There are many reasons why you might want to replace your bedding: maintenance issues with your mattress, a desire for greater comfort or higher quality, or a desire for a different type of mattress. Whatever your reason, you’ll need to get rid of your old mattress.
Getting rid of a mattress isn't easy: it's a bulky item that's hard to handle, especially if you're alone or don't have a car. In France, many mattresses are dumped on the street or in landfills. However, there are many ways to dispose of a mattress while being environmentally responsible.
Are you looking to replace your bedding but aren't sure what to do with your old mattress? Find out where you can properly dispose of or recycle your mattress when it's reached the end of its life.
Disposing of an old mattress at a recycling center
One possible solution is to take the mattress to the waste collection center: a facility that accepts bulky or potentially recyclable items.
If possible, transport your mattress in your personal vehicle to the recycling center closest to your home. It’s best to choose a recycling center equipped with a container specifically for recycling used furniture and bedding (Eco Mobilier containers). Eco Mobilier is an organization responsible for collecting and recycling all household furniture manufactured in France. On the organization’s website, you’ll find a list of all recycling centers equipped with a container specifically for used furniture, along with their locations throughout France.
At a typical recycling center, the mattress might be transported to a sorting facility and then to a recycling facility. Because of the multiple trips involved, this isn’t the most environmentally friendly solution. Still, it’s more responsible than leaving your old mattress next to a public trash bin or throwing it away with household trash. Unfortunately, mattresses dropped off at a recycling center are sometimes incinerated or buried in a landfill.
Drop off your mattress at the city's bulky item collection service
If you don't have a vehicle to transport your mattress to the recycling center, you can certainly use your municipality's bulky waste service, if one is available. This service is responsible for collecting all bulky waste and taking it to the recycling center or directly to a recycling facility.
In general, this service is offered free of charge once a month in all municipalities. The cost and procedures for bulky item pickup vary by municipality. We recommend contacting your local municipality to learn more about these procedures and to schedule a pickup for your bulky items. Then, simply leave your mattress at the designated location closest to your home the day before pickup.
By turning in your mattress to the bulky waste collection service, you can:
- not having to drive your car to take your mattress to the recycling center;
- take advantage of relatively quick pickup of your old mattress;
- pay no fees (in most cases) or very few fees;
- contribute to environmental conservation.
Drop off your old mattress at a recycling center
Before you consider throwing away your mattress, keep in mind that most household furniture can be recycled (box springs, pillows, comforters, mattresses, etc.), regardless of the materials it’s made of (wood, latex, plastic, foam, metal springs, etc.).
In this sense, it is entirely possible to recycle a mattress, although some materials are more difficult to recycle, particularly foams (polyurethane foam, polyether foam, or memory foam). As for Kipli natural latex mattresses, they are fully recyclable.
To dispose of your mattress, you can drop it off at a collection point designated for recycling household furniture: in France, the best-known ones are the Eco Mobilier collection points.
Rather than dismantling the mattress yourself and simply throwing it in the trash, the organization recycles end-of-life mattresses 100% or converts them into energy. The mattress is disinfected and then dismantled: the materials that make up the mattress are sorted by type (foam, latex, and springs).
To support this process of sorting, collecting, and recycling mattresses, an environmental fee can now be included in the price of the mattress at the time of purchase.
Return your old mattress to a specialist
When you’re ready to buy your new bedding—whether online or in-store—ask the salesperson: some retailers offer to take your old mattress in trade when you buy a new one. In some cases, they may even pick up the mattress directly from your home; in such cases, there is a fee to cover the retailer’s transportation costs.
Not all specialists offer this service for taking back old bedding; it depends on their ability to recycle the mattress. Since the idea is to give the mattress a second life, it would be a shame to hand it over to a retailer who would take your old mattress only to throw it away in the end.
Most companies that offer to take back your used mattress are partners of the organization Eco Mobilier. This is particularly true of Kipli: when you purchase a natural latex mattress, you can return your old one. Once it’s in the hands of the bedding specialist, the mattress will be sent to the organization responsible for recycling it.
Ways to Give Mattresses a Second Life
There's no reason to throw away your mattress: depending on its condition, it could very well be useful to someone else.
Make a donation to a nonprofit or organization
If you decide to replace your mattress because it no longer suits your needs, but it’s not yet at the end of its useful life, don’t hesitate to donate it. Charities, nongovernmental organizations, and homeless shelters will be happy to accept your old mattress, provided they accept this type of donation.
Of course, before donating your mattress, it’s essential to dust it off, disinfect it, and clean it: to be considered a donation, it must be in good condition. If your mattress cannot be reused, organizations like Emmaüs will handle its recycling.
Selling Your Mattress in Good Condition to a Private Individual
A simple and cost-effective solution for you would be to sell your mattress. All you have to do is post your listing online on a peer-to-peer classifieds site. A discounted or free mattress is sure to attract interest, as long as it’s in good condition.
If you don't sell your mattress, there's nothing stopping you from getting creative and finding another use for it right in your own home.
In any case, if you decide to get rid of your bedding, there are several options available to you: there’s no reason to leave a mattress or box spring lying on the street, next to a trash can, or at a landfill. One thing is certain: today, anyone can recycle a mattress or give it a second life.
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