Do you ever wonder where your old mattress ends up?
In 2020, of the 6.4 million mattresses that were disposed of, a staggering 4.8 million* of these were not recycled. This means they likely ended up in landfill or were incinerated. With the current mattress recycling rate only around 24%* there is still lots more room for improvement!
Ahead of Recycle Week (17 – 23 October), and with sustainability creeping higher on everyone’s agenda, let us delve into how we can all do our bit and be responsible when disposing of our old mattresses.
Our parent organisation for the UK and Irish bed trade, the National Bed Federation (NBF), works hard with bed manufacturers, guiding them on how to sell used and reconditioned mattresses and components. This includes supporting businesses that have committed to becoming more sustainable through the NBF Pledge for Our Planet. The trade association also produces reports on the rate of mattress recycling. But what can you do as a consumer?
How to recycle your mattress
Avoid dumping your old mattress at your local tip where it could end up in the landfill. Instead, take the time to find your nearest recycling facility that will strip it down into its parts for reuse. Springs can be recycled with other scrap metal, and foam may be recycled for carpet underlay or sent to a waste-to-energy plant, along with textile material such as mattress covers.
Visit mattressdisposal.co.uk to find your nearest local authority mattress recycling centre.
Private collection companies
Alternatively, we know of three private, genuine collection companies: Collect Your Old Bed, We Are Mattress Recycling and The Mattress Recycling People. These companies guarantee to send your old mattress to a recycling centre – operating throughout most postcodes in England, with some covering Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Charges depend on your area and size of the product but expect to pay around £30-£50 for a standard-sized double mattress.
Love Junk, an app-based marketplace for bulky waste disposal, helps you find the cheapest, most responsible disposal option by connecting you to local licensed waste collectors and reuse organisations. Prices vary depending on the condition of the mattress and ease of pick-up and it excludes Highlands, Islands and Northern Ireland. Check out recent mattress removal prices here.
In Glasgow, King Size Recycling will collect your mattress for recycling within a 10-mile radius of Glasgow city centre for around £25.
This year’s campaign theme is ‘Let’s Get Real’ about recycling. Unfortunately, there are several rogue recyclers out there claiming to have legitimate recycling facilities. In reality, they end up fly-tipping or abandoning old mattresses in warehouses and scarpering.
Additionally, beware of people in white vans offering to pick your mattress up for free or at a bargain price. Rogue traders may take your old mattress and stuff it into a new cover to re-sell (huge health and safety red flag!) or fly-tip it at a convenient spot.
Buy a new mattress made from recyclable materials
When you’re ready to replace your old mattress, research bed manufacturers who go the extra green mile for the planet. Whether they produce mattresses and bed products that contain recyclable or use recycled fillings and materials.
For added peace of mind, buy from an NBF-approved brand. Why? These bed brands have robust procedures to ensure their products are safe, clean and honest, and comply with UK regulations on safety, cleanliness of fillings, and trade descriptions. This means if they claim the mattress contains recycled parts, it does!
Get the most out of your mattress
One of the best ways to get the most out of your mattress and prolong its lifespan is to take good care of it. If it still provides you with the comfort and support you need and you continue to get good quality sleep on it, then there’s no need to replace your mattress just because it reaches a certain age.
*Source: End of Life Mattress Report 2022 Oakdene Hollins. Read the latest NBF Recycling Report.
First published 15.09.22, updated on 03.01.24
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