Mattress Problems in Landfills

A mattress can be recycled and the last place in which it should be disposed of is in a landfill. However, mattresses are becoming increasingly problematic. Although almost all mattresses can be recycled, some special processes are required. As a result, there are not enough recycling facilities to meet the demand.

There was a time when we routinely slept on the same mattress, year after year, for 10 or 12 years. People of the past recall having to deal with busted springs, well-worn dips, and poorly supported backs at night. But no longer. There are several new and innovative mattresses on the market today, many of which can be purchased online and delivered to your door in bags, boxes, and cartons. With longer trial periods and easy returns, you could sleep on a new mattress every three months for years without ever purchasing one. Yet, it is exactly these innovations that have contributed to a bit of a recycling and landfill problem. In the United States, more old and used mattresses are disposed of than ever before. Far too many of those now end up in landfills, where they are not welcome and take up a considerable amount of space.

The Problem with Mattresses in Landfills

More than 80% of the components of a used mattress can be recycled, yet more than 50,000 mattresses end up in landfills every year. Carbon-based materials are the most common materials found in mattresses. As a result of being disposed of in a landfill, carbon-based materials anaerobically break down and create methane gas. Methane gas slowly escapes from landfills and contributes 23 times more to global warming than carbon dioxide does. This is because some mattresses are incinerated instead of rotting in landfills. In addition to that, this process produces a lot of harmful environmental pollution and isn't completely effective when it comes to disposal. After incineration, 40% of a mattress still needs to be landfilled. Aside from the pollution, both incineration and landfill disposal of mattresses are costly.

Trust a Professional Junk Removal Company

You can count on Pro Junk Dispatch to provide you with affordable mattress disposal services that are eco-friendly and safe. Count on us to make the whole process simple for you. Our team of experienced junk removal experts has all the resources necessary to haul away your old mattress quickly and efficiently.