Can I Dump My Old Mattress In The Trash
Yes, you can dump your old mattress in the trash but take note that there are serious environmental consequences to doing so.
Roughly 20 million old mattresses and box springs end up as trash every single year in the U.S. The problem with this is that trash in landfills releases methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes heavily to climate change.
Whats worse is if the mattresses end up in open landfills instead of closed ones, they will contribute to 91% of all landfill methane emissions.
If, however, you insist on dumping your mattress in the garbage, I recommend that you still do it responsibly by following these steps:
Getting rid of mattresses in a responsible way isnt easy. A growing number of landfills dont want them, since they are bulky, hard to crush and can jam machinery.
Ryan Trainer, President of International Sleep Products Association
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Where To Recycle Foam Mattresses
Foam mattresses can often be recycled along with any other conventional mattress. In fact, foam is one of the most recyclable components of a mattress. To find the best location to take your foam mattress to for recycling, search online for local recycling facilities. If youd like, Junk 4 Good can do all the leg work for you. Our teams can remove and recycle foam mattresses with ease, you wont have to lift a finger.
How Casper Can Help
One of the best things about Casper mattresses is that our limited warranty covers the full 10 years. So, youre guaranteed to have restful sleep for a full decade. We believe that improving the way the world sleeps also means improving our impact on the environment. Thats why we created a bedding recycling program called Resnooze & Recycle. If youre looking to get rid of your old bedding, all you have to do is follow three simple steps:
Its a win, win. If youre looking to buy a new mattress, Casper mattresses are specifically designed to last long-term, with comfort in mind.
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Mattress Recycling In Lowell
In a city known for its visions to inspire and entertain, the desire to keep the city clean and junk free is shared by the entire community. An old mattress and box springs by the side of the road is no exception, this creates an eyesore and is a danger to the environment. Help avoid polluting your neighborhood and seek help for Lowell mattress disposal.
Book Mattress Disposal Plus for removal and disposal today.
Rely on Mattress Disposal Plus a name you can trust for fast, friendly and secure Lowell Mattress Disposal.
Service Location:
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What To Do With Your Old Mattress
If youre purchasing a new bed, moving a child out of a cot or moving house, chances are you have an old mattress to get rid of.
If youve decided that your mattress is no longer needed, it needs to be disposed of in a certain way. It is illegal to leave any items including mattresses on the kerbside, unless it is there ready for a council collection. This is illegal dumping and can result in heavy fines. Mattresses are also dangerous items to leave in the elements because they can attract rodents and pose a safety threat if they fall over.
Soft Landing is a national social enterprise that operates across NSW, ACT, VIC and WA. It specialises in recycling old and used mattresses. Soft Landing facilities extract the re-usable materials to use for something new.
The steel springs can be melted down and re-used, the foam can be recycled into carpet underlay, and the fabric can even be used as acoustic panelling. All these re-use opportunities mean more waste is diverted from landfill.
Soft Landing runs several mattress drop-off and collection services. A number of private businesses also run mattress recycling services.
Here are some simple steps to make sure you are disposing of your mattress appropriately:
- Check with your council. Some councils offer free mattress collection and recycling or may collect your mattress as part of a booked or scheduled bulky items waste service.
- Look up recyclingnearyou.com.au for other mattress disposal and recycling options near you.
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Can You Recycle A Mattress
At the very least, some parts of your mattress will be recyclable, and its possible that all of it will be. And yet, according to The Furniture Recycling Group, Wembley Stadium could be filled five times with the 7.5m mattresses that are discarded in the UK every year.
While mattress recycling is relatively labour-intensive, more and more facilities capable of doing so are springing up around the UK. These facilities will break down your mattress into its recyclable components springs can then be melted down and remade into new metal products, while synthetic layers such as foam can either be used to make carpet underlay, or else can be sent to a plant where the waste can at least be converted into energy.
Aside from taking your old mattress to your nearest recycling centre yourself, the best way to ensure your mattress is recycled is to pay for it to be collected. But whether you use the local council, the company delivering your new mattress or a specialist mattress removal company, make sure it is clearly stated that the mattress will be recycled. Otherwise, its probably best to assume that it wont be.
Throwing Out Your Mattress
In some cases, you may not be able to donate or recycle your mattress. It may be that your mattress isnt fit for donation, or you cant find a recycling center close enough that will take it. For whatever reason, youre unable to donate, give away, recycle, or upcycle your mattress, theres always the option to throw it out.
However, it is often not as simple as just putting the mattress out on the curb. Many states, cities, and towns have specific ordinances and rules about throwing away mattresses, some of which prohibit putting a whole mattress in the trash. In those places, a curbed mattress may not be picked up on garbage day, and may result in a ticket or a fine.
The rules regarding garbage disposal vary, and you can find the rules for your state and city with a quick Google search. If you live in an area where you can, in fact, throw out a mattress with your regular trash, make sure to carefully read any additional rules to avoid fines and/or pickup refusal. In most places, you will be required to wrap your mattress in plastic, and in some places, you will be required to wrap the mattress in a specially made plastic mattress bag. To be safe, cover your mattress in plastic and seal it shut with packing tape.
For those who cant curb their mattress at all, there are a few other options.
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Austin Meadows
Sleep Product Tester
Austin is a professional writer and researcher who has covered sleep science and sleep products for over a decade.
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Where Can I Take A Mattress For Recycling
Nowadays, even mattresses can be purchased online. While purchasing online can usually save you some money, keep in mind that the option of removal of your old mattress is no longer available. If you bought your mattress online or store pickup is not an option, then you will need to do a little more leg work. There may or may not be a mattress recycling center local to your area.
Why You Shouldnt Take Your Old Mattress To The Landfill
Mattresses are big bulky items, and they take up a lot of space. This is true for your home, and its also true for your area landfill. In fact, even among all the other trash and solid waste there, mattresses also take up a huge amount of landfill space.
Americans dump about 20 million mattresses a year, and this can add up to 800 million cubic feet of refuse to landfills already packed to the brim with other garbage. Because of the padding, fabric, and springs, discarded mattresses are difficult to compact and can even break the landfill machinery!
Consider all other options before considering the landfill. Your local charities, thrift stores or recycling centers and the Earth will thank you!
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Return The Mattress To The Manufacturer
If youre purchasing a new mattress to replace the one you want to get rid of, ask the retailer if you can take your old one and return it to the manufacturer. With an estimated 50,000 mattresses being disposed of each day in the United States, many manufacturers are taking on the task of mattress recycling themselves.
How To Recycle Air Mattresses
Depending on the material an air mattress is made out of, it may or may not be recyclable. As most are made out of plastic, only some cities, municipalities and waste management programs have the capacity to recycle these materials. Electric air pumps can often be recycled for some of the individual components however these may have to be sorted separately. If you prefer, Junk 4 Good can do all of this work for you. We are more than happy to load, sort and determine what may or may not be recyclable with the local transfer station.
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Donate Your Mattress To A Local Nonprofit
There are several nonprofit organizations and institutions that would gladly take your gently-used mattress. The groups below generally accept mattress donations, though local policies may differ.
These organizations usually offer mattress pickup:
These organizations typically require mattress drop-off:
- Places of worship
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Why We Should Recycle Mattresses Mattress Disposal And Recycling
If possible, we should recycle mattresses for the reasons below:
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Well Handle It From Here
Republic Services, Inc. is an industry leader in U.S. recycling and non-hazardous solid waste disposal.
Through our collection companies, transfer stations, recycling centers and landfills, we focus on providing effective and reliable environmental services and solutions to make proper recycling and waste disposal effortless for our 14 million customers.
We are committed to the preservation of a Blue Planet® a cleaner, safer and healthier world where people thrive not just for today, but for generations to come. Republic Services is experienced in meeting sustainability requirements and committed to providing environmentally responsible solutions to meet current and future market recycling and solid waste needs.
Our website access is limited to locations within the United States. Below you will find links to websites accessible to locations outside of the United States.
How To Get Rid Of Your Old Mattress
How you can dispose of your old mattress will depend on where you live. While there are often more options for those residing in metropolitan areas, if you live in a regional or remote area you might find your options are limited and more costly.
In many places, your only option might be to take your mattress straight to the tip, which will often incur a fee. Similarly, a commercial rubbish removal service will also cost you, though it will save you a trip to the tip.
One free option might be to wait for your local council’s next kerbside hard rubbish cleanup. Some councils also offer a hard rubbish pickup service by request which can take your mattress, while others do dedicated mattress collections.
But not all of these options are going to do good by the environment, and there are ways to guarantee your mattress gets a more sustainable send-off, instead of simply being left in landfill.
Operating across parts of NSW, Victoria, WA and the ACT, Soft Landing is a leading mattress recycler, that may be able to take your mattress off your hands.
Soft Landing aims to recycle up to 75% of each mattress it receives, while providing jobs to those facing barriers to employment in the process
As general manager Chris Richards explains, the social enterprise receives mattresses through its pickup and drop-off service, but also takes care of mattresses from other sources.
They charge around $55 to $77 to collect one mattress and then $40 for each additional one.
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Options For Mattress & Box Spring Recycling
Donate to a Charity. Use MassDEPs 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 communitys 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:
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How To Repurpose Your Mattress
Before you buy a new mattress, its possible to think out of the box when it comes to mattress disposal. Converting the job into a DIY project can allow you to get creative and increase mattress life, as well as find useful ways to keep these in your home.
Here are a couple of different ways you can DIY an old mattress:
- The foam and cotton in your mattress can be used as throw pillows, carpet padding, and repurposed further into pet beds. Dogs and cats are especially comforted in beds made out of your old mattress since theyll get a strong trace of your scent as theyre dozing off, so this innovative way of mattress recycling can be particularly effective.
- If the fabric present in your mattress cover is in good shape, it can be used as a rug of your own, and even be used as cleaning sponges or material. Stretched out, they can also be used as a canvas for your next art project.
- Removing the steel from your box spring mattress and selling them to local scrap yards can be a great way to recycle your mattress overall. If you want to be environment-conscious, try to get creative with it: the coils in your mattress can also make some pretty cool-looking planters and wall accessories.
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How Do I Get Rid Of An Old Mattress
If youve purchased your mattress from a brick and mortar store like a furniture or mattress store, you are most likely having the mattress delivered to your home. Nearly every retail store will include the removal of your old mattress in the delivery price if you desire. Check with the salesperson when you are setting up delivery and make sure they can remove your old mattress. You may also want to check that they follow through with recycling old mattresses they pick up, and that they do not just end up at the dump and then a landfill.
If it is a smaller independent mattress retailer, they may or may not be taking the extra steps to haul mattresses to a recycling center that accepts them. Usually, larger chains are set up to take them to a recycling center where they are disassembled, and whatever parts can be recycled are separated. This is usually a free service or included with delivery costs, and would be the simplest, least complicated way to get rid of that old worn-out mattress. You wont have to wrap or load up a large, heavy mattress, so if this is a possibility, save your back and some time. Let the professionals remove it for you.
Option : Break It Down And Reuse It
Did you know that 90% of traditional innerspring mattresses can be reused? Mattresses that are disassembled and broken down provide parts that can be recycled, sold for scrap, or used around your home for handyman projects.
Just some of the parts of an innerspring mattress that can be reused include:
Steel springs can be bundled and sold as scrap to be reincarnated as new steel components, such as wind turbines.
Foam material can be reused as carpet padding or moving blankets, and when recycled, it can be used as a biomass fuel source.
Wood parts can be broken down and reused as landscaping mulch, stuffing for pet beds, or scrap material for a variety of projects in both the house and the garage.
If you decide to repurpose some of the parts of your old mattress, you can learn how to disassemble it step-by-step by watching this how-to video on breaking down a mattress for parts.
Note: Disassembled innerspring mattresses contain sharp components. Be sure to use caution!
Have a memory foam mattress? They can be shredded and reused in couch cushions, carpet padding, or even building insulation. And you can even make a little extra cash by selling that shredded foam!
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