Plastic is not the only thing causing harm to the environment – mattresses are also one of the reasons landfills are overfilling with waste.
Nearly 1.8 million mattresses are sent to landfills every year in Australia alone (Source) – a practice that should be heavily discouraged.
So if you’re looking for free mattress removal while also ensure it doesn’t end up in the landfill, this guide is just for you. Read on to know three practical ways for getting rid of your mattress in an eco-friendly way.
- Donate Your Mattress:
The best way to get free mattress removal without dumping it in the landfills is to give it to those who need it. Search for the charities within your vicinity, get in touch with them, and see if they’ll accept your mattress. There’s also a Sydney-based service, The Generous & The Grateful, that offers mattress pickup and donation to a family in need.
You can also ask your city council (if there’s one) to pick up your mattress; chances are, they’ll do it for free. However, before donating it, make sure it’s in good condition because there’ll be people using it. So keep the following things in mind:
- No Infestations: This goes without saying, but we’ll mention it anyway – your mattress should not be infested with mould, bugs, or other life forms. If there is any, your mattress needs deep cleaning because these infestations are usually deep-rooted in the foam.
- No Major Damages: Any structural damages like broken, bent, or jut coils can make the mattress uncomfortable or even totally useless. Similarly, having rips, holes, and tears that are obvious can also make a mattress unsuitable for donation.
- Should be Clean: If there are no infestations or structural problems, but the mattress has stains, make sure to clean them before sending it off. If the marks are beyond cleaning, the mattress might not be fit for a charity donation. However, if a small DIY cleaning can take care of them, do it and give the mattress away.
- No Odours: Sometimes, we can become desensitized to the smells coming from our mattresses because we spend most of our time on them. Others will be able to notice them, which can make your mattress very unappealing. So, ask a third person to do a sniff test of your mattress, and if found guilty, have it cleaned and free from the odour before sending it off.
If your mattress fulfills these terms and is in pretty good condition, congrats, you have a chance to do some good – providing people with a clean and cozy place to sleep on.
- Sell It Online:
You can also make a quick buck off your old mattress if it’s in excellent condition – at least 8 out of 10. There are many online platforms that you can use to sell your mattress, and ensure it doesn’t end up in the landfill – not from your side at least. Let’s check out some of them below:
- Classifieds: The number 1 way to get rid of your mattress fast is via classified websites, Gumtree in particular. Just put up an ad with pictures of your mattress, tell people about its condition and what to expect, put up the desired price and wait for the offers.
- Facebook: Another good option to sell your mattress is Facebook Marketplace. You can put up an ad of your mattress and reach the local audience free of cost. There are also many local buy & sell groups on Facebook that you can join and post that you’re selling your mattress.
- E-Commerce Platforms: You can also try your luck on eBay. Put up the listing of your mattress and see if you get any bids for it.
- Recycle The Mattress:
If your mattress is not in the state to be passed on to others, the last way of free mattress removal is by recycling it. You can either opt for the DIY route or the paid method. Let’s take a gander at both of them:
DIY Recycling:
This is where you’ll break down your mattress and box spring to recycle their parts. If you have the time and tools, you can easily take your mattress apart and turn it into recyclable parts.
The recycling centers may not take the full mattress, but they’ll gladly take its recyclable parts off your hands. As for the springs, you can sell them to the local scrap metal dealer and make a few bucks.
However, if you’re someone crafty and want to squeeze value out of your mattress, even if it’s on its last leg, you can upscale the mattress. You can reuse the recyclable parts in several creative ways, have a look at some of them below:
- Gardening: The wooden spring box can be used as landscaping mulch or broken down to be used as compost. You can also keep the whole frame to be used as a garden bed for herbs, flowers, or even veggies.
- Home Use: You can take the foam, padding, and fabric out of the mattress and use them for insulating a particular area of the home. They can even be sewn into protective blankets for furniture when you move.
- Art & Décor: There are various ways you can repurpose your mattress’s components into home décor items. For instance, you can turn the steel springs into bottle racks, or the bed padding can be used for a dog bed, or you can even make a bookshelf out of the bed-slat.
The Paid Method:
If you lead a very busy life or you simply don’t want to go through the tiring process of recycling by yourself, you can shell out a couple of bucks and hire recycling service providers. They’ll come to your place, take the mattress off your hands and use it for reprocessing purposes.
You can contact many organizations such as Soft Landing and SUEZ that offer services across Sydney and NSW regions.
There’s also Recycling Near You that you can use to find the nearest recyclers and give your mattress to them.
Parting Words:
All of the free mattress removal options above ensure your mattress doesn’t end up in a landfill. So rest assured knowing you are not harming the environment.
Furthermore, if none of the options above work for you, you can try calling the store you bought the mattress from and see if they can pick it up. Many stores offer this service for a few bucks.
