If you need to know where to donate a mattress in 2019, then we have some suggestions for you. There are ways to recycle an old mattress, but if you are set on donating it then there are certain organizations and charities that will accept it. There are potential uses for old mattresses, so who accepts mattress donations?
Much depends on the condition of the mattress. There might be little wrong with your old mattress, and you are changing it simply for a change - from innerspring to memory foam for example. Perhaps your kids have left the roost, and you have no further need for the single or twin mattresses they used. There are many reasons why people could have useable mattresses that they would prefer to donate than to trash or recycle them.
Here are our suggestions of where to donate a mattress in 2019. There are many potential uses for old mattresses other than scrapping them. They can be used by others in need or in shelters for those with no settled home. Here are some options for you to consider.
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1. Where to Donate a Mattress to Charities
Several charities would love to receive a mattress in useable condition. Keep in mind that what might be lumpy and unsupportive to you could well be heavenly to others less fortunate than yourself. Nevertheless, most will require your mattress to be in reasonable condition and not an obvious health hazard to young children. Here are some suggestions for you to consider.
Mattress Donations to the Salvation Army
You can make mattress donations to the Salvation Army. This is an international body that offers services to people in need all over the world. It runs charity shops across the US, UK and Europe and operates in 128 countries worldwide. If you live close enough to a Salvation Army shop or depot, they will collect your mattress from your home. Others will accept your mattress if you can deliver it yourself - or have a friend do it for you.
However, your mattress must be usable and free of damage - fundamentally it should not be in a condition you would not sleep on yourself. You should not be changing your mattress just because of damage. Given this condition, the Salvation Army will collect your mattress free of charge.
Not only is this a good way to get your mattress removed at no cost, but it also tax-deductible in some countries. In the US, used mattresses donated to the Salvation Army are valued between $15 and $75 for tax deduction purposes. There are other organizations such as the Habitat for Humanity International (the HFHI) that will accept your used mattress.
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI)
HFHI is an international organization that works to offer affordable and sustainable accommodation for people worldwide. The people the HFHI help have a pressing need for somewhere to live and for affordable household furniture and other items, most of us take for granted.
Your old mattress could make a massive difference to the living standards of a mother and her young children. They may not use your actual mattress, but it could be sold by HFHI to provide the finance to allow that family the luxury of sleeping on a comfortable surface rather than on a floor. If you donate your mattress to Habitat for Humanity International it will be sold in a ReStore center. Contact your nearest ReStore home improvement facility and it may pick up your mattress. If not, you can drop it off yourself.
Furniture Bank Association of America Mattress Donations
The Furniture Bank Association of America (FBA) is an association that provides essential items of home furnishings to those living in poverty through no fault of their own. These are provided very cheaply or at no cost at all. The FBA has over 80 furniture banks across North America. It will collect your old mattress from your home if you live within 15-20 miles from the location of one of its 'furniture banks'. This is an excellent way to donate a mattress if you live within a 15-20 mile radius of an FBA physical location. If you do not, then try them anyway. You get nowhere if you do not ask - particularly if your mattress is in a good condition.
Local Charities
Many local charities will accept your mattress donation, and some may even collect them. Shelters for the homeless, or for abused women, men and children will be delighted to accept the donation of a mattress. Just one mattress can provide a comfortable sleeping surface for a mother and her children - or even 3-4 young kids who have had no option previously but to sleep on a hard floor.
2. Who Accepts Mattress Donations Other than Charities?
Who accepts mattress donations other than charities? What if you cannot find a Salvation Army shop near you? What is there is no Habitat for Humanity International ReStore depot or even an FBA furniture bank near you? What do you do then? Are you left with a mattress in a reasonably good condition (and certainly usable) that you have to destroy or recycle? Seems a waste!
The following suggestions may appear to be charitable organizations just like those above, and some are. However, many are not, and are run by volunteers trying their best to help others less fortunate than themselves. Many are run by churches or other religious organizations, but many are not. They are operated by caring members of the community whose reward is knowing that they are helping others.
Local Furniture Banks
Local furniture banks can be found in many areas of the world, not just the US, Europe or Australasia. Check your local search engine or even a phone book/yellow pages if there are still such things in your area! There are still places that will accept cleanly used mattresses that are in a reasonable condition. Most such banks provide the mattress to local homeless shelters or some other similar charity organization.
Local Shelters
No local homeless or battered women's shelters will be annoyed if you offer them your old mattress. They may ask to see it, to make sure it is usable and free of bed bugs (this is reasonable), and they may then accept it as a donation. Don't expect any payment - it will likely be put to good use on the day they collect it!
3. What if You Cannot Donate Your Mattress?
The above suggestions cover the more popular options of where to donate a mattress in 2019. It is not always easy to establish who accepts mattress donations, so what if you cannot donate your mattress? What if there is no Red Cross, Salvation Army, HFHI or local charity willing to take your mattress? What then? Here are some alternative ways of disposing of a mattress.
Mattress Removal Services
Check online for local mattress removal services. Make sure you check their review figures - you will need to thoroughly check any service with a high percentage of below 4-star reviews. Find out what the low ratings were for. One of the positive aspects of the internet is to enable you to compare services by examining the 'Star' ratings of those that have used it.
Find a service that most believe has given them a good service. You may ask what they do with your mattress once they collect it. Generally, however, it will be rendered down and the component parts recycled. You will likely have to pay for this, rather than having your mattress taken away free.
Mattress Recycling
Practically all parts of your old mattress can be recycled - typically around 80% - 90% of it. If you cannot donate it then recycling is next best thing rather than use it for landfill. So how do you do that? Simple if you are in the USA!
Go to ByeByeMarattress.com and check out the collection facilities in your state. Earth911 is much the same - it helps you with recycling just about anything: Visit the Earth911 website here. Mattress recycling involves re-use of the metal (e.g. springs) and other mattress components and ensures safe disposal of anything not useable.
Where to Donate a Mattress in 2019: Conclusion
In conclusion, while the above list is not exhaustive, it is nevertheless useful information if you need to donate a mattress. The question then comes to whom or to where? Some agencies will not accept a mattress donation due to the potential contamination it holds. This is a fair point - an old mattress may harbor bacteria, dust mites and even bed bugs.
Even if you are certain that your mattress is free from such contamination, the agencies do not know that. That is why not all charities will accept mattress donations. Nevertheless, if you are unsure where to donate a mattress in 2019, or who accepts a mattress donation of this type, the information provided above should help you to do so. Many may want to donate a mattress and the information above explains how.