Every Possible Way to Dispose of an Old Mattress

Welcome to Roommates Week, an exploration of the highs and lows of cohabitation.

The mattress is a lazy, incorrigible object. It lays still for most of its life, until the time comes to move it, whether between rooms, to a new house, or to the garbage. Then it springs into vindictive action, as if angry at being roused from its comfortable, sedentary life. It is heavier than you think it will be. It is singularly unwieldy; the fact that it bends seems like an advantage, but when moved, this attribute reveals its cruel nature, as it flops over in precisely the way you’d rather it didn’t. Of course it also has no handles, forcing the owner to employ a series of hopeless strategies – clamping the seam, lifting from a bottom corner, some kind of rock-climbing-inspired flat-palmed grasp – before realizing that none will work. The mattress does not want to be moved. What it is really doing is playing dead. This is a very effective ploy for both the Virginia opossum and the used mattress.

But all mattresses do, despite their best efforts, have a finite lifespan. They must be replaced, which means they must be disposed of, somehow. So how do you do it?

What is a mattress?

We are going to ignore, for the time being, all but the most common mattresses of North America; there are many other varieties, but we’re going to focus on the four most popular here: foam, innerspring, hybrid, and gel/latex.

Foam mattresses are increasingly popular in North America, because they are cheap to manufacture, cheap to buy, and easier to ship directly to the consumer owing to their ability to compress. The major internet mattress companies— Casper, most notably — started out with all-foam mattresses. 

Innerspring mattresses are older than the other types on our list; they’re constructed from a cushioned topper, with a series of closely-placed metal springs comprising the inside. Despite being older, innerspring mattresses do actually have a few advantages; they’re easier to get up from, maintain their firmness all the way to their edges, and, because there’s less material in their interiors, can maintain a cooler temperature.

Hybrid mattresses use both innersprings and (typically) foam; the springs are shorter than in a purely innerspring mattress, with a thicker foam layer above. Many of those new internet companies, including Casper, Purple, and Leesa, sell hybrid mattresses these days.

Gel and latex mattresses are typically constructed of memory foam with some other material, like gel or latex, added in a variety of ways. Sometimes this means a separate layer of gel or latex; in other mattresses a gel material is mixed with memory foam; sometimes there are evenly spaced pockets of gel or latex inside the foam. These tend to be a little firmer, cooler, and bouncier, and more durable, than pure foam.

Should I throw out my mattress?

I have no idea. Mattresses can last for anywhere from a few years to more than a decade, depending on the quality of their materials and construction. Climate and humidity can impact lifespan. Some mattresses can be rotated, or rarely flipped, to extend their lifespan. If you’re reading this because you’re not comfortable due to lumpiness or sagginess, probably you should just throw out your mattress. It clearly isn’t working as well as you’d like.

This feels like it should be free somehow... 

Okay, so, you’ve decided to throw out your mattress. Is there a way to do this for free?

Yes, often, depending on various factors! In California, there is literally a law stating that when you buy a new mattress, the mattress retailer is required to pick up and dispose of your old mattress, for free. This requirement applies regardless of type of mattress.  

Other companies will offer to pick up and dispose of your old mattress if you buy one of theirs, for a small fee or no fee at all. The older, non-internet-based companies like Sleepy’s and Mattress Firm, almost universally do this for free; just ask before buying. Many of the internet-based ones have some kind of removal program, too, though it may cost anywhere from $50 to $200 or more. If you’re interested, you can ask what this company plans to do with your old mattress; some recycle, some donate, some toss in the garbage.

If a retailer-based removal service isn’t available to you, you’ll have to figure out some other way to get an old mattress out of your house. This process varies dramatically based on location.

Can I donate or sell this thing? 

Many, perhaps most, charitable organizations do not accept used mattress donations. This is largely for sanitary reasons. If you’re curious, you can call around to your local Goodwill or other donation center; some will accept mattresses in good condition, without stains, rips, tears, or pests. Each donation center will have their own rules about pickup, fees, and whether they accept mattresses at all.

You can of course sell, or attempt to sell, a used mattress on services like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. Supply tends to be high and demand very low, but, you know, good luck!

Get this thing the hell out of my house 

Most cities in the United States have robust enough waste disposal services that there is already a way to dispose of a mattress. In New York City, a mattress can simply be placed out with the trash, the night before a regular collection day, though it does have to be placed in a specific bag. In Los Angeles, you have to fill out a little form or call a number to alert the sanitation department that you’re throwing out a mattress, but then it can simply be placed outside with the garbage.

Most cities will follow one of these two models. If you’re not sure which one, but you live in a reasonably large city or suburb, call 3-1-1 to find out exactly how to do it. Typically, this service will either be free or covered by your existing sanitation bill. It’s also worth noting that in most cities, this service will result in your used mattress being taken to a landfill or incinerator, rather than being recycled.

There’s also always the option to pay someone to come to your home and remove a mattress. There’s no shortage of folks that’ll do this, ranging from TaskRabbit to nationwide junk-hauling services to local mans-with-vans. These will cost you, though.

I’d like to do this myself for some reason

You can, legally and technically, cut up a mattress into small enough pieces to fit into a trash can, or more accurately a number of trash cans. With foam this is simple enough, though certainly not easy; with an innerspring mattress, it’s potentially pretty dangerous.

If you’d instead like to transport your mattress somewhere for disposal, there are a few different options. Most mattresses actually are reasonably recyclable, which is one reason you should ask a retailer what they do with old removed mattresses if you’re going that route. Foam, steel, and wood are all fairly easy to recycle. In California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, there’s a program called Bye Bye Mattress that’ll locate recycling centers for you. 

Elsewhere, you’ll have to look into recycling options. Googling "mattress recycling" plus your location will usually yield some good results; sometimes there will even be a service that comes to you, picks up your mattress, and recycles it. There’s also the option of Googling "mattress recycling centers" plus your location, which will show you places you can drop off a mattress.

This means you may have to transport a mattress yourself. Please, please, do not simply strap a mattress onto the roof of an otherwise sensibly small car with bungee cords. This is extremely dangerous! Please rent or borrow or otherwise get a larger vehicle, like a pickup truck or moving van, and secure the mattress with sturdy, ratcheting straps.

I’d like to upcycle my old mattress, probably for social media clout 

You can theoretically upcycle an old mattress. The inner springs are, you know, metal springs, which you can use as spectacularly ugly vase- or snack-holders. Foam mattresses can be cut to whatever size and shape you want; this is actually a decent way to create outdoor cushions, which are otherwise offensively expensive. Outdoor cushion covers, though, are fairly cheap, and you can just cut a mattress to the right size. I’ve found that the best tool for cutting foam is a large, serrated bread knife; it’ll leave rough and crumbly edges, but it’s going in a cover anyway, so who cares?

Top image via Monty Rakusen/Getty