Updated 2026-08-26
Roughly three quarters of a mattress by weight is recoverable material, and the recycling landscape that recovers it now spans state law, funded programs, and a facility network. This is the whole map.
What actually gets recovered
Steel springs are the anchor: scrap steel is one of the most reliable recycling streams in the world. Polyurethane foam becomes carpet padding and industrial filler. Wood from box springs and foundations becomes mulch and biomass fuel. Cotton and fiber batting finds industrial uses. The holdouts are bonded fabrics and heavily soiled units, which is why recovery is most, not all.
The four program states
California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Oregon run Extended Producer Responsibility programs through the Mattress Recycling Council, funded by the recycling fee on every new mattress sale, the Bye Bye Mattress program. Residents get no charge drop off at collection sites and events, the full program breakdown is here.
The ban state
Massachusetts skipped incentives: since November 2022, mattresses are banned from disposal statewide. Haulers and facilities must refuse them for the landfill, making recycling and reuse the only legal paths in the Commonwealth.
Everywhere else
The other 45 states run on market infrastructure: recycling facilities concentrated near metros, typically charging a per unit fee, plus municipal drop off events. Search your county name with mattress recycling, and call about condition rules, wet or infested units are commonly refused.
The DIY breakdown
The ambitious can dismantle at home: cover fabric to textile recycling, foam cut down for projects or trash where allowed, springs to a scrap yard, wood to yard waste or reuse. Budget a full afternoon and real tools.
The zero effort version
A scheduled pickup from $85 runs the routing automatically: donation first for clean units, recycling where facilities operate, disposal last. The guaranteed price is identical across outcomes, which keeps the routing honest.