Here at Mr. Waste, we often get phone calls and emails from people asking what to do with their old mattress. Our answer is always to recycle it! That should be your only option.
Unfortunately, even though up to 90 percent of your mattress is recyclable, we estimate that maybe 90 percent of mattresses actually end up in landfills, where they go on to pollute our environment.
Many parts of your old mattress can be recycled such as the steel coils and cotton outer layer which can go into new products after getting processed at a recycling center. In addition, the wood frame can also be recycled.
Mattress Recycling: Reasons For It
Keeping mattresses out of landfills is a massive deal. It takes between 50 to 100 years for the average mattress to decompose naturally if left in a landfill.
While those fifty years are ticking by, the mattress will likely be giving off volatile organic compounds as it gets exposed to the elements. These volatile organic compounds are bad for humans, animals, and the environment. Mattresses also end up requiring a lot of space in landfills: a single mattress can occupy about 25 cubic feet in a landfill which should be used for non-recyclable waste.
Eco-friendly Mattress Disposal
Mr. Waste is here to facilitate the process of eco-friendly mattress disposal by hauling away your old mattress. We work with recycling centers that are happy to take your old mattress after it has been sorted at the Mr. Waste warehouse.
Your mattress will get sanitized once it arrives at the recycling center. Next, your mattress will be sorted, baled, and recycled so that it can be used for more products, thus saving valuable resources. Old mattresses that get recycled can become new mattresses, upholstery, textiles, or even beds for your pets.
The foam padding from your old mattress can be transformed into carpets and even new exercise equipment and cushions for seats. The part that is baled from your old mattress is the steel and metal inside, which can be put towards a variety of different products such as poles, lighting, benches, etc.
The bed frame itself, which Mr. Waste also takes, can be used for tomorrow’s landscaping in the form of wood pellets for example. Wood can also be put towards an alternative fuel source known as biomass.
Call Mr. Waste
If you have old mattresses laying around in your basement or crawl space and are ready to have them safely removed and disposed of, call Mr. Waste today!