15 Great Green Ways to Recycle Old Memory Foam Mattress Toppers
You will find that most memory foam mattress toppers have a lifespan of say… about 5 years.
After that, the foam starts to lose its ability to regain shape and gradually starts to sag.
A lot of people change foam mattress toppers after this period, which means there is quite a bit of waste out there.
Instead of increasing your carbon footprint what can you do something more eco-friendly?
Instead of just dumping at the tip, or even worse and dumping it on the side of a road somewhere – I hope you would never do that!
The most opted option is to recycle the foam as it can be 100% recycled.
There are some manufacturers that also take used toppers, so that’s another way. And a good way at that.
Have a look online or the yellow pages to see if there are any such companies near you.
But instead of just throwing them away I have some unique ideas here that will convert your old memory foam mattress topper into something completely new and eco-friendly.
1. Bean bags
We all like bean bags… A bean bag can be made more comfortable by filling half of it with pieces of memory foam. Or you can sew a new bean bag and fill it completely with foam pieces, this will give quite a decoration for your living room.
So get out the sewing machine and get some of your favourite materials and theme it with the decor in your house.
2. Donate your Foam Mattress Toppers
Donate them to the homeless or shelter homes. Many of them do not have enough beds to accommodate homeless people, donating to them would be a good thing you do for society.
If not the homeless, you can donate them to animal shelters so the animals have something soft to lay on.
3. Car seat pads
You can cut the foam and use it as padding for car seats. They can also be wrapped in fabric or leather and used as head support.
4. Halloween costume
Your old memory foam topper can come in handy during Halloween. A lot of costumes require bulges and this is an excellent choice for that.
5. Cushions for hardwood chairs
Not comfortable sitting on your hardwood chair? Make some cushions out of your ‘to be disposed of’ topper as big and fluffy as you want!
6. Stuffing for toys
Why not? They make excellent stuffing material for toys. Cut them into small pieces and use them to stuff toys for your kids. Also, you can make toys out of them and even sell on eBay or Etsy!
See also Five Tips For Buying A New Mattress
7. Stuffing for pillows
They can be used to make pillows or for your pets. Cut them into small pieces and stuff them inside the pillow.
8. Dishwashing sponges
We use hundreds of sponges a year. Why not cut your topper into square pieces and use them as dishwashing sponges. That is a lot better than just throwing them away.
9. Sell on Craigslist
OK, this is not a DIY project. But definitely, I have seen people selling and buying old mattress toppers on Craigslist, maybe for their own DIY projects.
10. Floor cushions
Cut them into large square pieces and cover them with decorative fabrics. They will make great floor cushions.
11. Pet bed
I wonder why people often forget this. This is an excellent idea to reuse your old topper. Cut it and make a bed for your lovely pet. Cover it with a waterproof cover, the foam doesn’t go well with pee.
12. Headboard
It is an excellent material to be used as padding for a headboard. If you were longing for a headboard for your bed then this is the right time to get one.
13. Use as an outdoor day bed
Use it on a day bed in your garden or patio.
14. Packing, moving material
They can be used to keep things intact while packing and moving. Vacuum storage bags are a good way to keep them stored till needed.
15. Gardening knee cushion
Gardening is an excellent hobby but all that sowing and weeding can be a little tough on your knees. Your old topper will be an excellent choice to make a home-made knee cushion.
Well, there are plenty of ideas here, in a world that has so much waste. We really need to be thinking of recycling. Doing our bit to society and being responsible.
Memory foam toppers are very good at making a bed revitalized again when it is getting a bit saggy. But when the memory foam topper also has lived past its used-by date. I can be used again in so many things.
If you don’t want to keep it for yourself think about the places that can use it, I am sure even craft get-togethers for people in your town would not say no to such a material that they can use in making all sorts of things in their get crafting clubs with those foam mattress toppers.