SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): Becker County, Minnesota residents have a chance to clear out old mattresses without spending a dime. The county is hosting a free mattress recycling event from December 5-8, with collection happening at the Becker County Landfill and an additional day on December 6 at the Osage Landfill.
Getting rid of mattresses isn't as simple as it sounds. They're bulky, hard to compress, and take up valuable space in landfills. That's why Becker County is making it easy for residents to do the right thing - at no cost.
What You Need to Know
The event is open to all Becker County residents, but there are a few ground rules. Mattresses and box springs must be in recyclable condition - meaning no wet materials, no mold, and definitely no bed bugs. Each household can bring up to two units total, whether that's two mattresses, two box springs, or one of each.
These requirements exist for good reason. Contaminated mattresses can't be safely processed and can ruin entire batches of otherwise recyclable materials. Clean, dry mattresses break down much more easily into their component parts.
How the Recycling Works
Becker County has partnered with Better Futures Minnesota, a local nonprofit that specializes in mattress deconstruction. The process is surprisingly hands-on - volunteers and staff literally take each mattress apart piece by piece.
Here's what happens: Workers cut open the fabric covering and start separating materials. Steel springs go in one pile. Foam padding in another. Wood frames get pulled out. Fabric and fiber materials are set aside. About 75-85% of a typical mattress can be recycled into new products.
The steel coils get melted down and reused in construction, cars, and appliances. Foam becomes carpet padding, insulation, or even pet bedding. Wood frames are shredded into mulch or used as biomass fuel. Fabrics find new life in industrial filters and other textile applications.
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The Cost Savings
If you're thinking about just throwing an old mattress away, here's what it would normally cost. Disposing of a mattress in the regular trash typically runs up to $23 per unit. Recycling it through normal channels costs around $15 per unit.
By offering this free event, Becker County officials estimate residents could save up to $30 for recycling two mattresses or box springs - money that would otherwise go straight into disposal fees.
Why Mattresses Are a Landfill Problem
Americans discard somewhere between 15 to 20 million mattresses every year. That works out to more than 50,000 mattresses hitting the waste stream every single day. Most of them end up in landfills, where they create headaches for waste management operations.
Mattresses don't compress well, so they eat up enormous amounts of landfill space - about 23 cubic feet per mattress. They float to the top during compaction processes and can jam shredding equipment. In some facilities, they've been known to fall on workers during handling. All these factors make mattresses one of the most problematic items landfills deal with.
There's also an environmental cost. A single mattress that goes to a landfill releases approximately 65 pounds of greenhouse gases as it decomposes. The materials inside - foams, fabrics, and adhesives - can leach chemicals into soil and groundwater over time.
A Growing National Trend
Becker County's program reflects a broader shift in how states handle mattress waste. Four states - California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Oregon - now have mandatory mattress recycling programs run by the Mattress Recycling Council. Massachusetts banned mattresses from landfills entirely in 2022.
The results have been impressive where these programs exist. In California, which started its program in 2016, the recycling rate jumped to about 80%. Connecticut saw its mattress recycling rate leap from 8.7% to 63.5% in just the first year of its program. These programs have collectively recycled more than 12 million mattresses and diverted over 500 million pounds of material from landfills.
County officials emphasized that this event is part of Becker County's ongoing push toward more sustainable waste management. By making mattress recycling free and convenient, they're removing barriers that might otherwise send these bulky items straight to the landfill.
People Also Ask
What happens to mattresses after they're recycled?
Mattresses are manually dismantled at processing facilities. Workers separate the main components: steel springs (melted down for new metal products), foam padding (turned into carpet underlayment or insulation), wood frames (shredded into mulch or biomass fuel), and fabrics/fibers (used in industrial filters and textile applications). About 75-85% of a mattress's materials can be recovered and reused this way, keeping them out of landfills and back in the manufacturing cycle.
Why are mattresses so hard to recycle?
Mattresses present several recycling challenges. They're bulky and expensive to transport. Multiple materials are glued or stitched together, requiring time-consuming manual separation. Contamination from mold, moisture, or bed bugs makes mattresses unsuitable for processing. Many areas lack dedicated mattress recycling facilities, and the fluctuating value of recycled materials (especially foam) makes the process economically challenging. That's why many municipalities still send mattresses to landfills despite the environmental cost.
What are the environmental benefits of mattress recycling?
Recycling one mattress saves approximately 23 cubic feet of landfill space and prevents the release of about 65 pounds of greenhouse gases. The process also conserves significant resources: recycling saves roughly 500 gallons of water per mattress, enough energy to power a home for three days, and emissions equivalent to a car driving 60 fewer miles. By keeping materials in circulation rather than extracting new resources, mattress recycling supports a more circular economy.
How much does it normally cost to dispose of a mattress?
Costs vary widely by location. Landfill disposal typically ranges from $20-55 per mattress depending on condition and local fees. Recycling usually costs $15-40 per unit. Some municipalities in states with mattress disposal bans charge even more - up to $60 per mattress. Many waste haulers add surcharges for mattress pickup because of the handling difficulties. Free recycling events like Becker County's help residents avoid these costs entirely while doing the environmentally responsible thing.
