Are you considering a new mattress? If so, then make sure to dispose of the old one responsibly.
Mind that you can turn 90% of a mattress into reusable materials. Unfortunately, this percentage ends up to landfills. Besides, you could face prosecution or receive a fine for fly tripping.
Mattress disposal is one of the most challenging tasks for homeowners. This is especially if you have no idea about the options available for destroying or donating your mattress.
Don’t worry! We are here to help you get valuable ideas on how to dispose of, re-use, and repurpose your old mattress. Not only that, Evergreen Junk Removal is here to handle all your junk removal needs in an eco-friendly way.
Can Old Mattresses Be Recycled?
Materials of your mattress aren’t typically biodegradable. However, most of them can be recycled and then repurposed after your mattress is taken apart.
In case your mattress is no longer suitable to sleep on, or you find no place to donate it, then your next option is recycling.
Did you know that nearly 20 M mattresses wind up in landfills yearly? Each mattress occupy as much as 40 cubic feet, which contributes highly to landfill mass. This causes environmental and ecological problems and unsafe conditions for many workers across the globe.
About 80 to 90% of mattresses can be broken down for recycling purposes. However, recycling standards, laws, and regulations vary by town and ordinances, state, and country.
In most places, you can recycle the mattresses in two general methods, such as:
Local Recycling Centers
You can find several recycling centers that accept whole mattresses. Many areas have at least one recycling facility that accepts a mattress as-is. These facilities may have a contract with companies that provide pick and recycle services for a small service charge.
Certain US states like California, Rhode Island, and Connecticut have Extended Producer Responsibility Programs (EPRs). Through EPRs, you can take advantage of very low-cost or even free mattress pick up and recycling.
Why is Recycling A Mattress Is Good for the Environment?
When you recycled an old mattress, you are actually reducing the amount of waste in the landfill as well as the harmful environmental impacts.
In addition to taking up a large space in the landfills, mattresses contain synthetic and organic materials. These organic materials will take a few years to be broken down, while the synthetic ones will take several decades.
Dyes and bleaches are some of the chemicals found in mattresses that can cause land pollution. These chemicals are extremely poisonous to both plants and animals. In other words, they destroy our ecosystem.
As a result of buying new bedding, millions of mattresses are dumped into landfills. These mattresses being dumped on landfills only sit and decompose from where they are buried. This allows the different chemicals to seep into our water supply, resulting to water pollution.
How Do I Know When To Get A New Mattress?
Before going to a local mattress store or shopping online, you may want to know if it’s time to get a new mattress.
Mattresses in general need replacement after 8 years. On the other hand, some types of mattresses may or may not last longer than others.
If you own a hybrid innerspring-foam mattress, then you need to wait about six years before you need to replace it. As for the latex or memory foam mattress, it can last about 15 years with proper care.
The lifespan of a mattress varies depending on several factors. These include the design, materials, maintenance, and atmosphere. The best way to tell if it’s time to replace your mattress is by determining how it feels and the type of rest when sleeping on it. Meaning, you need to know if you are still comfortable using it and if it still gives you the support you went from when it was new.
Below are some of the signs telling you that you need to get a new mattress:
- Your mattress is more than eight years old
- The mattress squeaks or creaks when moved
- When you lie down, it rolls you toward the center
- You do not get a restful sleep at night
- Your back and other body parts hurt when you get up in the morning
- You feel congested every time you wake up because of dust allergies
- The mattress comes with noticeable sags in the middle
Mind that sleeping on old mattresses can cause long-term health issues. So, make sure to get yourself a new mattress and dispose of the old ones properly.
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