I work for a landlord who has a problem, and I’m turning to the Dope for help.
He is now in possession of a number of mattresses/boxprings that need disposal. The usual solutions seem to be the following, none of which suits our problem:
1) Ask the store where you purchase your new mattress to pick up and dispose of your old one! We aren’t buying a new mattress. We’re throwing out old ones. We don’t want and don’t need a replacement. These items have been abandoned by former tenants. (No, we can’t ask the former tenants to do this - most are on the run from creditors, and frankly, the landlord couldn’t get the last 4-6 months rent out of them so no, I don’t think anyone is inclined to do anyone a favor here).
2) Ask [fill in the blank here] to recycle them or donate them to charity! Er… these have been through floods (in one case, exposed to raw sewage), they were left in backyards or garages, they have mold/mildew damage, rats, raccoons, and probably things I don’t want to know about have chewed them, eaten on/in them, raised young’uns, pee’d and pooped all over and in these things. No, I don’t consider that something to be recycled or donated anywhere but a dump.
3) Ask your local city government/garbage provider for a special pickup. Already tried. The answer is “no”. A very firm “no”. The city warned us that any attempt to sneak one into the garbage will result in a large fine. The garbage agency said they will cancel a contract if a mattress is put in their dumpster. The local recycling center will take the steel parts… so long as there are no other bits attached. Which leaves the problem of what to do with the REST of the mattress.
I guess this explains why abandoned mattresses are not an uncommon site along the highway around here. Seriously, IS there a legal way to dispose of an old mattress?
There’s a lot of things that aren’t allowed in the regular trash here, and the city doesn’t do individual special pickups.
But you can take things to the dump anytime. There’s a small fee, based on weight. I think you do have to have a utility bill or something proving residence.
I wouldn’t even bother driving to the landfill. Either call them, or call the garbage agency (the one that told you not to put the mattress in the dumpster) and ask them, “So if I can’t put a used mattress in my dumpster, what is the correct way of disposing of it?”
BTW, since it’s possible that the mattress is harboring bedbugs, I’d be very careful how I got it removed. Perhaps use a U-Haul truck.
Does your city have bulk pickup for large items? You usually have to call and schedule a pickup, or find out when one has already been scheduled for your area. Then you just put it out that day.
My SO and I got rid of 3 beds (mattress and box spring) this way. We had to do it one at a time, but it was easier than dragging them all to the dump.
Pile them on a street corner with a sign that says “free trampolines.”
Haul them into your backyard and make the biggest, bestest fort ever.
Scan the Yellow Pages/Craigslist for haulers and the like. Ask them how much to come get them and what they will do with them (i.e., be sure they won’t just take them and dump them on some rural country road).
Can you switch dumpster companies? I have a dumpster at my business and have disposed of mattresses. Never a problem. If the dumpster people said anything, a $20 would smooth things over.
Call the stores in your town who sell mattresses and ask them who they use to dispose of mattresses. Call that company and try to arrange something directly with them.
Years ago I disposed of a mattress and boxspring by dismantling them and putting a portion into my weekly trash for a few weeks. With a utility knife (to slice up the upholstery), a heavy pair of pliers (to cut up the wires that hold the internals together) and a hammer (to knock apart the wood structure of the box spring, if any), you can take apart a mattress/boxspring set in about twenty minutes.
If you’re looking for something less laborious and don’t mind spending a few bucks, call the local landfill, or check the city’s website for the solid waste department. Instead of asking if you can do X with it, ask them what they suggest you do with it.
How close is the building of the guy you’re working for to Chicago? 1-800-Got-Junk has five franchises in the Chicago area. If you wrap them in a tarp first they should have no problems taking them.
They don’t care – as far as they’re concerned it’s our problem.
Actually, pretty damn unlikely. Fleas, perhaps, but not bedbugs.
The city where the mess is located does not, in fact, have bulk pickup. At all. In fact, it only manages to get regular pickup done about 50% of the time.
Where I live there is NO garbage pickup at all. None. I live in an unincorporated area and we get none of the city services urban residents take for granted. Everyone is responsible for dealing with their own garbage, which usually means hiring a private service, or trying to find a place to dump your stuff. No, I do not have access to municipal landfills because I am not a resident of any of said municipalities. Neither is the landlord. He owns property in a municipality, but because he isn’t a resident there he isn’t allowed to use the landfill. His tenants were, because they were residents, but he’s not and he can’t.
I’m beginning to think that’s what we’ll have to do, but there are definite issues with that, too.
Around here, that’s a $500 fine for a first offense.
I’ll look into the 1-800-JUNK option and see if they’ll cross state lines to help us out. Also, I’ll try the local mattress places but the first two I called said they if weren’t buying from them they weren’t going to take old mattresses.
As I mentioned, this could explain the abundance of old, abandoned mattresses we get around here…
But keep brainstorming, we’ll figure something out eventually.
Really? Do you really think the landfill people will check his residency? Why would they care, as long as you’re paying the fee? If there is no garbage pickup service, where does your garbage go? I lived in a rural area for awhile and we hauled ours to a local county landfill.
The couple areas I’ve had experience with gave window stickers at the town hall (haul?) after showing proof of residency (no experience with only having proof of land ownership but not residency). You cannot get into the dump without said sticker.
Burn the mattress in your back yard. Clear away any leaves and have a water hose ready.
Kerosine & some cardboard boxes will get it going nicely. Bring a bag of marshmallows too.
The metal frame can be cut up with wire snips and easily bagged/trashed.
Yeah, the dump here requires a utility bill to prove residence. Of course, I’ve never had them check my ID against the utility bill…
Don’t you or the landlord have any friends that live in town and could lend a hand?
Lessee, drive around town until you find a construction site and put it in their dumpster.* Alternatively, drive around town until you find an unlocked business dumpster and use that. I haven’t done that since I was, I dunno, I think about 19, but as long as we’re brainstorming.
I like the “burn it” idea, as long as you’re not in a drought like we are. Burning things here is a very, very, very bad idea right now. But I can guarantee that’s what would have happened when I lived in an unincorporated area.
For humor purposes only. Totally pissed me off when we had one of those dumpsters while we were working on a house. Had to have the damn thing emptied of OTHER PEOPLE’S TRASH like 3 times for the 1 time we filled it. GRRRRR. :mad:
Not sure if this is an option for you, but around here we take “difficult” waste to the local Indian reservation dump. They’ll take almost anything, and it’s not too expensive. If you’re close to a reservation, call them up and ask.
But I can guarantee that’s what would have happened when I lived in an unincorporated area.