Should You Throw A Mattress Away In A Dumpster, Or Are There Alternatives?

If you have a mattress that you need to get rid of, you may be thinking about throwing it into a dumpster. While seeing a mattress sticking out of a dumpster is not an uncommon sight, especially in dumpsters that are located near apartment complexes and shopping malls, you may want to think twice before disposing your mattress in this type of receptacle. Keep reading to learn all about the practice of throwing mattresses away in dumpsters, and what your other options are:

Consider The Reason Why You Want To Throw The Mattress Away

Before you discard your mattress into a dumpster, think about why you are getting rid of it and the consequences of doing such a thing. For example, if you're tossing a mattress because of an infestation of bed bugs, you probably don't want to leave it in a dumpster in your driveway. Those pesky bugs will make it back into your house and make a nice new home in your new bed.

If your mattress is old and needs to be replaced or you're getting a new mattress to go along with your newly renovated bedroom, you may be thinking about tossing the old mattress into your rented dumpster. Call your dumpster rental company and verify if they will add more fees to the cost of the dumpster if you put a mattress in it. The dumpster rental company may not allow mattresses to be disposed of in their dumpsters under any circumstance, because they can create flammable air pockets and damage compression equipment.

The Proper Way To Dispose Of An Old Mattress

Mattresses of any size can be hard to get rid of. They are large and difficult to handle by one person. They can contribute to ecological disaster due to the materials many non-organic mattresses are made of. They don't compress easily. And the coils in mattresses often cause problems with landfill equipment. To help you properly dispose of your mattress, here is a list of the best ways to get rid of a mattress of any size:

  • Call a local junk removal service. These companies offer a service where professionals will come to your home and pick up old mattresses for a fee. They will then dispose of it properly.

  • Contact a dumpster rental company. They can quickly tell you if they accept mattresses in their bins, and whether they'll charge an extra fee or not. Since disposing of unwanted materials is their specialty, if the company doesn't allow mattresses in their dumpsters, they will provide you with an alternative disposal option.

  • Give it to a furniture store. In many cases, the store where you purchase your new mattress will take away the old one for free.

  • Donate the mattress to charity. While this isn't the best option if your mattress is ripped or infested with bed bugs, many charitable organizations have a means to clean and sanitize old mattresses and give them to people in need.

  • Recycle the mattress at a specialized recycling center. These centers are growing in popularity, so there may not be one in your area yet. But as more people become aware of the ability and benefits to mattress recycling, more and more of these recycling centers will open up.

Disposing of a mattress isn't an easy task. You should think twice before throwing a mattress into a dumpster, even if it's one you rented yourself. You can't always leave an old mattress lying on the curb for your trash service to pick up on trash day. Instead, call your local dumpster rental company or junk removal service for information on how you can properly dispose of a mattress in your area. They will be happy to help you. They may even have a special service for this exact job.


Share