Old mattresses have been dumped in city landfills for years. Yet all of the materials in them are recyclable. Today, few cities offer recycling options but it’s still worth searching for a municipal program, a private recycler, or asking retailers.

In the greater Toronto area, check out RecoverCanada.com. They accept mattresses, box springs, and upholstered furniture for pickup or at drop-off depots — both have a fee. About 90 per cent of the materials can be diverted from the waste stream.

Across Canada, Sleep Country stores will donate any mattress in good condition to a local charity, or they’ll have it recycled. Ask about the “green” fee for this service. And, before you purchase any new mattress, always ask the retailer — no matter how big or small — if they’ll recycle your old one.

Recently the City of Vancouver passed a bylaw prohibiting mattresses from being sent to landfills. Canadian MattressRecycling.com opened in Metro in January, 2011. They offer weekly residential pickup programs in Vancouver, Burnaby,

Richmond, Surrey, Delta, Langley, the North Shore, and the Tri-Cities area.

Another option in Western Canada — from Victoria to Edmonton — is MattressRecycling.ca. Check their website for drop-off locations or pick-up pricing on mattresses, headboards, and couches.

In the Ottawa area, check out MattressMart.ca. They work with Montreal-based recycler MattCanada.com who’ll pick up your old mattress set and ship it to their factory. Each piece costs $70, but if you’re a customer it’s only $10. Montrealers can also recycle box springs, mattresses, couches/arm chairs and clothing, among other things, for a fee.

If you live in Halifax or Winnipeg, unfortunately, neither city has mattress recycling programs.