SPRINGS \ Social Product Recovery Innovating New Green Solutions
Deconstruction &
Material Recovery
SPRINGS is Kernovate's mattress deconstruction and material recovery operation — the revenue engine that funds BEDS emergency deliveries and WORKS job training.
Drop off is $10 per piece. Pickup is $10 per piece plus a zone fee based on distance.
Material Diverted
121.4
Tons Recovered
Material Weight
242,770
Lbs Processed
Items Processed
5,058
Total Units
Pickups Completed
69
Operations
How to Work With SPRINGS — Choose Your Path
Path 1
Drop-Off
$10/Piece · By Appointment
Bring your mattress or box spring to our Bloomington facility. $10 per piece, appointment required — no delivery fee.
Bloomington, Illinois
Mon–Sat · 9AM–6PM
Path 2
Residential Pickup
$10/Piece + Delivery
Can't transport it yourself? Schedule a pickup and we'll come to you. Pricing is $10 per piece plus a zone-based delivery fee.
Path 3
Commercial Contract
Volume Pricing
Hotels, universities, property managers, municipalities. Bulk pickup with diversion certificates and ESG documentation for compliance reporting.
10+ units · same-week scheduling
Diversion certificates included
Environmental Context
Why Mattresses Matter
80–120
years to decompose in landfill
Mattresses contain mixed materials — steel, foam, fiber — that resist breakdown and create long-term landfill hazards.
20M+
discarded annually in the US
20 million mattresses enter the US waste stream every year. Most end up in landfills despite being largely recyclable.
90%
of materials are recoverable
Steel springs, foam, fiber, and cotton can all be processed into recovered commodity streams with real market value.
~70 lbs
average mattress weight
Bulky size and weight means mattresses consume disproportionate landfill volume — and create illegal dumping incentives.
Mattress recycling is not widely understood — most people assume their old mattress goes straight to landfill. In McLean County, Kernovate changes that. Every unit we process is documented, deconstructed, and recovered.
How It Works
From your front door to recovered materials — a six-stage deconstruction and redistribution pipeline.
Pickup or Drop-Off
Schedule a residential pickup ($10/piece + delivery fee by zone) or drop off at our Bloomington facility ($10/piece, appointment required). We also coordinate bulk commercial pickups for hotels, universities, and property managers.
Intake & Inspection
Each unit is weighed, logged, and inspected upon arrival. Units that meet our condition standards are flagged for BEDS program redistribution. All others proceed to deconstruction.
Deconstruction
Skilled workers disassemble each unit by hand — removing the border wire, cutting the fabric, and pulling the innerspring from the foam and fiber layers.
Material Separation
Steel springs are baled for scrap processors. Foam is separated by grade. Fiber, cotton, and wood are bundled for separate recovery streams.
Recycling Streams
Each material stream is sent to certified regional processors — steel to scrap yards, foam to foam recyclers, fiber to industrial buyers. Revenue from these sales funds BEDS and WORKS.
BEDS Redistribution
Inspected mattresses that meet our quality standard are sanitized and redistributed through the BEDS emergency delivery program — closing the loop from waste to housing stability.
Revenue from Step 5 funds the BEDS program in Step 6. The WORKS program employs the people doing Steps 3 and 4.
See the full continuumThe SPRINGS Difference
At Kernovate, we see things differently. Up to 90% of a mattress can be recycled. Steel springs, foam, wood, and fiber components are all reclaimed and given new life through our deconstruction process.
Recovered materials are sold to regional processors — and that revenue funds the full Kernovate continuum. BEDS Emergency Delivery Service delivers sanitized mattresses to households in crisis, and WORKS Workforce Pathways employs the people doing the work.
Every mattress you recycle with us directly funds beds for families who need them and jobs for individuals rebuilding their lives.
Who We Accept
Individuals & Residents
Drop off your old mattress at our facility for $10/piece (appointment required), or schedule a residential pickup starting at $10/piece + a zone-based delivery fee. We collect from McLean County homes, apartments, and storage units.
Property Managers
We offer bulk pickup services for apartment complexes and multi-unit properties. Coordinate unit turnover cleanouts with our commercial team.
Hotels, Retailers & Organizations
Large-volume commercial accounts receive documentation for compliance reporting. We integrate with your operations to minimize disruption.
Material Breakdown
Interactive deconstruction specification — what's inside every mattress we recover.
Recycled Mattresses Contain Valuable Materials
Explore how mattress and foundation components can be recycled into new consumer and industrial products
Click on a component to learn more.
Click on any layer in the mattress diagram to learn about its materials and recycling process.
More than 90% of a mattress can be recycled into other products, diverting valuable resources from local landfills.