Disposing of bulky items is a problem everyone faces from time to time.

One of the most challenging items involves a good night's sleep and where you spend a good chunk of time: your mattress!

Keep reading to learn what to do with one that's ready to be replaced.

Donate

Putting circularity first means trying to keep your mattresses out of the landfill for as long as possible. Donating is one way to help give them a second life, though many locations don't accept mattresses due to the risk of bedbug infestations.

Check with friends and family to see if they need an extra mattress before you toss it, or call around to shelters, charities, donation centers, or furniture banks to ask about their rules.

Sell

If your mattress is still in good condition, head on over to your online marketplace of choice, or plan to make it part of your next yard sale. Even if you list it for free, you would still be doing the environment a favor and keeping it out of the landfill.

Refurbish

Mattresses aren't often an item we think of when considering refurbishing furniture, but there is at least a possibility of improving your sleep quality by adding a pillowtop or mattress pad instead of getting rid of it.

If you have a spring mattress that needs repair, check with a local upholstery service or mattress store to see what's possible.

Recycle

Recycling is not the common disposal method for such a bulky item, but it is worth a quick search to see if there are any programs in your area.

Upcycle

Repurposing a mattress may be a large feat to take on, but if you are up for a challenge, see if you can use some of the foam or filling to stuff pillows. You might be able to remove the metal coils to use for some crafty gardening art, or at least bring them into a scrap metal yard.

(Make sure you know what's actually inside of your mattress before you start cutting into it! Many memory foam mattress contain fiberglass material as a fire retardant, which can be dangerous if inhaled. Older mattresses are unlikely to have this material, but it's always safest to check the tag before you cut into one.)

Garbage

The most likely disposal your city or town requires is to put these out for garbage, but with an item this large, it's not always a straightforward process. Most municipalities have very specific bulk item pick-up requirements, which may include payment for pick-up, scheduling pick-ups, or specific curbside pick-up days.

They may even have special requirements for mattresses specifically, again due to the risk of bed bugs. Make sure to check with your local rules about what the procedure is for mattresses.

Junk Removal

If no pick-up or drop-off is available to you, you may have to hire a private junk hauler to remove the mattress. This is an ideal disposal choice if you are unable to get the mattress to the curb for your city's bulky pick-up requirements because most junk removal services will even remove the items from inside your house upon request.

Look it up

When it comes to disposing mattresses, you have many options to try and forego the landfill! Make sure to look up how to dispose of mattresses in your city or town.