It may sound odd, silly even, to pay so much to dispose of a run-of-the-mill household item. But the economics of mattress recycling illustrate why it can be difficult — and costly — to be an ...

Amanda Jones removes the fabric from a mattress at Willis Dady Works, 800 First Ave. NW, in Cedar Rapids on Friday. Willis Dady first partnered with Iowa City Landfill and Recycling for the program.

When David Traub visited a landfill for the first time to dump a truckload of wood and drywall from a home improvement project, he expected to find a big pit full of junk and trash. He did not expect ...