Once you decide to refurbish your home a little bit, getting rid of the old and useless things usually comes first. Our homes are special for a couple of things – the most prominent are resting and sleeping, as many would agree. Therefore, having beds which support our body adequately is a crucial thing. However, during our lives, on average, we change about 7 beds, due to the fact that the mattresses we use get destroyed within a maximum of 10 years.
However, when you end up with an old mattress sitting around your home, you face a problem. Simply, many people do not know how to dispose of them. While, on most occasions, the people who deliver new beds take away the old ones, sometimes you will have to take care of the problem yourself. Surely, you can throw it in the garbage, but it is too large and will take up a lot of space. Alternatively, you can take it to a landfill, but the people there might not take it due to the fact that it takes about 23 cubic feet of their valuable terrain. Also, mattresses decompose 400% slower than other things that people usually throw away, letting out some dangerous chemicals at the same time, and leaving springs which can pierce tires and feet. All in all, landfills might be out of the question.
Fortunately, almost 90% of every mattress can be recycled. Therefore, contacting mattress recyclers can be a great idea! Yet, there are a couple of catches to be aware of here as well. Namely, many mattress recyclers do not take mattresses from individuals. Rather, they focus on obtaining great quantities from smaller companies and other members of the corporative circles. Nevertheless, if you remain persistent enough, you can find the buyer for your worn out mattress. Moreover, mattress recyclers can fix your old mattress, raising its price significantly.
If money is not what you are after, you can always donate the mattress to the people in need. The point is that you are thinking green during your home improvement and this is a very important fact.
When disassembled, almost all parts of a mattress can be successfully recycled. The wooden frame, the stuffing, the buttons, the steel springs, all are things that can be re-created into something new. Some mattress recyclers even make clothing from the cotton parts. Alternatively, scrap yards can give you a fair amount of cash if you bring them the springs.
Thus, your old mattress does not have to pollute the nature and take up some useless place in vain. Rather, you can recycle it and open up a whole plethora of different usages for it, either for you or for someone else.
Jeremy Haze is a blogger, marketing consultant, and eco-activist actively supporting green revolution. Currently, he is closely collaborating with Skybrite Skylights from Australia.
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