When buying a new mattress to replace your old bed you often have to make a plan of what to do with your old mattress. Below is a list of some options of what you could do with your old bed. I would encourage you to try something else before throwing it to the curb because 20 million mattresses end up in the landfill each year. That is a lot of trash.
Eight things to do with your old mattress:
Someone less fortunate often is need a place to sleep that is better than the floor. You can donate it if in gently used condition or ask family and friends if they are in need a bed. Some places will even pick it up.
Lake Country Caring, Hartland, WI
Ask you local church or shelter if they have a family in need
Move into guest room or vacation home
upgrade your bed and move the old one into a room used less frequently.
Make some money off your old bed to help pay for your new bed by posting for sale or giveaway on a local for sale site. Some examples below are free to post but be careful letting strangers into your house.
Facebook Groups
Craigslist
The Freecycle Network - can post unwanted items on to giveway for free locally
Get Creative and Disassemble and Use the Parts
Craft- you might want to disassemble your old mattress yourself. There are many components that make up a mattress that could be useful to you.
Craftsman- you might be interested in the wood from the frame for carpentry work or even in your next campfire. Even the metal springs can be used creatively for wine bottle holders or anything you can conjure up. (source: How Stuff Works).
Sewing-, you might be interested in the buttons or fabric from the mattress. The stuffing can be used for new pillows or even reupholstering furniture.
Rethink it’s use and donate to a Pet Rescue Center
Call your local shelter and ask if they may like to take your old bed for their animal
guests.
Reuse for Children's Playtime
Get creative with your kids and use for some fort building, soft playground padding or jumping on. I remember as a kid playing on an old waterbed that was inflated, super fun but everyone left with an injury, so be careful!
Make a Compost Bin with it or use parts for landscaping
Use your mattress to help you compost. Both the wood frame and the stuffing of the mattress can be used to create a compost pile in your backyard. The wood slats of the frame can be re-purposed to create the actual bin for the compost, while the foam padding or cotton stuffing can be used as a cover to protect the compost from the elements and to keep the pile warm, which accelerates the composting process. You can even use stuffing from your mattress as landscape fabric to keep weeds out of your garden, and the springs as trellises for
climbing plants (source: How Stuff Works).
If the bed is beyond being reused and it is time to trash it, often your local garbage pickup will take it for FREE or a small fee.
Lake Country Area
one item, in addition to your trash can, will be picked up a week for free. If you want to get rid of the entire set in one pick up you will be charged.
City of Watertown - Bulk trash pick up the first Friday of the month