Mattresses_in_LandfillEasily one of the biggest eyesores you can come across in public, illegally discarded mattresses are seen far too often today. Whether it be in alleyways, vacant lots, or along the sides of the freeway, dumped mattresses have long been a thorn in the sides of public utility departments and pose some serious hazards to the general public.

While it’s far from okay to dispose of a mattress by leaving it on the side of the road, it’s easy to understand given the limited options available for resale and recycling. Lets face it, there is not much of a market for used mattresses, and in fact, a majority of donation centers will refuse mattresses unless they are nearly brand new. Heading to the landfill is an option, but not the most environmentally friendly one. Mattresses take up a lot of room (as much as 40 cubic feet) and the springs make it extremely difficult to compact. Most landfills will charge you an extra fee to deal with the added troubles of mattresses.

While the state of recycling mattresses seems grim, you need not worry. There are ways to dispose of an old mattress without resorting to the aforementioned tactics. Here are some of the things you can do with that old mattress:

  • If you feel the mattress is in decent enough shape for further use, you can offer it up for free on websites like Craigslist or Freecycle.
  • Look for specific mattress recycling centers like DR3 Recycling. They deconstruct mattresses by hand and are able to recycle 85-90% of it. Not in the Bay Area? Use this handy search tool from Earth911 to find recyclers near you.
  • If you have to tools and the time, you can opt to take your mattress apart and recycling the raw materials yourself. Check out the step-by step process you need to follow here.