We’ve all been there before. You get something new and now no longer have the room for the old one and it has to go. The most common item people get stumped over how to dispose of are those dang old mattresses that they weren’t really considering when purchasing the new one. But now your home is cluttered with an extra mattress and has you wondering how to dispose of a mattress properly.

So what is the best way to get rid of an old mattress that you no longer need or want?

The problem with the landfill

While you can take mattresses to the dump, they will often charge extra fees since mattresses pose several challenges for landfills.

Mattresses don’t compact well, take up a lot of space, create flammable air pockets, and the springs can get tangled in the compacting equipment, often damaging it. They also contain non-biodegradable synthetic foam and fibers, plus hazardous flame retardant chemicals which can leach into drinking water.

That’s why municipalities and private waste haulers charge a fee for disposing of a mattress. For example, in Providence, RI the cost of disposing of a used mattress set could run as high as $100+.

What’s recyclable and what’s not

Recycling mattresses is a complicated endeavor, as mattresses are typically composed of a combination of wood, steel, cotton, and polyurethane foam, of which only the steel elements are readily recyclable.

The best ways to get rid of a mattress

• Return the mattress to the manufacturer:
  

  If you are purchasing a new mattress to replace the one you want to get rid of, ask the retailer if you can return the old mattress to the manufacturer. Americans dispose of an estimated 20 million mattresses and box springs every year and the vast majority end up in landfills or incinerators. That’s roughly 55,000 discarded each and every day. They contribute 430 million pounds of waste and fill more than 100 million cubic feet of landfill space every year. End-on-end, the number of disposed mattresses every year would circle the earth. At an estimated 55,000 mattresses being disposed of each day in the United States, you can see why many manufacturers are taking on the task of mattress recycling themselves.

• Sell or give away the mattress:
  

  If you’re looking to get rid of a gently used mattress, but are not replacing it with a new one, consider selling it for a nominal fee, or offering it for free on Craigslist or through the LetGo app. As long as the mattress doesn’t harbor bed bugs or have obvious stains or other signs of wear and tear, passing it along to someone who will use it can be a viable, environmentally friendly option.

• Donate the mattress to charity:
  

  Check with your local non-profits to see if any will be able to put the mattress to use. Depending on health department regulations in your area, organizations like The Salvation Army and Goodwill may or may not be able to take a used mattress of your hands. Habitat for Humanity, churches, and homeless shelters can also be good places to check.

• Find a specialized recycling program:
  

  If you’re not able to sell or donate your mattress, check with your city to see what your options are. Many municipalities offer recycling programs themselves, or can point you in the direction of a local recycler. Be aware though, most cities will not pick up your used mattress curbside and dispose of it appropriately. This is how the majority of mattresses end up in a landfill.

• DIY – Break the mattress down yourself:
  

  If you have the time, space, and tools, you can easily break a mattress down yourself. Simply cut around the perimeter of the fabric covering and peel the cloth and foam away from the box springs and wooden frame. You can roll these materials into a compact bundle and put them in your regular trash can. Next, take a saw and cut up the frame — which you can then burn or turn into wood chips.

  A mattress typically has between 30 to 100 pounds of steel in each one. If you had ten mattresses this would usually be about $100 at the scrap yard. Take the box springs to a recycling center or sell them for scrap material. There are usually about 10 pounds of springs per box spring.

• From one of our users in North Carolina:
  

  “I build up a nice bed of hot coals in the burn pit, throw one mattress at a time on and burn all of the material off of them, using a garden rake, I pull the wire frames out of the fire and throw in the next one until they are all cleaned and cooled, then i load them up and haul them down to the local yard. I have seen a few of you say that mattresses aren’t worth the hassle. I see it as easily worth it. Mattresses are the easiest to process and VERY easy to unload at the yard. Using fire eliminates the worry of bugs and mold and bacteria.”

  *** Note: Please do not burn your used mattress – this is not environmentally friendly and releases harmful toxins into the atmosphere and air.

Given that mattresses can be so difficult to dispose of effectively, you may want to factor durability into your purchasing decisions. Some mattresses come with warranties that range up to 20 years. With proper maintenance, it’s not impossible for mattresses to last for decades, which can go a long way toward reducing your household’s overall waste footprint.

Do you need help moving a mattress? Book Mattress Disposal Plus for help with the heavy lifting, removal and the best environmentally friendly disposal for each situation.