How Montreal is Recycling Old Mattresses

How Montreal is recycling old mattresses

It’s summertime in Montreal, which means moving season and a concerning number of mattresses being left out on the curb. A mattress is one of those things that are very hard to give away. It’s not necessarily something you’d want to use secondhand due to hygiene concerns (including the accumulation of dust mites), the overall durability and lifespan of the mattress, and safety concerns (the contamination of bed bugs).

It is safe to say that these mattress owners hope their mattresses will be picked up with regular garbage collection and thrown into the landfill. But as of August 2023, the City of Montreal encourages citizens to bring their own mattresses to Ecocentric (or call a company to pick them up), where their components will be separated and recycled.

Recycling mattresses helps to divert bulky waste from landfills, where they would otherwise take up significant space and contribute to environmental issues. In Canada, Canadians dispose of over six million mattresses each year. Compared to other garbage in the landfill, mattress occupies 400% more space. It will also take a mattress 80 to 120 years before they are fully decomposed, and if they do decompose they will release toxic chemicals into the atmosphere.

Furthermore, because of their size, mattresses will wear down landfill equipment. Recycling your mattress will also conserve resources by reusing materials that would otherwise require new resources to produce.

The mattress recycling process will begin when it reaches a recycling centre where they are sorted according to type (i.e. foam or innerspring). The mattresses are then torn apart and disassembled to separate their various components. The components of a mattress which can be recycled or repurposed include:

• Metal coils. Metal coils make up the springs in mattresses. They are usually made of steel. Steel can be melted down and used to create new products, including appliances and cars. The metal coils can also be used in the production of new mattresses.
• Wood box springs: The wood can be chipped down and used to make mulch for landscaping or as fuel for energy generation.
• Fabrics: Mattresses are made of multiple fabrics, including cotton and polyester. These fabrics are shredded into smaller pieces, which can be processed and used to create new items, including insulation or even new textiles.
• Foam: Foam from the inside of mattresses can be shredded and reused as insulation, carpet padding, or animal bedding.

Other components like plastics or adhesives will be separated and sent for processing at local waste facilities.

Montreal is also hoping to expand these projects to include furniture recycling, as hard-to-give-away items like sofas or chairs also tend to find their way into the landfill. The City of Montreal is also looking at ways of setting up pickups for mattresses so that citizens do not have to bring them to eco centres themselves.

While recycling mattresses is beneficial, it’s important to note that not all recycling facilities accept mattresses due to their size and complexity. Checking with local recycling programs or waste management services can provide guidance on how to properly recycle a mattress in your area.

Although I am surprised that it took until last year for the City of Montreal to come up with a recycling plan for mattresses, it is an important step forward to reducing landfill waste and our environmental footprint. It goes to show that with time and expertise, everyday items like your mattress can be recycled. Next time you are thinking about getting rid of something in your home, check and see if there are programs in your area that can give them a new life.