I was reading about how some retailers burn unsold clothes and it got me thinking, do mattress companies destroy unsold inventory too? Like, what happens to all the mattresses that don't sell? I'm a heavier guy (around 280 lbs) and I'm in the market for a new mattress, so this is kind of relevant to me. Are there certain brands that are worse about this? Should I avoid buying from companies that do this?
mattress industry
Do mattress companies destroy unsold inventory?
I've wondered this too. Seems like such a waste. Following.
From what I understand, most mattresses that don't sell get returned to the manufacturer and either refurbished or donated. Destroying them outright would be crazy expensive because of the sheer bulk. But I could be wrong.
Bold of you to assume they don't just dump them in a landfill and call it 'recycling.'
Worked at a mattress store for a few years. We had a back room full of old models and returns. Some got sold as clearance, some got donated to shelters, and a few got cut up and thrown out. But that was a small chain. Not sure about the big guys.
If they destroy them, they might do it to protect their brand image—like, they don't want cheap mattresses flooding the secondary market and devaluing their products. Same reason some luxury brands burn their own handbags. It's gross but it happens.
I once bought a 'scratch and dent' mattress from a warehouse sale. It was brand new but had been returned. Saved a ton of money. So maybe jot all of them are destroyed.
This is why I sleep on a pile of old blankets. Problem solved.
Honestly, as a heavy sleeper myself, I'd be more worried about finding a mattress that doesn't sag after six months. Whether they destroy unsold ones or not feels like a secondary concern.
There are some documentaries and articles about this. I recall that some companies incinerate them or shred them for recycling. But it's hard to get straight answers because nobody wants to admit to wasteful practices.
I think the bigger issue is the return policies. If you buy a mattress and return it, they often can't resell it as new, so they might destroy it. That's on us as consumers too.