If your mattress gets worn out and loses the original comfort, its time you throw it away. Beyond that, it may fail to support your body which can affect your sleep quality. But this is not just about putting it in curb as most cities have rules and regulations.
Mattresses don’t belong to the middle of a field, the bottom of a lake, or even the side of the road. To ensure you give your mattress a good send-off, you should look at the disposal options around you. Here is a detailed guide on how to throw mattress away.
How Do I know It’s Time to Throw Away My mattress ?
If you find yourself turning and tossing in bed to get a comfortable position, its time you throw the mattress. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that you dispose of the mattress if there are lumps on it, the coils are poking through the fabric, or the springs are noisy. Apart from structural issues, you should throw the mattress if it’s home for dust mites and allergens.
Prepare The Mattress For Disposal
Simply go to a moving supply store and buy a plastic storage bag. Most local waste management authority requires mattresses to be disposed of this way. Then, put the old mattress in the bag and wrap it with a tape.
All cities have a great system for scheduling for large-item pickups. You can conveniently schedule a mattress to be picked up. If you’re not sure of the day in your area, you can check the local waste management website. To be safe, you should avoid doing this on multiple bulk items or you risk being fined. In some areas, the curbside collection service can be every week or on specified days.
How To Throw Mattress Away (Options)
01. Rent a dumpster
If disposing of your mattress is part of a large home clean out, you should hire a dumpster. This is a simple way of getting rid of your junk at once. The main benefit of using a dumpster is that you can simply put your box mattress in a bin as it is. Unlike other disposal options, hiring a dumpster is more cost-effective. Still, you can dispose of more than one mattress. Keep in mind that in some areas you may have to pay an additional processing fee.
02. Hire junk removal service
This can be another viable option for throwing away a mattress. Some companies won’t give a quote until they see the number of items you want to haul away. Most junk removal services work within a two-hour window. This may not be economical if you’re disposing of a mattress with lots of junk.
Based on some factors, a mattress junk removal service can cost about $100-150. On average, you should expect to pay $400 for 20-cubic yards worth of junk.
03. Ask the store where you buy a new mattress to pick the old set
When you buy a new mattress, some companies may offer to take the old set. Before they deliver the new mattress, you should ask them to haul the old one. Some will offer the service for free as an incentive to buy while others will do it at a small fee. Be sure to check whether the mattress is under warranty. But even if a mattress has a 20-year warranty, you can still throw it away before it ends.
Can I dump The Old Mattress in The Trash ?
If there’s no pick-up option or you can’t find a recycling facility in your area, you can take the mattress to a landfill. This is usually the last resort. As you do this, you should know that there are serious environmental consequences.
It’s estimated that every year, over 20 million mattresses end up in a landfill in the U.S. But the problem with such kind of trash is that they release methane which contributes heavily to climate change. Many landfills will charge a fee of about $30. It’s worth mentioning that some landfills will have a limit on how many mattresses you can dispose of per year.
Common Mattress Disposal Mistakes To Avoid
Mattresses are bulky and tend to stress a lot of people when throwing away. Depending on the city you live in, poor disposal can attract fines. If you find yourself in some predicament, here are some mistakes you may want to avoid.
01 Never throw away a mattress without a cover
Because mattresses pose a health hazard, most local authorities don’t allow people to haul without covering them away. So, whenever possible you should cover the mattress with a plastic wrap and seal the ends with tape. You can also slip the mattress in bags that come with zips.
02 Never tie a mattress on top of your car
If your car has a roof rack, you may be tempted to tie your mattress. But think about it- pulling ropes on open windows or car doors could damage the seal. Such damages may cost you thousands of dollars. In some jurisdictions, this may attract heavy penalties.
03 Not setting the mattress on `bulk collection days’
If you live in an area where you set the trash on the roadside, it can be a costly mistake. In some cities, heavy trash is collected once a week. You may want to liaise with the garbage collection team to ensure your mattress is not left on the curbside.
04 Dumping old mattress on the street
When you buy a new mattress, there’s always some kind of pressure to get rid of the old one. It’s illegal to dump the mattress on the roadside and leave it there. If you do this, you could be violating some rules that can attract fines or even jailing. Why not pay an authorized company to take the mattress to a landfill?
05. Tearing up the mattress
Mattresses contain coils and springs that can be hazardous if you’re not careful. Unless you want to recycle the parts, you should avoid tearing the mattress.
Wrapping It Up
There comes a time when you have to throw away your mattress. Maybe it has run its course and you want to upgrade to a new one, or you had that an unfortunate spill and you want to get rid of it ASAP. If your mattress isn’t fit for donation or recycling, there’s always an option of disposing of it away. For those with many mattresses, a dumpster rental can be the most viable option.