Useful Facts Related to Mattress Recycling

by Tom Smith Marketing Manager

One of the biggest reasons why mattress recycling has become so popular is that this is something that is made up of the things that can be recycled. This is because of rapidly filling landfill sites that people have started recycling everything that can be recycled. In terms of mattresses, it is said that when they are sent at a landfill site, they are simply dumped on the ground along with other waste items present there. An estimate says that sending 1,67,000 mattresses at a landfill site means sending around 67,000 elephants and this is a really huge number.

Completely opposite to this, when recycled, they offer a number of benefits and the first is that all important space is saved. Other than this, several useful things come out of a mattress when it is dismantled and used in the manufacturing of other useful items. Let us have a look.

Which parts are recycled?

According to the experts, the answer would depend entirely on the type and quality of the mattress received for this task of recycling.
However, they further add that mostly, all kinds can be recycled and everything from them can be recycled.

The process

The first step involves disassembly and this is where different components of this material are segregated.
Once done, they are compacted into large bales for efficient onward transport to end recycling destinations.

Things that can be recycled are –

Metal springs

Experts say that these springs are recycled in a number of ways, but mostly they are melted and processed at a metal recycling plant.
From there, their journey starts where they are cast back into new light iron products.

Foam

The next name is the foam in this regards, experts say that some mattresses have a layer of latex or foam for padding.
This foam is either baled or sent to a waste-to-energy plant for energy from waste generation.
Otherwise, experts say that it is cleaned and used in the manufacture of industrial carpet underlay.

Mattress filling (wadding)

The next thing that draws the attention of mattress recycling experts is the filling or wadding, but this wadding is not found in all versions and definitely not in memory foam.
If there is polyester wadding, it is used in the fibre blending industry as a replacement for virgin materials.
However, after getting reprocessed, they can be used in various manufacturing processes including the filling of pet cushions.

Low-Grade Fabric

The next thing that can be recycled in the process of mattress recycling is the low grade fabric present in them.
However, this is something really tough to recycle due to varying levels of contamination and the limited legally compliant end markets for these materials.
Therefore, they are processed into refuse-derived fuel for use as a source of energy for waste facilities as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
This means that they help a lot in creating renewable green energy and heat.