It’s time to say goodbye to the old mattress. Before you call your friends to help you drag it to the curb, consider all the other ways to put your old mattress to new uses. Read more to find out how you can give your mattress a second life that won’t harm the environment.
You’ve decided it’s time to consider your overall sleep health and buy a new mattress. (Yay!) Now the question is, what do you do with your old mattress?
Put it on the curb, right? WRONG! (And in some places, very illegal.)
When a mattress is left curbside, it usually ends up in a landfill, and that’s no bueno. Mattresses take up a lot of space, and often the landfill environment causes flammable air pockets to form in their layers. Non-biodegradable chemicals from their materials can seep into drinking water, and even the biodegradable stuff takes up to ten years to decompose.
Look, 33 million mattresses are manufactured in the US every year and 20 million of them end up in landfills or incinerators. But approximately 85% of those could have been recycled.
So instead of tossing it on the curb like an old Christmas tree, consider other (more legal) ways of getting rid of your mattress. How do you do that? Glad you asked.
When it comes to disposing of mattresses you have one very important question to ask, does the mattress have any rips or stains?
If the answer is yes:
Recycle!
The materials in mattresses can be used for so many other products you’ve never even considered – pet beds, mulch, new appliances, and more. Luckily, today there are many mattress recycling and junk removal services designed to help you conveniently and safely find a new reincarnated life for your mattress.
If the answer is no:
Donate!
This is great for your good deed jar, but just know this process can be a little tricky. There are many laws for donating or reselling mattresses (with good reason) so you may have to make some phone calls to find out of your favorite charity will accept your donated mattress.
The mattress on the top would be accepted, the bottom mattress however would not accepted by charities, however a stained mattress may be wanted on FreeCycle.com. We’ve had luck cleaning our mattress as well as possible, and then donating it to someone in need on Freecycle.
And think big when it comes to who might need a healthy mattress. If you can’t find a service organization, consider shelters, orphanages, or hospitals.
If you’re not having any luck finding someone to take it off your hands, consider donating it to a friend or family member.
For a full list of services, charities, and organizations, check out this interactive guide to the proper disposal of an old mattress. Your mattress has done so much good for you. Don’t let it sit in a landfill and do harm to everyone now. Believe in life after love (thanks, Cher) and show your mattress can continue doing good for all.
Source: MattressAdvisor.com
And, when it comes time for a new mattress for you, consider the eco-friendly Eco Terra natural latex mattress.
A surprisingly affordable luxurious all-natural latex mattress, comprised of 100% natural talalay latex and fabric-encased coils. Best value hybrid latex mattress.