Old mattresses are bulky and take up lots of room in land fills. And 90% of mattress materials are recyclable: polyurethane foam, cotton, steel coils, and wood. Many cities are now diverting old mattresses from the waste stream, and recycling the materials. To see more about the process and benefits of mattress recycling, check out the video links below.
In the City of Houston old mattresses can be dropped off at no charge at any of the six neighborhood depositories. These are open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. during Daylight Savings Time or 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during Non-Daylight Savings Time. Residents may use the depositories four times per month. Users may be asked for ID or current utility bill as proof of residency.
Locations and details on the City of Houston neighborhood depositories are located at:
http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/depositories.html
There are also some private mattress recycling companies that will pick up a mattress for a fee. Just search online for ‘mattress recycling Houston’.
Below are links to some interesting videos about the benefits and techniques of mattress recycling.
Mattress Recycling video from Boston:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmiDifjuP8
Mattress Recycling in Vancouver:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LFcoydYl1w
High tech mechanized mattress recycling in Europe: