What To Do With Old Mattress: 4 Creative Ideas

Sustainably minded and looking for what to do with old mattress? It’s a tough predicament, right? You get a new mattress and now you have this hunk of heavy lifting without knowing what to do. We have spent tons of time looking for the most eco-friendly way for proper disposal of your mattress. Good news! We’ve got you! 

Why Get Rid of Your Mattress?

Your mattress can accumulate sweat, skin cells, etc., as you use it—and can actually double in weight in 10 years! Whether your mattress has become heavy, or is causing you back problems, it’s about time to switch it up. That seems like the biggest hurdle until you wonder who you can pawn the mattress donation off to. 

Maybe you have a mattress that you have had for a few years and it’s not comfy anymore. Be sure to consider a memory foam topper to see if that takes care of your problem. Maybe you don’t need to get rid of it just yet. We got a high-quality mattress topper a year ago and it is a game-changer. 

​If you have a guest room, consider putting the mattress on the other bed, or putting a bed in there if there isn’t one. You can make it a really cool reading nook in another room as well.

If you are going to get rid of it, you definitely don’t want it to fill up landfills. The EPA reports that over 18 million mattresses are put into the trash each year and only 19% are recycled. 

What to Do With Old Mattress

So why not repurpose it in other creative ways? In this blog post, we will share 4 fun answers to the famous question, ‘What to do with old mattress?’ We know you will find the best way that resonates with you before you can say, ‘bye bye mattress!’

Find It a New Home

One of the easiest—and most helpful—ways to use an old mattress is to find it a new home. There are plenty of people who are in the market for a free mattress! What you consider good condition is different from someone else’s perception. So, instead of tossing it into a landfill, give it away.

You can speak to your friends, roommates, or relatives and ask if they need one. Maybe it is still in good shape and someone can use it to sleep on.

If you can’t find a recipient, you can also consider giving it away to non-profit organizations, such as Freecycle. Alternatively, you can check if charitable organizations, such as Furniture Bank, accept your mattress. If there are no Furniture Banks near you, check with your local charity. Note that it should be stain-free, amid other requirements. This will give you the benefit of being able to claim the donation as a reduction on your income taxes. 

Local charities like the Salvation Army will often use it for homeless shelters. Give them a call. Many programs have mattress pickup. 

Get Crafty With It

If you’ve got some motivation, roll up your sleeves. We’ve got some innovative ways you can repurpose that old mattress. Here’s some inspiration—

• Cut the mattress to size and add a washable cover. And, voila, you have a DIY (super comfy) bed for your pets. Speaking of pets, call your local animal shelters to see if they are accepting donated mattresses to serve as pet beds. Many cats and dogs find a cushy grounding the best safe place. 
• Cut it into a square and cover it with durable fabric. This will make some floor cushions for your space.
• If you have a memory foam mattress, you can slice it up and layer it. Fun, 3D wall art is what you get!
• Podcast host, like us? Use the mattress as a soundproof barrier against a wall. You can even convert a room or closet into a podcast studio. 

Disassemble For Its Parts

A mattress is made up of many different components—and these may be of good use to you. If you enjoy sewing, you may like the buttons and fabric. If you’re interested in carpentry, you can utilize the wood in the frame. Even the metal box springs can be repurposed in many ways—for example, wine bottle holders.

Did you know that 75% of a mattress can be reused and/or recreated for different products? If you are in California, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and soon-to-be Oregon, you can contact the Mattress Recycling Council where they will do just that. 

Reuse It For Your Kids

If you have little ones around, a mattress can be a great tool for their play area. We’d like to say it can be anything your child imagines it to be. Case in point: the fort they make with the sofa cushions. Here, you can cut up the mattress into pieces and cover it with fabric—and they can continue to build cityscapes! 

Alternatively, your old mattress can be a great protective layer for the bottom of your little one’s jungle gym (in your backyard). Or perhaps, a comfy base in their playroom. If you want to keep it outside, consider covering it with a weatherproof material that will keep the condition of your mattress decent. No one likes a wet and moldy mattress!

Sustainability is a Good Idea

Sure, you can find some places to dispose of old mattresses, but why not consider an option that keeps it out of the landfill or recycling facility? There may be a small fee to have someone come and get it, but the best option is to reuse and repurpose it. 

Now you know, you don’t really need to throw away that old mattress. We want to make sure that we say that you’re a real loser if you dump your mattress on the side of the road. If it is not labeled curbside pickup and it’s not monitored, don’t just leave it anywhere. If you do, you are giving it zero chances to be reused.

Plus, it’s just really shitty to do and there are local regulations that result in you receiving a fine or worse. 

We’ve given you our top ideas. Whatever the easiest way for you is, we hope you will consider one before just getting rid of it. If you have more, we’d love to hear from you.

FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions