like Craigslist or OfferUp consider giving it away on Freecycle.org.
Q Does Recycling Mattresses Cost Money
A) Sometimes, but typically not much.
A few recycling centers operate on a sliding scale, and may offer cost-free services. In general, though, you should expect to pay around $10 to $20 per mattress if you bring the mattress to the recycling center yourself.
In EPR states , there are many more recycling centers that will recycle your mattress cost-free.
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Can You Sell A Used Futon Mattress
Honestly, its a possibility on paper. There is no law that stops you from selling a used mattress online or in-person. However, I dont know of a single case where a regular person was able to successfully sell a used mattress. Even selling mattresses when they are new doesnt seem to be easy.
Most people hear the words Used Mattress and run the other way because of the risk of bed bugs. Since it is extremely stigmatized, most people will not hear of it. Of course, you can always give it a try. Id suggest using eBay and/or Craigslist. Keep the price super low if you can!
Can You Donate A Mattress
If your mattress is still in good condition, consider donating it to charity or giving it away free. That way you can help someone in need, as well as ensuring that it doesn’t end up in landfill.
Organisations such as British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross and Emmaus will resell your mattress and put the proceeds towards a good cause. Several other charities also accept mattress donations, so if there’s a cause you particularly want to support, its worth contacting the charity directly.
As a general rule, these organisations will collect your mattress free of charge, but they might request that you send images first to prove that it’s of acceptable quality. Any organisation accepting a mattress donation will expect it to be fit for use, clean and have a fire label intact.
Another way to ensure your mattress stays out of landfill sites is to use a non-profit initiative such as Freecycle, or your local equivalent group, which can put you in touch with someone in the local area looking for a free second-hand mattress.
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Disadvantages Of Step 1
Even though most companies do offer promos and deals for your old mattress some of the companies dont. This disadvantage makes the next steps easier. The next disadvantage of this step is that most of the companies take properly disposing of mattresses very seriously but on the other hand some companies dont take this matter seriously and that can be a problem as disposing of a futon mattress properly is very important because if it is disposed of properly it may get burned which can be a health hazard.
Preparing The Work Area
As you can see pictured to the right, here we have what was once a beautiful looking, previously plump, firm and supportive king size orthopedic spring mattress. Years on and unfortunately its time to say goodbye to this old and saggy beast. As you may have guessed here, it lies in the back garden on a chilly February morning. This thing was extremely heavy, possibly more than 50kg, so it required two of us to transport which was still quite a task of push and pull. Something to wheel along would have been much easier, but instead, we placed a huge heavy duty plastic cover underneath to help reduce the friction.
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Q Is Donating A Mattress Tax Deductible
A) Yes, if you donate it to an IRS-qualified organization. The IRS only allows you to claim tax deductions on donations made to organizations that are registered with them. You can find a list of IRS-qualified organizations here.
If you plan on claiming a deduction, you should get a receipt that names the charity, describes the mattress, and states the time, date, and location of your donation.
Hire A Disposal Company
Dispose of your mattress by hiring a professional company that specializes in junk removal.
Often times large items are very expensive for companies to haul away, so this option tends to be more affordable than you might think! If hiring a company isnt financially feasible for you, but you still want people doing manual labor and not just throwing your mattress in a dumpster, try looking for free labor opportunities online.
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How To Use Method 4
There are two ways to use method 4. The first method is that you call the solid waste department and wait for their scheduled large solid waste pickup. This method is useful but you might have to wait a bit for the scheduled pickup. If you wait for the pickup like the third and the second method you will have to keep your mattress in your house for some time. To avoid this you should plan ahead and dispose of your mattress and buy a new one on the same day. The second method is that you will have to dispose of your futon at the county dump yourself.
How To Dispose Of Mattresses
Can you recycle a mattress?
Ask your mattress retailer if they offer a recycling program or check out independent recycling options or contact Re-Matt, a local mattress recycler .
A mattress in good condition
Donate or drop-off a mattress at a charity. Some organizations accept mattresses in good condition for donation. Contact them to confirm.
Take your mattress to a City landfill. Landfill charges will apply.
Does The City of Calgary collect mattresses?
No. We do not collect large pieces of furniture like mattresses, box springs or futons.
Landfill locations listed below:
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Q Can I Clean My Mattress To Get It Up To Snuff For Donation
A) Sometimes, when it comes to smaller issues.
In some cases, a mattress is simply too degraded or damaged to be usable, and wont be able to be donated no matter what. However, if your mattress has specific small issues, such as small spots/stains or removable odors, you can try using a few methods to fix them.
- Vacuum: If you want to remove pet hair, dander, and dust , a vacuum is a great tool to use. Make sure to get all sides of the mattress. For flexibility, its best to do this job using a handheld vacuum, but if you dont have one you can also use a regular vacuum. It is probably best to do this as a courtesy before donating your mattress, even if there are no noticeable issues.
- Odors: If your mattress has a slight odor, you can try sprinkling it with a layer of baking soda, letting it sit for a few hours, and then vacuuming off the baking soda. If possible, you should then let the mattress air out outside.
- Spot Clean: When attempting to remove small stains, you can try spot cleaning, or concentrated cleaning in one area.You can do this by using an enzyme cleaner to chemically break down the stain.
You can also mix up a combination of hydrogen peroxide, liquid dish soap, and baking powder, put it in a spray bottle, and spray it on the stain. Afterward, blot it with a wet rag, and then blot it dry.
How Do I Know If My Mattress Is Bad
If your mattress is more than eight years old, its time to do some shopping. However, there are other warning signs that signal that it’s time to upgrade.
Here are six signs that it is time to look for a new mattress:
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Options For Mattress & Box Spring Recycling
Donate to a Charity. Use MassDEP’s Beyond the Bin Recycling Directory to find organizations near you that accept mattresses.
Find Out if Your City or Town Has a Program. The map below indicates which communities are enrolled in the MassDEP Mattress Recycling Incentive grant program, which subsidizes mattress recycling. An alphabetical listing of communities is also available.
See SMRP Municipal Grants and Additional Resources below to learn more.
Please Note: If your town or city is not part of the MRI program, please contact your local health or public works department to learn about your community’s mattress disposal requirements and/or available recycling options.
Use a Recycler on State Contract. Municipalities and certain public entities may use the FAC90 Statewide Carpet & Mattress Recycling Services Contract to select a vendor to either accept mattresses on a per-unit basis or provide collection container rental and hauling.The following mattress recyclers are currently on state contract:
How Do You Put Sheets On A Futon
You can measure the loft of your futon by starting from the bottom up to its surface. Keep in mind that youll need to add about 2 inches to your futons loft so that the sheets can stretch to its sides. For example, if you have a futon that measures 6 inches in depth, add 2 inches to get a sheet that perfectly fits.
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Will The Council Collect My Mattress
Most, if not all, local councils offer a collection and disposal service for bulky waste, which includes beds and mattresses. But it can be surprisingly expensive, and theres often no guarantee that your mattress wont end up in landfill many local authorities simply say that they will recycle some or all of the waste where possible.
Some councils, such as Liverpool City Council and a number of London boroughs, offer free bulky-waste collection, but theyre very much in the minority. Most councils charge a fee to collect bulky waste, and it can be expensive Argyll and Bute Council and Wealden District Council charge more than £50 for the service, the London Borough of Richmond charges £62 per collection, for example.
If you live in England or Wales, you can find out how much your council will charge for bulky-waste disposal by typing your postcode into the gov.uk website. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, go to your councils website and search for bulky-waste disposal.
Having the council collect your mattress from your home can be convenient, but make sure you read the terms and conditions carefully. Many councils charge a different price depending on the number of bulky items theyll be collecting, but bear in mind that a bed frame and a mattress will likely count as at least two items. And items will often only be collected if theyre left in a designated spot outside the house.
What To Do With Old Futon Mattress
Do you have an old futon mattress and dont what to do with it? Before you think of throwing it away to clear the way for a new one, have you given in to the thought of what else you can do it? If you have no clue what to do with the aged mattress, read this quick post to get some cool ideas on what you can do with your old futon mattress.
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How Long Should You Keep A Futon Mattress
To help you better decide what to do with old futon mattress, you should know more about its expected lifespan. An average range for a futon to last is between five to ten years, depending on the products quality, materials, and how you use and care for it. So if you notice that your bed has been aging, its a reliable signal to try the three options discussed above.
While its inevitable for a futon to require a replacement, caring for it diligently will keep it in good condition. This way, youre more likely to have more uses for it rather than just disposing of a severely damaged mattress. Perhaps you can even get it cleaned and sanitized for selling.
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Recycling Mattresses With Bedbugs
Mattresses with bedbugs can be recycled at the transfer station and landfilldepending on the level of contaminationfor the mattress recycling fee.
Prepare a mattress with bedbugs for safe transport, handling, and recycling.
Learn about controlling bedbugs External website, opens in new tab in a Vancouver Coastal Health guide.
Advantages Of Method 2
Like the first method, it results in you properly disposing of your futon mattress. Not only this but this method makes sure that your futon is put to good use and it is helping someone. The second advantage is that the method makes sure that you are helping people by doing a simple task which is a huge advantage it also requires very little effort you just have to wait for someone to pick it up and thats it. These are the two major advantages of this method.
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Mattress Disposal: 10 Easy Methods
- Mattress Guides
- Mattress Disposal: 10 Easy Methods
We recently conducted a survey in which one of the questions included How would you dispose of an old mattress? Many people were unsure, while other answers were somewhat shocking. So, we thought perhaps its best to offer some advice on the dos and donts on the correct mattress disposal process.
Buying a mattress is the easy part, however, if youre replacing the old one youll almost certainly need to consider some kind of mattress disposal method to make way for your new one. There are plenty of options available, however, depending on where in the world you are some services may not be viable solutions. Please read below for some helpful tips, hopefully, at least one option could be the way forward:
Advantages Of Method 3
Even though the method requires a bit of effort it makes sure that your mattress is disposed of properly. As mentioned above we highly recommend that you give your mattress to a recycling department they will make sure that your mattress is either disposed of or recycled. Another advantage of this method is that like method 2 you will help the environment by not only disposing of your futon but also recycling it. Thus this method is effective and easy and should be considered if you want to dispose of your mattress and help the environment.
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Addremove Why Recycle My Mattress
More than 80% of a mattress can be recycled, saving valuable resources and preserving the environment. The Bye Bye Mattress program picks up recyclable mattresses from the landfill and processes the recoverable materials for reuse. For more information on how mattress materials are repurposed, click here.
OC Waste & Recycling and Bye Bye Mattress estimates the partnership will prevent as many as 15,000 mattresses per year from being buried in our local landfills. The partnership also aims to reduce illegal mattress disposal by making recycling options more readily available to both residential and commercial customers.
If I Buy A New Mattress Will The Mattress Company Throw Away My Old Mattress
A) Often, yes.
Some mattress companies offer mattress hauling as part of their delivery services. When shopping for a new mattress, ask if this service is offered. A company may offer mattress hauling for free as an incentive to buy. If you live in California , the mattress retailer dropping off your new mattress is actually obligated to take your old mattress at no cost.
In most cases, though, companies that will take your old mattress when delivering your new one will request a small fee, usually not over $50 to $100.
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