Mattress waste poses a real problem. I've read that anywhere between 20 and 40 million mattresses are disposed of in the USA alone each year, most ending up in landfill. 

20 million mattresses placed end to end would stretch around 22,700 miles and this amount of waste is generated each year from a single country!

What is a mattress composed of?

All sorts of materials are used in mattress, but the most common items are fabric, foam, cotton, wood and steel springs. Most of these components can be recycled - in fact, around 90% of a spring mattress is recyclable. However, recycling them isn't that easy.

The mattress recycling challenge

Mattresses are very bulky and cumbersome making transporting the items to a recycling center a challenge for most people; but the problem at the recycling end is due to the nature of their construction making it difficult to separate materials; particularly where springs are involved.

Some successful programs have been established, such as the Northeast Mattress Recycling Program. From June 2004 to May 2009, the program recycled 58,252 mattresses and box springs, saving 6,898 cubic yards of landfill space or 5,518 tons.

The used foam can be turned into carpet underlay or insulation. The wooden frames can be chipped and used as fuel, the cotton is used in industrial machinery oil filters and other textile applications. 

The springs, made from steel, have a high market value as scrap but are difficult to compress. Cecil Taylor has developed a mattress spring compactor device that could address this challenge.

Flame retardants

Another issue with mattresses is the use of chemical flame retardants. These can prove to be toxic not only to humans, but when dumped in a landfill, these chemicals can leach from the mattress and contaminate the wider environment through seepage into groundwater.

Disposing of an old mattress

If your mattress is on its last legs, you can try searching for a recycling program near you.

- In the USA, try the search function at the top of the page of Earth911.org

- In Canada, MattCanada in Montreal was the only recycling program I could locate.

- In the UK there are a few pilot programs under way, but for the general consumer, the advice from the UK Environment Agency is for people to contact their local council refuse department for advice. Matt UK handles mattress recycling in commercial quantities.

- In Australia, your best bet is probably the Dreamsafe Recycling Program or to contact your local council

In other regions, a search on Google for your country name + mattress recycling may bear some fruit.

Most recycling programs aren't free - you'll need to pay a small fee; but far less than landfill fees in most cases and you'll know that your old mattress is being put to good use. Some recycling programs also offer pickup services.

You could also try giving away your mattress via CraigsList or FreeCycle or donating your mattress to charity if it's in good condition. Do not dump the old mattress on the charity's doorsteps - call them first. Some organisations can't take mattresses due to health reasons, which is completely understandable given the amount of dust, bedbugs and bacteria an old mattress can harbor. 

Something else you can try (as you'll likely also be in the market for a new mattress at the time) is to contact mattress companies to see if they will take your old one away if you purchase a mattress from them. It's important to then check what they will do with the old mattress. Some will simply ship it off to a landfill; others will be partnered with a mattress recycling program, shipping them off in bulk quantities.

Mattress choices

When shopping for a new mattress, give some thought to what you're going to do when the new one wears out. By buying a mattress constructed for easy recycling, you can help minimize future disposal headaches. One of the best ways to do this is to avoid mattresses with springs.

For an even more environmentally friendly choice, look for mattresses made from materials such as Forest Stewardship Council certified wood frames, natural latex cores, wool, bamboo, hemp and organic cotton. If you have your heart set on a spring mattress, try to locate one that uses recycled steel for the springs. The use of components such as wool also removes the need for chemical fire retardants to be used.

If your budget isn't too tight, considering spending a little more on a mattress than you usually would. After all, we spend up to a third of our lives lying on a mattress, so you may as well be comfortable! While environmentally friendly mattresses tend to cost a little more, the added benefit is they can last far longer too. For example, a good quality natural latex core mattress can last for decades.

An ounce of prevention

The more life you can get from a mattress, the longer it will be before it needs to be landfilled or even recycled. 

Flip and spin your mattress every few months to allow for more even wear and also invest in a mattress protector which will help prevent rips and staining. Using a mattress protector also increases the chances that you'll be able to donate your mattress to a charity at a later date.