U.S. mattress recycling program recovers 650 million pounds from 17 million beds

A U.S. mattress recycling initiative has reclaimed roughly 650 million pounds of material from over 17 million discarded mattresses, while the nation still discards about 50 000 each day.

According to the Product Stewardship Institute, a nationwide mattress recycling program has processed more than 17 million used beds, recovering about 650 million pounds of reusable material. The United States discards roughly 50 000 mattresses daily, most of which are sent to landfills despite the fact that over 80 % of their components are recyclable. Only a few states have established extensive collection networks; Massachusetts banned landfill disposal in 2022, while California’s fee-funded scheme, launched in 2016, has already recycled over 10 million mattresses.

Mattresses pose challenges for landfills because they resist compression and their steel springs can jam equipment, creating operational delays. Recycling facilities first strip the outer fabric, then separate springs for scrap metal, shred foam for padding, and repurpose cotton, fibre and wood for filters, insulation or mulch. With only about 61 dedicated plants across the U.S. and Canada, many regions still lack viable recycling options.