Donate or Recycle Your Old Mattress
December 12, 2008 by Holly
Filed Under Green Living, Home & Food
What did you do with your last mattress after you bought a new one? Haul it out to the trash and let the garbage truck take it away to a landfill? If you’re like most people, then you did and when most people are throwing away their mattresses, landfills are filling up with everyone’s dirty mattresses. About 20 million mattresses are thrown away every year just in the United States and for every 10,000 people that either donate or recycle their mattresses, it would save eight feed of landfill space–An entire American football field.
In some places, throwing out your mattress is illegal requiring people to donate their mattresses where recyclers can separate the fiber, foam, steel, and wood for remanufacturing and can make new mattresses.
There are a few options for you if you’re looking to get rid of a mattress. You can either donate it to either a crisis center, halfway house, Craig’s List or Freecycle. Make sure you clean your mattress before donating it! For instructions on how to properly clean a mattress, check out Instructables.
To recycle your old mattress, go to Earth 911, type in “mattress” in the start recycling “what do you have?” field and your zip code in the “where are you?” field for a recycling drop off sight near you.
Vinay on Sat, 13th Dec 2008 8:10 pm
Selling a used mattress on Craig’s List is rather easy – and you make some money too.
Jj on Fri, 26th Dec 2008 1:04 pm
Glad you mentioned the cleaning issue – no one wants to get bed bugs. Actually, I think I’d have a difficult time using a “used” mattress but I love the fact that they can be recycled, didn’t realize that. Thanks for the very helpful information!
Enviromental on Fri, 9th Jan 2009 12:08 pm
Free trade is the Key and from an environmental prespective is fantastic. But to elaborate on the point Jj discussed
‘Glad you mentioned the cleaning issue – no one wants to get bed bugs’
I’m expecting a day when free trade sites are subjected to some sort of crackpot litigation. Bed-bugs, skin diseases or some feigned injury…purely because some plonker decides they need more cash?
Claire Windows, Cardiff on Thu, 29th Jan 2009 6:11 am
I was just wondering where to put my Mattress. I must have had it since i was about 8, i’ve turned it over enough times, and now the springs have gone. I just assumed you did take it to the tip, but i am quite a good person as far as recycling and environmentally freindly stuff goes. I have just bought a new apartment in Cardiff. All the windows are A rated energy efficient, and i have my own ‘recycling bin’ to separate all the bits. Its my own little eco-house! Well thank you for helping me with my old mattress. I think i might try and treat myself to a memory foam mattress, as when it gets old it will be easy to recycle at least!
Vanessa on Thu, 4th Jun 2009 4:24 am
Through recycling the mattress we have we make money from it, yes it’s true.
I was interested with the cleaning instructions.
It helps me clean my matters effectively.
Thanks for the information…
gel mattress on Tue, 18th Aug 2009 11:58 pm
I recently purchased an orthopedic mattress from http://www.mygelbed.com in Riverdale, UT. I wanted to see if you knew of anywhere here locally I could donate my old mattress.
Thanks for your help!
yasmen on Tue, 8th Dec 2009 11:35 pm
I am intersted in any old mattresses. I will pick up the mattress or you can drop off at my location.I will recycle the old mattresses, you can e mail me at iyodeh422@yahoo.com.
Holly on Wed, 9th Dec 2009 11:38 am
Where are you located? I can reach out to other Woman Tribune readers and see if we can get you a mattress!