Mattresses are one of those common household items that can be a huge recycling headache. Many thrift and secondhand stores don’t want them, and it can be tough to track down a recycling program that accepts them.
That said, sending your used mattress to the landfill can come with a hefty impact on the planet. An estimated 20 million mattresses are disposed of in the U.S. every year. A double mattress can take up as much as 60 cubic feet in a landfill (you can calculate the space your mattress will fill here) — making it that much more important to recycle your old one.
Despite the difficulties, mattresses can be recycled and donated. Four states have extended producer responsibility-based mattress recycling programs financed by fees added to your purchase: Oregon as of 2022, along with California, Rhode Island, and Connecticut since 2013.
Choose To Reuse
If your mattress is…