How to Recycle and Reuse Old Foam

Don't throw away old foam! In a world focused on sustainability, repurposing foam from mattresses and packaging is a smart move. This guide outlines practical DIY methods for turning old foam into new, useful items for the home – from pallet chairs and ottoman footstools to stuffing and packaging – plus how to source foam offcuts and recycle foam effectively.

Sustainability at eFoam

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at eFoam. In recent years, the conversation about being more environmentally friendly has grown considerably, and we're continuously doing our bit. Our production has been environmentally conscious for many years, and all our foams are made without harmful, toxic chemicals.

What to do with an old foam mattress

If you're replacing an old foam mattress, you may wonder how best to keep it out of landfill. Mattresses are typically difficult to donate or recycle for hygiene reasons, so repurposing one at home is one of the best outcomes.

Create a pallet chair

One way to give a foam mattress a new lease of life is to repurpose it into an indoor or outdoor pallet chair (use waterproof upholstery if it's for outdoors). Making one is straightforward with a single mattress, which typically measures 190cm long by 90cm wide:

1. Strip any top covers or materials to expose the core foam.
2. Using a large sharp knife or industrial craft scissors, split it into three equal 60cm parts from head to toe.
3. Upholster each section in your chosen fabric.
4. Affix two appropriately sized pallets together into a seat shape and secure the upholstered cushions with metal poppers or another fixing.

The finished seat works outdoors on a patio, or can be hung from ropes as a summer swing seat. Our guide to foam for pallet furniture has more ideas.

Make a DIY ottoman or storage box

Alternatively, once you've cut up your mattress, use the foam to upholster a DIY ottoman footstool or storage box. As mattresses are typically made from medium-high to high-density polyurethane, the foam has the perfect durability and support: simply take one section, slice it to your desired height, and place it on top of your footstool or ottoman frame. And if you'd like to use your old mattress foam as a base topped with new memory foam, our online cut to size tool lets you specify a piece to your requirements. For more upcycling, see our guide to reusing an old sofa.

Why use foam offcuts?

We offer all customers the chance to buy foam offcuts for many applications, part of our mission to ensure no foam scraps end up in landfill but are instead repurposed. Our offcuts are great for stuffing furniture and toys, protective packaging, acoustic insulation and DIY crafts, and can be bought in bulk. That said, many of us already have foam at home ready to be given a new lease of life. Our guide to eco-friendly packaging foam explains more about foam and sustainability.

How to recycle and repurpose foam offcuts

Whether left over from a project or salvaged from old furniture, foam offcuts have plenty of practical uses around the home:

Stuffing: shredded or cubed offcuts make excellent filling for scatter cushions, bean bags, draught excluders and soft toys – and because polyurethane foam is so resilient, a stuffed pet bed made from offcuts will outlast most shop-bought fillings.

Protective packaging: keep a box of offcuts for wrapping and padding fragile items when posting, moving house or storing tools and electronics. Slices of firmer foam can be cut to line drawers and cases.

Around the house and garden: offcuts make comfortable garden kneeling pads, protective floor pads under furniture legs, and simple acoustic padding to soften echo in a home office or studio.

Genuine recycling: foam that's too worn to reuse doesn't have to go in the bin. Polyurethane foam is widely recycled into reconstituted "chip" foam – the speckled multicoloured foam used in carpet underlay and gym matting – so check whether your local household recycling centre accepts foam, and some mattress collection services will recycle the foam core too.

Should you require any help choosing foam offcuts, or a new piece of foam cut to your exact size, please contact one of our friendly advisers.