Here’s How to Dispose of Your Old Mattress

If you have an 8- or 10-year-old mattress on your hands, it might be time to say goodbye. But knowing how to properly dispose of it may be difficult. Though most of us would rather not add to the nearly 50,000 mattresses that pile up in landfills every day, the alternatives may be trickier than they appear. 

Recycling or donating mattresses seems like a simple enough endeavor, but the task can actually be quite challenging. Some charities aren’t allowed to accept mattresses due to concerns over bed bugs or health department regulations, certain recycling programs have become less profitable and therefore less available, and many states don’t have recycling programs at all. 

Plus, since foam fluctuates wildly in its profitability, some of the popular online mattress brands offering 100-plus-night trial periods don’t always stick to their promise of recycling or donating returned…