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According to chiropractors, a good mattress should last at most ten years. Once they get to the end of their useful life they can become problematic to your health. Since they are bulky they often become an illegal dumping problem on vacant lots and roadsides. If you have an old mattress that needs replacement consider mattress recycling instead of sending it to a landfill.
Mattress Recycling Is An Earth-Friendly Solution
Mattresses are manufactured in a way that allows them to withstand rough handling. It means that when properly designed they should not come apart easily. Due to the strength of the materials used, it can be very difficult to employ cutters or even destroy it manually once it has come of age. Also, when thrown in machinery, compactors can be destroyed as a result of metal coils and bulkiness.
When thrown into the landfill, they may take more than a decade to decompose since they have 400 percent compaction rate, less than regular garbage. Most mattresses measure 23 to 60 cubic feet, with an assembly of materials such as metal, cotton, foam and wood among other components of choice. It is these components that make mattress recycling a daunting task hence the reason why it is very important to leave this work to a professional.
Understand that mattresses not only come with stubborn materials but also have chemical retardants normally toxic to humans and can leach and contaminate the environment through seepage. They also contain bacteria, viruses, spores, dust mites, and mold. This is one of the reasons most local recycling programs do not include mattresses in their recyclables list.
The Mattress Recycling Process
Given that mattresses are tough they can be filleted with box cutters, but this can be time-consuming. They can also be shredded however the specialized equipment needed for the process can be very expensive. The most common approach is when the mattress is placed on conveyor belts to have the soft materials cut out.
Metal coils are then extracted with the help of magnetic fields. The foam (synthetic or plant-based) and fiber fill (whether polythene or cotton) can be sold to various textile companies for insulation and carpet padding. Depending on the amount of wood used it can be sold to wood chippers as a fuel source and can also be recycled into other products. Metal on the other hand is sold to steel recycling industries where it is melted down to make new products. Today mattress recycling efficiency has increased and about 20-25 mattresses can be recycled within an hour.
Make Mattress Recycling A Priority
It is a noble act to save landfill space by embracing mattress recycling. Understand that mattresses do not compact meaning that the moment trash is piled over them they eventually rise back up. Institutions such as colleges and hotels are likely to replace their mattresses in one go. It is vital to hire a top mattress recycling company, one with a good reputation to promote a greener tomorrow. Given the complexities and challenges of the mattress recycling process it is clearly a specialist’s job. Contact us for more information.
