Organic Bedding Blog

Mattress Recycling

Are you in the market for a new mattress but wondering what to do with your old one? Do you cringe at the fact that such a large item that you probably spent quite a bit on money on may end up in a landfill? Read on!

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One of the main goals here at White Lotus Home is to provide mattresses and bedding that are not only comfortable and healthy but that also have a low environmental impact. Since our mattresses are mainly made of natural cotton and wool, the fibers can be reused after the mattress is worn out and the materials are ultimately biodegradable if they do end up in the garbage. Most customers who buy a new natural or organic mattress from us do not feel comfortable simply discarding their old mattresses, so here is a guide to what else you can do with an old mattress.

Feelin’ Crafty?
For those of you who like to get crafty, an old mattress offers many possibilities for upcycling to make something new. If you have an old White Lotus mattress (or any futon style mattress), you can tear it open along a seam and remove the batting to stuff pillows, toys, or any other soft item. You can remove all of the batting and sew the fabric into a smaller shape, such as a floor cushion or a dog bed. Unfortunately, you can’t do these things with a spring mattress, but if you are feeling especially innovative you could always pull those springs out and weld it all into a hat rack or anything else your heart desires!

Give to a Good Cause
If your mattress is still in pretty good condition, a local shelter may be very grateful to use it. You can contact any local shelter, church or social service organization and even if they don’t need it they may be able to direct you to a local family in need. Many Salvation Armies will send a truck to pick the mattress up from your house so you don’t even have to worry about lugging it around. Although bedbugs may be a concern in some areas, in most cases giving a mattress to someone in need is a very satisfying solution and benefits both society and the environment.

Get Online
If you want to get rid of your old mattress quickly and easily or if you want to try to sell it, your best chances may be to go online. Craigslist.org is a good site for giving away items for free or to sell things in good condition. If you specify that the recipient must pick up the item, you don’t have to worry about getting the mattress anywhere besides to your front door. Freecycle.org is another good website for contacting someone in your area who may have use for a used mattress, but all offers on this site must be for free items.

We hope that this guide helps you with your used mattress, but if you have any other questions, feel free to contact us. If you are local to New Brunswick NJ we can direct you to some local organizations who may be able to help you. We do offer mattress removals (for a fee) in conjunction with local deliveries, but our facilities are not equipped to warehouse many used mattresses. However, feel free to call us about any used mattress concerns because many White Lotus employees are college students and New Brunswick locals and we may know someone who can make good use of it.

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Re: Mattress Recycling
by Marlon on Oct 29th 2008, 11:43 am

Lindsey, I have to report that we have had a number of calls because of this nice blog you posted. We even had a couple of folks telling us how they are going to use your input and recycle their mattresses and bedding. One lady called us to order fabric so that she can take her OLD White Lotus mattress cotton and convert it to some sort of cushion that her children can play on and use to relax on. They are so many other things that can be done with your used natural or organic mattress. While White Lotus mattresses can last from 5-15 years, we have heard of folks that keep them for over 20 years. Some research shows that we should consider replacing our mattresses every 10 years due to dust mites and other possible problems. This is why we recommend using a wool wrapped natural or organic mattress. You can learn more about them at http://whitelotus.net/index.php?module=StepStore&func=display&slid=18 Other ways you can recycle your mattress is: do you have a trailer home? use it on that. Or do you know a trucker that is always on the road? They may be able to recycle your mattress by keeping it rolled up in their trucks to sleep on from time to time. Offer a barter on craiglist.com there maybe someone that needs a mattress and may be able to offer you a service for it. Keep up the good work!

Re: Mattress Recycling
by Marlon P on Sep 23rd 2008, 8:11 am

Lindsey, Good ideas, here are some others. Since White Lotus Home natural or organic mattresses are made of only natural and organic fibers, the fibers can be used for many more things. Some folks that I met upstate NY, mix the cotton that can no longer be used for stuffing with soil which helps grow their new crop. This is usually the smaller pieces of cotton. Also, contacting your local animal shelter or wildlife refugee may be an option. We at White Lotus Home have done this in the pass and the birds and other small animals use the fibers to insulate their nests and sleeping areas. Anyone else has an option? I would love to hear about it.