Like everything, a high-quality mattress also needs to be replaced or recycled, even though it lasts for years. However, shopping for a new mattress is easy while securely getting rid of your old mattress can be tough.
Most of a mattress’s components can be recycled, cutting down on needless landfill trash. People can travel to recycling locations or have their old mattresses picked up by several agencies. This blog will discuss a detailed guide about how to recycle mattresses.
What are the benefits of recycling a mattress?
It is estimated that between 15 — 20 million mattresses are sold to consumers in UK annually. Consequently, approximately 10 million mattresses are then disposed of after use. As you know, mattresses occupy a big place and thus, almost 1.5 billion feet of the landfill is full with it each year.
In addition, mattresses are made from organic as well as inorganic components that is while some of the materials used may decompose within a few years, others may take many decades.
And – to top it up – mattresses also have chemicals including bleaches and dyes that pollute the ground. These chemicals are so dangerous to animals and plants, that while some have been advocating for the reduction of impact, most ecosystems are still being polluted as well as degraded.
For these reasons, there is no way you can go wrong with choosing to recycle your mattress instead of disposing of it in other methods.
What components of a mattress can be recycled?
It is challenging to determine which components of your entire mattress can be recycled if you ponder it as a unified object. You may be surprised about how much can be salvaged and reused:
- Metal springs: these can be melted down to make building materials, at a much cheaper cost.
- Wadding: This is a term that will explain the material used in mattress filling this can be used in a loose way depending on the material used. Wadding can be reused as – insulation, bedding, cushion fillings and even new mattress fillings!
- Foam: this can be recycled into carpet underlay or auto cushioning.
- Mattress covering: But of course, these fibres are not so easily recyclable but some of them can be blended with Kevlar for making stab vests!
How is a mattress recycled?
The process of recycling a mattress is, however, much easier than you might have initially imagined.
First, the surface of a mattress is slit, peeled, and then cleared with the inside part.
The materials are then separated and sorted by category to create wood and non-wood subgroups.
Last and most importantly, soft commodities including foam are baled and compressed to be transported to factories to be reused – simplicity!
How to Dispose of a Mattress: Your Other Options
Most of the time, the ideal solution is to recycle your mattress and you will be happy to know that this is the case especially when that mattress is old and worn out! However, there are alternative ways you can get rid of a mattress, including:
1. Hire a Private Mattress Recycling Company
One of the easiest and most eco-friendly solutions is to hire a licensed private mattress recycling company, we have worked with few companies, benefits and impact on environment, you can read it here. These companies will collect your old mattress directly from your home and ensure it is dismantled and recycled properly, diverting it from landfills. Many offer same-day or next-day services and are often more reliable than council pickups.
2. Donate Your Mattress to a Friend or Relative
If the mattress is still functional, it means you can donate the mattress to your relative or even a friend could also be a good option. However, it is good to remember that not everyone would feel okay accepting a second-hand mattress.
Another suggestion is to take the mattress to a different room. For example, can you take it to at the spare bedroom if it has not worn out?
3. Take Your Mattress to a Charity Shop
A last resort you can try donating the old mattress to a charity shop but not all charities accept old mattresses. You should always call the charity shop of your preference first to see if you can drop your mattress there. In some cases, the charity will organize to pick your mattress from your house.
However, if you will decide to donate your mattress, it should be usable and in good condition, no marked spots, no damages, etc.
4. Sell Your Mattress
In case your mattress is still usable you might consider selling it on various online market places such as Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or eBay. But you should not expect to get your money back that you paid for a mattress; on an average, the second-hand mattress costs about 20%-30% of the original cost of the mattress.
In case you decide to sell your old mattress online, then the cheapest method is in-person collection. Shipping a mattress through a delivery firm is costly and this could actually offset the profits that you make out of the mattress.
5. Request Your Local Council to Collect Your Mattress
Usually, mattress pick-up and recycling can be provided as a part of the bulky waste pickup service by a local council. However, there is always a catch for the rates and they are characterized by location hence it can be very costly if you are only posting one item.
It is suggested to contact your local council again to clarify how they will deal with the mattress disposal. Some will reuse it in one way or another, but probably they will just put it into a local tip and this increases landfill issues.
Conclusion
Disposing of a mattress in the UK is relatively easy especially if the owner decides to recycle the mattress in several ways such as donating, using the recycling facility or organizing for a collection. It will also help in creating a favourable environment and using those materials which could have been wasted in the environment.
