The Ultimate Guide to Mattress Recycling

Sleep is a vital part of living both a healthy and happy life, and good sleep starts on a good mattress. However, getting the right mattress for your bed often means getting rid of your old one, with many choosing the path of least resistance by going to the dump to complete mattress disposal. But why not try out mattress recycling to be kinder to the planet?

We’ve put together this guide on recycling mattresses. So you can make space for your new sleeping spot without worrying that your mattress will take up space in a landfill.

Which Parts Are Used in Mattress Recycling?

Beyond a mattress simply being reused for the same purpose, it can be broken down into its elements, which can then be recycled in a more traditional sense.

• Mattress foam can be used in carpeting, along with being suitable for processing into refuse-derived fuel.
• The springs of a mattress can be melted down and used for metal products and items.
• The cover of the mattress, much like the foam can be processed into fuel, while these are often simply repurposed for their original use on a new mattress.
• Wadding from mattresses is often used to fill sustainable cushions and pillows.

Recycling mattresses can have plenty of positive results!

Reasons for Recycling Mattresses

Now, we’re all aware of why we should recycle in general, but there are some key reasons why mattress recycling, in particular, is so important, such as their size, the materials used in them, and their chemical makeup.

Mattresses are large pieces of furniture, so simply tossing one into the dump isn’t the same as throwing away an old tatty plastic bag. It’s going to take up a lot of space in the landfill it ends up in, and with those piles getting bigger, you have to wonder where the waste will go.

Beyond the size, mattresses are generally made of both organic and synthetic materials, meaning that while some parts of the mattress will eventually decompose, other parts of it will remain for generations to come.

That’s not to mention all the bleaches, dyes, and other harmful chemicals that will excrete into the soil, water, and atmospheres of the areas where they’re dumped, negatively impacting the local ecosystem.

How to Recycle a Mattress

It can be tempting to have a mattress picked up by the council or to take it to the tip yourself. However, these methods almost always result in the mattresses ending up in landfills. Recycling mattresses is best completed by giving the mattress away to someone in need, going to a recycling center, or contacting a specialist.

In the case of the latter, we’d like to throw our hat in the ring! At Pick My Old Bed, we pick up and recycle mattresses, ensuring the proper procedure is followed every step of the way. Our pick-ups cover Coventry, Birmingham, and many more areas across the country, so for more information, check out our website today.

Sweet dreams!