Ever wondered what to do with your old mattress? Me either, until I started working here! Since I became a regular at the Green Garage three years ago, I’ve been wondering where all the trash that piles up in the neighborhood’s alleys, vacant lots, landscaping and fencerows comes from. Especially troubling are the large number of mattresses I see dumped near, but often not in, trash bins. Just in the little stretch of alley between the remote parking lot and our building, I have seen up to three mattresses piled up behind one of the buildings.
Often the people that place them there at least try to stack them up on their edges. Invariably however, they end up flat side down, sucking up water like gigantic sponges. Once that happens, you can imagine how much the thing weighs. It’s no wonder they never get upended after that. The eyesore and hazard created by this illegal dumping is a strain on the neighborhood’s image and patience. Eventually, after a couple of weeks, the wet, smelly, ugly, and heavy mattresses get hauled away. Who is the angel that does that, I wondered. Often it is the City of Detroit Department of Public Works. I’m sure they have nothing better to do (yeah, right).
If the used mattress is in good condition (no rips or stains), the Salvation Army (multiple locations, www.salvationarmyusa.org) can pick it up for free. They’ll need a week and a half to two week’s notice, and of course the mattress cannot have spent time outdoors. Other donation centers may be able to provide similar services.
Many mattress retailers will take back your old mattress when they bring your new one. This is how I have always disposed of my old mattresses. So it never occurred to me what should be done otherwise, and unfortunately if the mattress is damaged there is not a great answer.
1-800-GOT-JUNK (www.1800gotjunk.com) can take damaged mattresses with just a few days notice. But that service is expensive at $139 and up. If you’ve got a way to haul it, there are several bulk item drop-off sites located around the city. And if you can plan ahead a bit, four times a year the city does a curbside bulk collection. More information on that service is available at: www.detroitmi.gov/Deparments/DepartmentofPublicWorks/BulkCollection/tabid/454/Default.aspx.
As with any upholstered item, mattresses, regardless of their final destination, cannot be left outside. When they are, as is happening in our neighborhood, other people passing by and observing the unsanctioned disposal methods tend to get the same idea. “Oh so THAT’S how you do it!”
Keep this number handy: 313-224-4636. This is the phone number for the City of Detroit Department of Public Works. If you suspect illegal dumping, dial it. DPW requests as much of the following information as you have: Time, date and location of occurrence, and description of the vehicle and license number if possible. I would suggest you photograph the crime as well. Heck, I’ll even publish it in the blog if you want (minus any personal info, of course).
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