Every day, roughly 50,000 mattresses are sent to landfills in the US. This equates to roughly 40 Empire State Buildings a day if these mattresses were stacked up.
That’s a lot of unneeded additions to already bulging landfills.
Have you ever considered whether your old mattress can be recycled? The answer is yes!
Several organizations exist that allow you to recycle mattresses, including the Mattress Recycling Council. In fact, about 80% of the mattresses on the market are recyclable.
Mattress recycling is achieved by cutting the mattress open and separating the layers. These materials are then organized by category:
- Cotton material becomes oil filters
- Foam becomes carpet padding and padding in pet beds
- Steel springs become building materials and appliance parts
- Wood becomes fuel sources
These programs are wonderful. Unfortunately, right now they’re only available in three states: California, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
If you’re concerned about where your mattress will go when it’s time is done, consider purchasing a natural wool mattress. This is because wool is biodegradable. Even if a wool mattress ends up in a landfill, exposure to humidity, oxygen and warm temperatures will cause the wool to biodegrade – making it eco-friendly.
