31 Dec Mattress Removal: Disposing of an Old Mattress

Sometimes spring cleaning can be a hassle, from figuring out how to remove your old junk to scheduling pickups or renting a pickup truck. It’s no doubt that when you encounter these roadblocks, disposing of an old mattress in a sustainable manner may be the last thing on your mind.

After all, we just want the old mattress gone, don’t we?

But first, we think that it is important to figure out where your mattress is going. Most mattresses are dumped in landfills by junk removal companies. Landfilling a mattress may be economically smart, but is it really environmentally smart?

We don’t think so, not when 95% of a mattress can be salvaged and repurposed into new goods. The way mattresses are built these days relies on quality materials like fabrics, woods, and metals. Throwing those out in the landfill is both a waste and a hazard for local habitats. As mattresses decompose in landfills, metals oxidize, seeping poisonous chemicals into the ground and into our waterways. Likewise, fabrics and woods are pests’ best friends, increasing the chance of contamination in landfills.

So now that we’ve convinced you to recycle your mattresses, the next question is:

Is it time to recycle your mattress?

We believe that recycling should not replace reusing or repurposing. If you have a clean mattress or a mattress in decent condition, you may not even need to replace it for a few more years.

Mattresses often last 10 years, if not more, if they are kept clean.

Also, it’s super easy to go out and buy another mattress from a big box store. But it’s important to ask yourself if you really need it.

Take this for example:

Hundreds of thousands of mattresses are thrown in landfills each year in Canada. The number multiples if you consider North America as a whole, or even internationally. Everyone needs a bed, a mattress. Therefore, if a mattress’s shelf life is a decade, each person goes through about eight mattresses in their entire life. And all these mattresses end up in landfills.

Here’s another stat: 35 to 40 million mattresses are bought each year. In the same year, 20 million mattresses are disposed into landfills.

When your mattress gets old, or if you have bedbugs in them, then, by all means, it’s time for a new mattress. But for everyone else, perhaps the best way to reduce your environmental impact from disposing of large items like mattresses is just to not replace them until you have to.

The lifespan of a Mattress

That brings us to – mattress lifespans.

Did you know that mattresses can take anywhere from 80 to 100 years to decompose fully? That’s the equivalent of an average human life!

So before you throw away your old mattress, ask yourself: is there any way I can keep my mattress clean, can I use it for another year?

You may be asking yourself, why should I bother to care so much about keeping my mattress in good condition?

Well, here’s why:

• It saves you money down the road when you need to dispose of it
• You spend less money buying a replacement
• You reduce the chance of inviting pests into your sleeping quarters

Keeping your mattresses clean pays off when you’re disposing of them in the future. Most mattress recyclers tack on a surcharge for dirty or waterlogged mattresses. These are more difficult for recycling teams to remove, so getting them out of your home will come at a price.

Keeping your mattresses clean can reduce the chance of inviting unwanted pests into your sleeping quarters. Not only can they be a pain to deal with or completely ruin your sleeping, but mattress recyclers will also often reject these mattresses as they are a safety hazard. Most recyclers will not accept bed-bug infested mattresses at all, so your only option then is to take it to the landfill.

Therefore, asking yourself how to maintain a clean mattress early on can help you save lots of headaches come spring cleaning.