When you think about recycling, a mattress might not be the first thing to pop into your head. We don’t usually get rid of our mattresses until they’re well and truly worn out, so the obvious instinct is to just toss them in the trash. However, the materials inside your old mattress are valuable and can be easily reused. As much of a hassle as it can be to drag a mattress around, you should really consider recycling them instead of just throwing them in the landfill. Every little bit helps when it comes to combating climate change and environmental damage.

How Mattresses are Made and What Happens When They are Discarded

For the most part, making a mattress is pretty straightforward. They’re essentially just a wooden frame, metal springs, and then a bunch of padding to keep you comfortable. The makeup of the cover and padding can vary pretty wildly, but the frame and the springs will usually be the same universally.

It’s the springs and frame that are most key to mattress recycling. Wood and metal are both easily reused materials, and the foam or fibers that make up the cushion are often recyclable as well. What happens when you recycle a mattress is pretty much the same as when you recycle anything else. The mattress will be taken apart, different materials are separated, and then anything salvageable is shipped off or sold to manufacturers.

Springs are usually melted down and sold to foundries, wood is often used to make particleboard or as a fuel source, and the padding can be compressed and used in a wide range of other products, like pet beds. Recycling has taken over as the most common form of mattress disposal mostly because they’re so very easy to take apart and reuse.

Recycling Old Mattresses Has a Lot of Benefits to the Environment and Will Be Helpful in Creating a Cleaner World

Modern-day eco-friendly mattresses are made of materials that have a lower environmental impact of disposal, which means most of the benefits of recycling mattresses have to do with the manufacturing process. Reusing wood and metal means manufacturers don’t have to cut down more trees or mine more iron, which reduces pollution and eases the drain on the planet’s limited natural resources. Reducing the need for new wood is especially important since it allows our forests to recover and grow back, improving the quality of the air.

Another way to make an impact is to look for green mattresses when it’s time to buy a new one. There are plenty of companies these days specializing in sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing, including mattresses made of entirely recycled or sustainable materials. These businesses are often carbon negative, use minimal packaging, and only use materials that they know won’t impact the environment. Though they can be a little pricy sometimes, we recommend looking for an eco-friendly mattress next time you need something new to sleep on. As a bonus, these mattresses are usually some of the most comfortable ones out there.

How to Recycle Your Old or Disposable Mattress with 6 Simple Steps

When it comes to mattress recycling, cost and convenience are the two biggest factors to weigh. You have a few different options available to you, and the best one for you will depend on your individual situation. Here are a few simple steps you can take to get rid of your old mattress:

Prepare the Mattress – Before taking any steps, you should get the mattress ready to be moved. Strip any sheets and covers off first, and if you’re planning on moving it yourself, take it slow and have someone help you.

Clean the Mattress – Generally, you shouldn’t have to do this. However, if you have fleas or bedbugs on your mattress, or if it’s stained with blood or some other bodily fluid, most recycling centers won’t take it.

Take It to a Recycling Station – Most cities have recycling stations where you can bring big or bulky objects like mattresses. There’s usually a fee, but it’s generally pretty small, under $15 or $20 in most cases. The biggest downside here is that you have to move the mattress by yourself. That’s fine if you have a truck, but strapping a mattress to the top of a regular car can get tricky.

Call for a Bulky Item Pickup – In the Bay Area, the city will have large items hauled away from your curb for free once a year for single-family homes and twice a year for apartment buildings. This is pretty easy and it won’t cost you anything unless you’ve run out of yearly pickups. You will have to schlep the mattress down to the curb though. If you’re wondering “Do I have to be present for a pickup of an old mattress?” However, the answer is no.

Sell It – If your mattress still has some life in it, you can sell it online. However, you don’t know for sure if it’ll end up being recycled once the buyer is done with it.

Hire a Professional – If you want to entirely avoid the hassle of moving the mattress, you can hire a professional junk removal company like Junk King Contra Costa. This means you won’t have to do any work at all, but it will cost more than the other options, so it’s best to save this for bigger projects like spring cleaning or moving to a new home.

Mattress Disposal vs Mattress Recycling: Which is Better?

When getting rid of a mattress, you should really opt for the most eco-friendly disposal available. Recycling is always a better choice than landfill disposal, so we recommend recycling whenever possible.

If you’re interested in getting help with your old mattress, you can give Junk King Contra Costa a call at 1-888-888-JUNK or get in touch with us through our website. We can handle just about anything you’d like us to recycle, whether it’s old mattresses, appliances, or even construction debris.