Trouble with old box spring disposal in your area?
Once used box springs have outlived any usefulness, they simply aren’t much good to anyone. Getting rid of old box springs mattresses can present a real challenge. After all, used box springs are bulky and usually quite ugly, heavy, cumbersome, and of minimal use to anyone. This leaves most people puzzled as to how to get rid of box springs.
If you are left scratching your head wondering where to turn, let’s take a closer look at how to easily take old box springs off your hands. Luckily, there are more ways than one to get rid of box springs and, one of the following will definitely work in your situation.
What to do with Old Box Springs:
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Call Your City and Check for Bulky Pickup Day
You might get lucky, and your city will pick up your old box springs for you. Whether or not your local trash and recycling collection will pick up bulky items, like a box spring, will vary from one region and city to another.
The last thing you want to do is go through the trouble of dragging your box springs to the curb only to see it still sitting there in your driveway after the trash and recycling trucks have come through your neighborhood. Knowing your trash has not been accepted for bulk item pickup is truly frustrating, especially if it is something you can easily avoid.
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Specify You Need Box Springs Removal
We recommend calling ahead of time to determine if your city or area will take bulky trash in general. In order to know exactly where to get rid of box springs, it’s a good idea to specify that the trash you are trying to get rid of is a box springs mattress, even if that sounds silly.
One simple phone call could save you a great deal of hassle, so do not be surprised if the answer you get is “no.”
If you do receive a “yes” answer and your trash or recycling company will take the box springs, remember to ask: “Do I need to prepare the box springs in any way?”
Your City May Have Special Rules for Sanitation Pickup
Some places, such as New York City, require that you cover your box springs with plastic before leaving them outside. You can use a box spring disposal bag to fulfill this requirement. Just remember you may need to plan to go out and buy one.
The bottom line is that even if you do receive a “yes,” you’ll want to probe deeper and find out if you need to take any additional steps. You might be required to jump through a few hoops, but having your old box springs disappear on trash day is a pretty good feeling!
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Drag the Box Springs to the Landfill Yourself
As far as options go for disposing of large bulky items, going to the landfill yourself certainly ranks near the bottom of the list. Dragging heavy old box springs to a truck and then bringing it to a landfill isn’t fun. It’s no surprise, few people find visiting a landfill a pleasant experience.
While this is an option for getting rid of mattresses and box springs, you’re better off avoiding this trip. On top of everything else, landfills usually have a fee for disposal. Driving your box springs to the landfill and then paying a fee is a bad way to spend an afternoon.
When looking for “box spring recycling near me“, try to avoid the landfill if at all possible!
The Landfill Is Problematic for Box Springs Disposal
Landfills do not appreciate taking box springs and mattresses because they take up so much space. Furthermore, the springs you’ll be dropping off tend to get wrapped around landfill equipment like compactors and cause breakage. Steel springs tend to not be compressible.
♻️ The environmental consequences of dumping box springs
Even worse, the box springs, like mattresses, typically contain harmful compounds, including flame retardant chemicals. Flame retardant chemicals are increasingly viewed as unnecessary and dangerous to human health by experts.
It is best to keep these chemicals out of the landfills as they eventually make their way into the environment and even into the food supply.
🛏️. Check out our mattress disposal guide for the right ways to recycle a mattress and box springs.
Recycling Your Box Springs Might Be an Option
If you find yourself asking, “Are box springs recyclable?” know that a lot of material goes into manufacturing box springs. As a result, box springs are a great consumer item to recycle.
Since old box springs contain a considerable amount of metal, some organizations see box springs as an attractive source of metal.
In particular, organizations will repurpose the steel found in box springs for a variety of reasons. Be prepared to remove the metal springs and break down the box springs wood yourself. In most areas, the metal can be placed in the recycling bin.
Repurposing the Materials Found in Box Springs
Another option is that you can bundle the steel and then donate it to an organization that will use it, or you can even sell the scrap metal. You may get a bit of cash if you go this route, but don’t expect too much money for the scrap steel you’ll find in box springs.
The bottom line is that you likely won’t feel very well compensated for your time.
✂︎ How to cut up and reuse mattress springs
Another repurposing option is to take the metal found in your box springs and repurpose it for some decorative purpose. Believe it or not, crafty individuals can be found on Pinterest who have creatively repurposed their box springs into everything from furniture to wall art.
♲ How to reuse the wood from an old box spring
Finally, the wood leftover from your box springs can be recycled. However, since the wood from box springs may have been exposed to an array of chemicals, you should not burn it.
In the end, tearing apart your box springs is not an easy or quick process, and it is possible that you will cut yourself in the process. If you decide to break down your old box springs be sure that you wear protective eye gear and gloves. And remember the metal found in old box springs could, in spots, be sharp when you take apart and repurpose old box springs.
Hire a Service to Carry Your Old Box Springs Away
Used box springs are pretty cumbersome and difficult. We recommend that the best option is to simply hire a company, like LoadUp, to carry your old box springs away. We will not only pick up your old box springs, but we will also first try to donate your old box springs.
If that is not an option, we will make sure that your old box springs goes through the correct disposal and recycling process.
Instead of dragging your old box springs mattress to the curb and transporting it yourself, LoadUp will come to your home and remove it from wherever it is located in your house. The process is fast and 100% trouble-free, unlike the other options we’ve outlined in this article.
Old mattresses and box springs are a real hassle to remove, but thanks to LoadUp, you can bypass the stress and get those used box springs out of your bedroom or garage in a flash. ⚡
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