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Circular economy: mattresses
Learn about mattress recycling in King County.
Mattresses contain many recyclable materials like steel, foam, wood, and fabric. Recycling keeps these valuable materials in use and out of the landfill. It also supports green jobs and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. We're working with local businesses to increase mattresses recycling. Our efforts support King County's climate, waste reduction, and equity and social justice goals.
Mattress recycling and disposal
Each year, hundreds of thousands of mattresses and box springs are landfilled in King County. Mattresses are bulky and take up significant landfill space, about 1 cubic yard per mattress. By recycling these instead of disposing of them, we can conserve valuable materials and preserve limited landfill space.
Where to recycle mattresses
Our Bow Lake, Enumclaw, Factoria, Shoreline, and Vashon transfer stations accept mattresses, futons, and box springs for recycling. There is a $30 handling fee for each item and a limit of 6 items per customer. No wet mattresses, futons, or box springs. Stained or torn items are accepted.
The handling fee offsets the cost of mattress recycling and disposal. It also serves as another step toward King County’s commitment to a more equitable statewide mattress producer responsibility system.
For more recycling and disposal options in King County, search What Do I Do With…?.
For other options around the US visit the Bye Bye Mattress website.
Mattress Recycling Summits
To strengthen local mattress collection and recycling businesses, King County held Mattress Recycling Summits in 2011, 2014, and 2017. These summits included representatives across industries, including:
- mattress retail
- manufacturing
- recyclers
- nonprofits
- state and local government
Participants agreed that disposal is a problem. They discussed barriers to recycling, such as collection, storage, and transportation. They also learned about mattress recycling and product stewardship in other states and countries.
Producer responsibility for mattresses
Four states in the U.S. have passed extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws for mattresses. These laws established statewide and industry-run collection and recycling programs. Washington State has not yet considered mattress EPR legislation. There is growing interest in EPR among Washington jurisdictions, businesses and nonprofits.
British Columbia is planning a province-wide mattress EPR program. France began a manufacturer-run EPR program for the collection and recycling of all furniture and mattresses in 2013 (EcoMaison and Valdelia).
Resources
- Mattress Recycling Council (MRC)
MRC is a nonprofit stewardship organization created by the mattress industry trade association (ISPA) to fund and operate mattress recycling programs in California, Connecticut, Oregon, and Rhode Island, states with mattress EPR laws. By law, MRC publishes annual reports on each program state as well as funding grants, research, webinars, and other reports. - Bye Bye Mattress
Public facing program of MRC to educate on mattress recycling locations, laws, and more information. You can also find places to recycle mattresses throughout the U.S. - Cascade Alliance
Managed by St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County. Alliance members receive free consulting to create waste-based businesses, such as mattress recycling. They get support from DR3 Mattress Recycling, the oldest mattress recycler in the country. - King County waste characterization studies
Find reports on the King County waste stream, including mattresses. Over 8834 tons of mattresses were disposed in King County according to a 2022 study.