EASTER BANK HOLIDAY OFFER - 20% off with discount code EASTERBUNNY20

Hurry now as discount ends soon!

Where Can I Recycle My Old Mattress?

The new bed has arrived and you’re keen to dispose of your old mattress responsibly… but what are your options for ensuring that your mattress can be reused or recycled? After all, you don’t want to be contributing to the mountain of mattresses languishing in landfill, which receives 73% of the 5.9 million mattresses which are replaced in the UK each year (based on average figures from 2014*).

Reuse, not refuse

Rather than dumping a mattress at the local landfill, research locally for a charity or furniture re-use service, who would appreciate the use of your unwanted bed / mattress. To do this though, the bed and mattress need to be in a good, usable condition. The mattress particularly needs to be clean, without stains or rips, and must carry a fire safety label. The British Heart Foundation’s furniture donation service offers some good information about the requirement of fire safety labels.

If your bed’s safety label has been removed, it doesn’t meet the required standards, or there’s no charity locally which is taking beds and mattresses, then the online re-use groups Freegle and Freecycle often post requests from families looking for beds. Alternatively, once you’ve joined your local online group, you could offer your bed as free for collection. In this case, it is always worth listing your bed as ‘collection only’ if you do not have transport, otherwise many of the replies you received will be requesting you to deliver the mattress for free, something not everyone is able to do.

Recycle responsibly

Recycling your mattress responsibly is another option which many households explore and there are several ways to achieve this:

  • Local council recycling centres
    • With most local councils it’s free to drop items such as mattresses at the local recycling centre. To do this, always check opening times and any restrictions in advance. This is particularly important if you’re one of the many people whose vehicle is not big enough for a SuperKing mattress, so you are going to have to organise transport to drop the mattress off.
  • Local Authority collection services for bulky items
    • Beds and mattresses are considered to be ‘bulky items’ so most local authorities will charge for a collection. The prices for this vary across the UK (there is a useful price-checking facility on the Collect Your Old Bed areas page) and additionally many councils other conditions for collection, such as the mattress being kerb-side by 6.30 am on the day of collection, something which the elderly, disabled or those living alone are not easily able to do.
  • Private collection services
    • There are now a considerable number of companies in the UK offering private collection and mattress disposal services. However, when choosing a private collection service it’s vital to ensure that the company you’re hiring is licensed, reputable and professional. Ask to see relevant licences to help you identify the type of recycling on offer and to ensure that you’re not just paying someone who will ultimately end up fly-tipping your mattress as soon as they have driven away with your mattress (and your cash).

Reputable companies such as Collect Your Old Bed offer easy and convenient services both for arranging and then collecting your mattresses. Arranging the service just requires completing a three-step online process, which allows you to choose a convenient collection date. On the day of collection, the Collect Your Old Bed team will collect the mattress from inside the house if required, bringing you convenience, as well as a full guarantee of 100% recycling for your mattress disposal.

Dispose of your old mattress in 3 simple steps

Nationwide collection Available. Enter your postcode to get prices