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Don’t Lose Sleep Over Mattress Recycling
Trying to figure out how to get rid of mattresses? Explore your options for mattress disposal and see how to prepare your mattress for recycling.Byline: BTB Editor
January 20, 2025 / Time to read: 5 minUnless you’re a magician, your old mattress likely won’t fit in your curbside recycling bin. Even if it could, it definitely
And that’s welcome news since
Not sure how to recycle a mattress? Here's the short answer: You can recycle or dispose of your mattress by reaching out to a mattress retailer or local Bye Bye Mattress program, contacting your town's public works department, scheduling a bulk waste pickup or donating it if it's in good condition.
Keep reading for a full walkthrough of some of the whys and hows of mattress recycling so you can bid adieu to yours with confidence.
Why Mattress Recycling Matters
When it comes to discarded household items, mattresses are about as big as you can get. It should come as no surprise that they take up a ton of space at landfills — we’re taking up to
How Mattress Recycling Works
Both because of their size and how they’re constructed, mattresses can be a little challenging to recycle. But exciting innovations — including
Components of recycled mattresses can be turned into all sorts of
- Cotton and foam can be shredded into carpet padding and insulation
- Coils can be melted down and used for new steel products such as hardware, tools and car components
- Wood frames can be reconstructed into shipping pallets or chipped for fuel pellets and mulch
How to Prepare a Mattress for Recycling
Before you strap your mattress to the top of your car or place it curbside, make sure it’s prepped for recycling.
Remove Bedding
While this one may be a no-brainer, we’ll say it just in case! Go ahead and remove all sheets and covers before you recycle your mattress.
Disassemble (if Necessary)
Some recycling centers won’t take whole mattresses. In that case, check and see if they’ll let you recycle parts of it once you separate the recyclable and unrecyclable elements. While not the easiest task, you can
Wrap it Up
How to Recycle a Mattress
Here are some good options to discard mattresses responsibly.
Find a Bye Bye Mattress Program
The Mattress Recycling Council operates the
Contact Your Town’s Public Works Department
You can either call or email your local public works department to ask if they recycle mattresses, or you can visit your municipality or state websites for more information.
Ask Your Retailer
When you purchase a new mattress, ask the retailer if they’ll collect your old one. Many retailers
Donate it
If your mattress is in great shape — meaning it’s free from pests, rips and major stains — you may be able to give it another life before it’s recycled. Local shelters and non-profit organizations, including
Schedule a Pickup
Mattresses are considered
How to Dispose of Bed Frames and Box Springs
As is the case with mattresses, many municipalities will collect bed frames and box springs as bulk pickup items. Before scheduling a pickup, ask your service provider if there are any prep guidelines you’ll need to take before putting your bed frame or box spring curbside.
If your bedframe is in good shape, you may also consider donating it to a local Buy Nothing group or non-profit. You may also be able to donate it to
If you live in California, Connecticut or Rhode Island, the Mattress Recycling Council’s Bye Bye Mattress program may be able to accept your boxspring.
Don’t Sleep on Mattress Recycling
Replacing a mattress may seem daunting, but you can sleep well on your new mattress knowing that you took care of your old one the right way.
Depending on where you live, you may be able to dispose of an old mattress through the Bye Bye Mattress program, your local public works department, mattress retailers, local non-profit organizations or a scheduled bulk waste pickup.
Many mattress retailers will collect your old mattress when you purchase a new one. They often partner with mattress recycling programs and non-profit organizations for donations.
If your mattress is free from pests, rips and major stains, organizations like The Salvation Army and the Furniture Bank Association of America may accept it.
Mattresses are considered bulk waste and your garbage service provider may collect them if you schedule a bulk pickup. You should not put a mattress on the curb without first scheduling a bulk pickup with your waste service provider and following any preparation guidelines they provide.
Your garbage service provider, certain mattress retailers and several organizations, like The Salvation Army and Furniture Bank Association of America, may offer mattress pickup depending on where you live.
Polyurethane mattress foam from memory foam mattresses can often be recycled and
Mattresses take up to 40 cubic feet of landfill space each and contain materials that can be recycled into new products.
Typically, you can use cling wrap or a plastic mattress bag to completely wrap your mattress. Make sure to seal all edges with tape. Check with all guidelines before drop-off or pickup.
- Cotton and foam can become carpet padding and insulation
- Steel coils can be melted down for new steel products
- Wood frames can be turned into shipping pallets, fuel pellets or mulch
Bed frames and box springs can often be collected as bulk pickup items, donated to organizations like Habitat for Humanity's ReStore or recycled through programs like Bye Bye Mattress in certain states.
