How to Recycle Innerspring Mattresses
Innerspring mattresses are built around a steel coil support system, ranging from a few hundred to over a thousand springs depending on the design (Bonnell, offset, continuous, or individually wrapped pocket coils), topped with foam, cotton, or wool padding and a fabric cover. The steel content makes these mattresses easier to recycle economically than an all-foam mattress, since coils can be separated with a magnet and sold into the scrap steel market, while padding and fabric go through textile recycling or, at some facilities, landfill disposal.
Quick answer
Innerspring mattresses go through the same specialized dismantling process as other mattresses, with recyclers pulling the steel coils, foam, fabric, and wood apart for separate processing. MassDEP estimates about 75% of a typical mattress's components can be recovered this way. As with memory foam mattresses, California, Connecticut, Oregon, and Rhode Island fund no-cost drop-off through a purchase-time fee, while Massachusetts instead bans mattresses from the trash. Before you go, confirm that a local recycling center accepts the material in its current condition.
- Recycling route
- Check locally
- Typical value
- Minimal to none for the mattress owner; the steel coils have scrap value, but that value goes to the recycler processing the mattress, not the person dropping it off.
- Donate / take-back
- Available
How to Prepare
- 1Strip all bedding and remove mattress covers
- 2Inspect for broken springs poking through the fabric
- 3Clean the surface and check for pests before transport
- 4Remove any attached bed frame or headboard hardware
- 5Separate the box spring if it's part of a matched set
- 6Photograph the mattress's condition before drop-off
- 7Keep it dry during storage and transport
Where to Recycle
- Scrap metal dealers and recycling centers
- Specialized mattress disassembly facilities
- Mattress retailers with manufacturer take-back programs
- Municipal bulk waste programs, where available
- Bye Bye Mattress drop-off sites in CA, CT, OR, and RI
Special Instructions
Steel coils give innerspring mattresses the highest recycling value of any mattress type; recyclers separate springs with magnets and sell them as scrap. Futon mattresses that separate from their frame are accepted as mattresses only in California under the Bye Bye Mattress program, and crib mattresses only in Connecticut, so check before assuming a non-standard mattress qualifies (Bye Bye Mattress FAQ).
Environmental Impact
Recycling an innerspring mattress recovers the one component recyclers want most: steel. Coil springs pulled with magnets go into the general scrap steel market, and recycled steel takes less energy to produce than steel refined from raw ore. MassDEP puts total recoverable material across steel, foam, fabric, and wood at around 75% of a mattress's weight.
Official guidance and resources
Accepted items and drop-off rules can vary by location. Check the destination before you go.
Donation & Take‑Back Options
Estimated value: Minimal to none for the mattress owner; the steel coils have scrap value, but that value goes to the recycler processing the mattress, not the person dropping it off.
Manufacturer/Retail Take‑Back
Hazardous Components
- Flame-retardant chemicals in fabric and foam layers
- Antimicrobial treatments on some fabric surfaces
- Lead content possible in mattresses made before 1980
FAQs
Do all four EPR states accept the same mattresses?
Mostly, but with exceptions. Futon mattresses that separate from their frame count as mattresses only in California, and crib mattresses only in Connecticut, per the Bye Bye Mattress FAQ.
Why are innerspring mattresses easier to recycle than foam ones?
The steel coils have real scrap value and separate easily with a magnet, which gives recyclers an economic reason to process the whole mattress.
What percentage of an innerspring mattress actually gets recycled?
MassDEP estimates roughly 75% of a typical mattress's components, across steel, foam, fabric, and wood, can be disassembled and recycled.
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