Fillet the Mattress to Recycle It October 22, 2015 Email St. Vincent de Paul employs workers to fillet or cut apart mattresses using a box cutter. These workers recycle approximately 170,000 mattresses per year. Compared to other mattress parts, material from “T” frame steel box springs is generally sold for the most money and lead to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Polyurethane from used mattresses is often recycled into wall foaming.