Mattresses are made up almost entirely of recyclable materials. Once disassembled, more than 75 percent of mattress components can be recycled. At the same time, discarded mattresses and box springs can be notoriously difficult to manage. They are expensive to transport, take up a lot of space in landfills, are hard to compact, and can get caught in incinerator processing equipment. All of these factors result in higher disposal costs. So, recycling or reuse only makes sense.
News & Updates
October 2021
MassDEP issued its final 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan, which establishes goals to reduce disposal statewide by 30 percent (from 5.7 million tons in 2018 to 4 million tons in 2030) over the next decade. It sets a long-term goal of achieving a 90 percent reduction in disposal to 570,000 tons by 2050.
Among its strategies for reaching these objectives, MassDEP will expand its current waste disposal bans by:
- Adding mattresses and textiles to the list of materials banned from disposal or transport for disposal in Massachusetts, and
- Lowering the threshold on commercial organic/food waste to facilities generating more than one-half ton of these materials per week.
These changes require amendments to the 310 CMR 19.000: Solid Waste Management Facility Regulations, which will have an effective date of November 1, 2022.
See Additional Resources below to learn more.
Additional Resources for
A Lot of What You Sleep on Can be Recycled
Most mattress and box spring components can be easily disassembled and recycled. The materials they are made of can be used to manufacture a variety of new products.
Infographic Courtesy of the Mattress Recycling Council
| Component (by Weight) |
End Uses |
|---|---|
| Box Springs & Steel Inner-Springs | Often made from recycled scrap steel to begin with, these can be recycled and made into new steel. |
| Mattress Foam | May be ground up, mixed with binders, and formed into carpet padding or cushions. |
| Fabrics & Fibers | A variety of fibers found in mattresses can be recycled into industrial filters or padding. |
| Box Spring Foundation Wood | Wood may be chipped and used as animal bedding, mulch, or biomass fuel. |
Options for Mattress & Box Spring Recycling
Donate to a Charity. Use MassDEP's Beyond the Bin Recycling Directory to find organizations near you that accept mattresses.
Find Out if Your City or Town Has a Program. The map below indicates which communities are enrolled in the MassDEP Mattress Recycling Incentive (MRI) grant program, which subsidizes mattress recycling. An alphabetical listing of communities is also available.
See SMRP Municipal Grants and Additional Resources below to learn more.
Please Note: If your town or city is not part of the MRI program, please contact your local health or public works department to learn about your community's mattress disposal requirements and/or available recycling options.
Use a Recycler on State Contract. Municipalities and certain public entities may use the FAC90 Statewide Carpet & Mattress Recycling Services Contract to select a vendor to either accept mattresses on a per-unit basis or provide collection container rental and hauling. The following mattress recyclers are currently on state contract:
| Ace Mattress Enterprises LLC 1950 South County Trail East Greenwich, RI 02818 Contact: Adriane Catlin, 401-640-2725 |
| Green Mattress/GM Framingham LLC 6 Industrial Road Milford, MA 01757 Contact: Adam Doorly, 781-720-9855 |
| Raw Material Recovery Corp. 461 West Broadway Gardner, MA 01440 Contact: Debra Peloquin, 978-730-8266 |
| UTEC Inc. / United Teen Equality Center 35 Warren Street Lowell, MA 01825 Contact: Ricardo Febles, 978-856-3997 |
Find a Commercial Mattress Recycler. RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts is a free assistance program designed to help businesses and institutions maximize recycling, reuse and composting opportunities. Its web site includes a Recycling Provider Search for looking up companies that process a wide range of materials, including mattresses.
Additional Resources for
Municipal Mattress Recycling Fact Sheets, Guidance & Case Studies
Learn how Massachusetts towns and cities need to comply with the new ban on mattress disposal, are reducing waste by making it easier for their residents to recycle mattresses.