Arlington recycler makes use of the entire discarded mattress

ARLINGTON — Mattresses get stacked a dozen high in the Arlington Recycle Warehouse.

There were about 300 of them piled into the 7,500-square-foot space Wednesday, waiting to be cut up and broken down.

The nonprofit organization recycles mattresses and box springs. The goal is to keep them out of landfills, where they can take 80 or more years to decompose, said Mike Zachman, director of the warehouse and pastor of The Point Church.

To recycle the beds, workers and volunteers tear them apart and separate out the materials. They cut around the top and take that off before peeling fabric from the sides. The top padding, inner foam, fabric and other components are pulled out and later compressed into bricks weighing upward of 700 pounds. Those bricks are shipped out to companies that use them in other products. For example, the mattress padding can be ground up and turned into carpet padding, Zachman said.

They also recycle cardboard, wood, steel and plastic. Box springs go through a 14-foot-long machine that sheers the springs from the wood, crumpling the metal and sending staples flying. The wood is ground up into hog fuel and the mangled metal goes to Skagit River Steel.

Roughly 95 percent of a mattress and box spring can be recycled, Zachman said. With some sets, every part can be recycled. Some of the fabrics, especially those used on older mattresses, aren’t recycled by the warehouse.

Kapil Sharma drove up from Bellevue on Wednesday to drop off a king-sized mattress. He and his family are moving to Virginia, he said.

He found information online about the warehouse, which is on 59th Avenue NE just off Highway 531. He was searching for a place to recycle his mattress because dumping it would put unneeded waste and toxins into the earth, he said.

“I’ve seen people just throw them in the dumpster,” he said. “That’s not a good idea.”

Zachman started the recycle warehouse two years ago. He’d been wondering what happened to mattresses when they were thrown out and started reading online about mattress recycling. He saw that there weren’t a lot of places in Washington that break down mattresses. The next nearest warehouse is in Tacoma. He wanted to give people a local option.

“We’ve learned a lot in the last couple years,” he said. “It’s amazing what can happen in this space.”

Arlington Recycle Warehouse accepts mattresses and box springs that are dropped off between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday. The warehouse is closed on Sundays.

“People come all the way from the (Canadian) border and all the way from South Seattle,” Zachman said.

He works with hotels and has contracted with local cities for their spring clean-up events, providing a drop-off place for old mattresses during the event.

There’s a $10 fee to drop off a mattress or box spring and it costs at least $25 per piece to have an employee come pick it up. The fees helps cover the costs of space, equipment and employee salaries. There are five employees and a handful of volunteers right now, but those numbers fluctuate depending on the work load, Zachman said. Lately they’ve been handling between 150 and 250 mattresses each week.

Mattress recycling used to be done at the Monroe Correctional Complex, but that program shut down in July 2014 amidst questions about the use of low-cost inmate labor to corner the mattress recycling market and profit major mattress sellers.

When nice mattresses show up at the warehouse, Zachman tries to work with sober living homes or other organizations who could use them. He would like to start a work training program at the warehouse for people who are readjusting to the workplace after being released from prison.

He also is looking to find homes for a few recyclable parts of mattresses that he hasn’t been able to sell to companies. Coir, which is basically sheets of coconut fiber, can be used for making hanging planters. Shoddy cloth, a thick felt-like material found in some mattresses, makes for good packing material, he said. He also has individual metal springs in assorted sizes if someone is interested in using them for crafts.

Arlington Recycle Warehouse could always use more volunteers, as well.

To volunteer, ask about dropping off a mattress or learn what recycled materials are available, call Zachman at 425-931-3670.

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Everett
Judge sentences man, 73, for intending to have sex with ‘teen’ in Everett

The Arizona man sent explicit images to an agent posing as a 13-year-old. Investigators found images of child sexual abuse on his phone.

State’s draft of climate action plan open for public comment

Residents can submit public comments or climate-related stories online through Aug. 22.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

The Edmonds School Board discusses budget cuts during a school board meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds school board approves 2025-26 budget

After facing an estimated $8.5 million shortfall earlier in the year, the board passed a balanced budget Tuesday.

A wall diagram shows the “journey of the ballot” at the new Elections Center on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County Auditor: No need for feds to meddle with state or local elections

Garth Fell’s comments were in response to a report of Justice Department mulling criminal charges against election officials.

Edmonds Police Chief Loi Dawkins speaks after the city council approved her appointment on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds City Council confirms new police chief

Assistant Chief Loi Dawkins will begin in the role Aug. 1. She has more than 23 years of law enforcement experience, including three years in Edmonds.

The Edmonds City Council discuss the levy during a city council meeting on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds votes to place levy lid lift on the ballot

By a vote of 5-2, the council decided to put the $14.5 million property tax levy lid lift to voters in November.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.