You’re ready to replace your mattress, but before you can, your old mattress has to go. Read on to learn if you can throw away your old mattress and other options for dealing with it.

Should You Throw Away an Old Mattress?

Sending an old mattress to a landfill is problematic for multiple reasons, including:

• The space it takes up. Your mattress might not seem big, but it can take up to 20 cubic feet of space! And that’s not including the boxspring.
• It contains organic and inorganic materials. Some of the organic materials, like wood and cotton fabrics, decompose naturally. Other synthetic and metal components take up valuable space in landfills and can take more than 100 years to decompose.
• Some old mattresses contain components that interact and leak dangerous chemicals into the soil and air when they decompose. It can pollute groundwater supplies and produces gases like methane and carbon dioxide—yes, the gases that contribute to climate change, the greenhouse effect, and global warming!

What to Do with Your Old Mattress

Recycle It

Did you know 80% to 100% of the average mattress can be disassembled and broken down into raw materials? These materials are then recycled into new products. The recyclable components include:

• Metal. Springs are typically made of steel and can be shredded or crushed into compact cubes for sale as scrap metal.
• Wood. The wood frame of the mattress is chipped into mulch or used as a fuel source.
• Foams. Polyurethane foam is turned into carpet padding or fuel.
• Textiles. Fabrics are turned into industrial machine filters.

Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to recycle your mattress. You will need to look for a recycling facility and take it there yourself. You’ll even be charged a fee.

Donate It

If your mattress is in good shape, you can call a nonprofit to see if they are able to take it. This is a nice way to see if your old item can be put to good use. However, not all nonprofits are willing to take mattresses, so you might need to spend some time researching.

Call JDog Junk Removal & Hauling for Help

It can be time-consuming to find a proper mattress recycling facility or a nonprofit to donate it to. Fortunately, the team at JDog Junk Removal & Hauling knows just how to handle recycling or donating your old mattress. All you have to do is call us at 844-GET-JDOG to schedule a mattress pickup, and we’ll take care of the rest.