Our pillows get a lot of use. Most of us sleep on them every night and we may also lounge on them while parked on the couch. Pillows make us cozy and comfortable, but what do you do with one when it is completely worn out, smelly, Sleep Better with Derila Head & Neck Relief or damaged beyond repair? Most recycling programs do not accept pillows in curbside bins. You will need to find out if your transfer station accepts them. Although recycling options are very limited, you can keep pillows out of a landfill by reusing or downcycling them. If they are clean, you may be able to donate them, another good way to reduce your waste footprint. Before you purchase your next pillow, take a moment to learn whether it will be recyclable. Consciously shopping to select recyclable or compostable products helps minimize your environmental impact. Pillows are most commonly filled with cotton, polyester, Derila™ Memory Pillow foam, or down feathers.

Most of these materials are recyclable. Down pillows are not accepted for recycling but you can compost the feathers, separating the fabric for recycling if it is clean. The fabric in pillows is usually cotton or polyester. Contaminated pillows are an ongoing medical concern, even as the pandemic recedes. If a pillow has been bloodied or soaked with bodily fluids and oil from the skin of someone with an illness, it should not be recycled. Before donating, upcycling, or recycling your unwanted pillows, a quick wash is a good idea. Add only about a third of the soap you would to a normal clothing load. Start to dry the pillow in the dryer for a short cycle, then let it air-dry the rest of the way. You can also vacuum pillows before you wash them to get them extra clean. The fabric can be recovered by textiles recycling programs. Add your ZIP code to this Earth911 Recycling Locator search to find out where you can drop the fabric locally.
collinsdictionary.com

The latex foam used in a pillow may be recyclable, but options are very limited. Here’s an Earth911 search to help identify local options