Is it time for you to buy a new air mattress and don’t know what to do with your old one?
Most people just think of throwing out their old air mattress but there are many other more environmentally friendly ways to reuse or recycle your old air mattress.
Whether you are ready to buy a new one and get rid of your old one or your old one doesn’t work properly anymore there is an environmentally friendly way that can fit you and benefit others. It doesn’t matter if you are looking to reuse or recycle, we will provide you with many different ways to properly reuse or recycle an air mattress.
Recycling an Air Mattress
Recycling your old air mattress is very important to protect the environment. When you recycle an air mattress it may seem like a very unimportant task but in reality, it is reducing waste, greenhouse gases, and saving energy.
Being aware of recycling and the great impact it has on the great outdoors is very important. If you want to continue enjoying nature the way it is we all need to come together and spread awareness as well as doing our individual parts so we can continue enjoying the places we love and want to explore.
Why Recycling an Air Mattress is Hard
Recycling most air mattresses are made difficult because the plastic they are made out of has PVC in it. PVC allows air mattresses to hold a great amount of weight but is the most environmentally damaging plastic because it releases toxic chemicals that can get into the water, air, and ground when it begins to break down.
Most recycling plants dint want the difficulty of properly recycling this material which is why very few places will take an old air mattress.
Most air mattresses being made out of such toxic plastic makes it that much more important to properly dispose of your old mattresses.
How to Recycle an Air Mattress
1) Clean it off
It is crucial to properly clean down an old air mattress of all dirt and mildew before doing anything with it.
2) Research the Air Mattress
Finding out exactly what your old air mattress is made out of will make your life a lot easier when trying to find a recycling plant that will take it. Most places only take specific materials so you will need to know what your air mattress is made out of.
The majority of air mattresses are made of PVC which is a vinyl like material. You can look up the manufacturer of your exact air mattress and research to find exactly what materials they used.
3) Find Recycling Plant
After you have found out what your air mattress is made of it is time to find a recycling plant that will take and recycle those materials.
Finding the right place can take some research and phone calls. I recommend finding your local recycling plant and calling them to see if they are able to your air bed and if not ask them if they know another place that can take it. Most of the time they will refer you to a place that takes it or tell you what to do with it.
4) Alternative
If you are having trouble finding a recycling plant to take your air bed you can also try to reach out to the manufacture or other similar outdoors companies and see if they will reuse it for something.
How to Reuse an Air Mattress
Another great option when you have an old air mattress is to repurpose it into something to benefit you or you can use it.
There are endless possibilities that you can come up with but if you aren’t the creative type we will provide you with a few ideas you can follow.
- Tent footprint
- Use as a tarp
- Patching kit for another air mattress
- Outdoor carpet/rug
- Pool Floaty
You can do anything you want to repurpose an air mattress. Being able to reuse an old mattress greatly helps the environment and has a lasting impact on the world.
Give it Away
Passing an old air bed down to a good friend or family member is also another way to reuse it if it still works. This can be a great gift to someone or even a way of convincing friends or family to go out camping with you.
I got my first air mattress from a family friend as a hammy down and I used it for years. I used it until I no longer could and then property recycled it. Passing down an old air mattress can limit the amount of plastic being disposed of and allows you to do your part and help protect the great outdoors.
There are also many resale stores that you can gift or sell it to. Most non-profits are a great place to give it to as they will be able to find and help someone that could greatly use it. This is a great option as it helps reuse an air mattress that you otherwise would be getting rid of and it can help someone in need.
How to Patch an Air Mattress
Many people just throw away an air mattress if there is a small hole but a simple patching job could save you money and help reduce toxic plastic waste. There are many different ways to patch an air bed depending on the materials you have and the size of the hole.
Find A Leak
Small leaks are very common and can be hard to find. If you know your air mattress is losing air but you don’t know where from follow the steps below.
- First, listen for any air leaks. This will help narrow down the area even if you still can’t pinpoint the leak.
- Begin wetting down areas where the hole might be with a spray bottle or sponge full of soapy water.
- When you wet down an area get eye level with it and begin to look for consistent bubbles coming from the wet soapy area.
- Double check that it is the hole.
- Now it is time to patch!
Duck Tape Patch
Duck tape is a simple and effective way to patch most small to medium size holes.
- Begin cleaning and drying the area around the hole
- Spread out any type of glue or epoxy around the area
- Put your duck tape over the hole and glued areas. Firmly press all edges and corners down
- Now begin to rotate new pieces of duck tape and place them over the beginning piece
- Fill up your air mattress and redo the leak test to ensure the leak is patched and it is no longer losing air.
Patch Kit
Patch kits are a very common thing and easy to use. They come with easy to use directions and all the materials needed to fix your hole.
Many stores sell general rubber patch kits or you can research your exact air mattress to find what patch kit would best fit you.
Very similar to our duck take method a patch kit will provide you with a type of adhesive and a rubber or plastic sealer that will cover up the hole.
Most patch kits are only good for small leaks not big holes.
Send it to the Manufacturer
Many times the manufacturer will have an option for you to send in a ripped air mattress and they will fix it for a small fee. There are also other outdoor companies that can help you fix it if your manufacturer doesn’t provide that service. You can call around some of your local outdoor shops to find one that will patch your air mattress for the right price.
This option may be the most expensive but it is still cheaper than buying a new one and you know it will be properly done by a professional.
