Where to Dump Mattress?

If you need to dispose your mattress, you may be wondering what the best course of action is. Handling a big, hefty mattress can become quite annoying, even if you have resorted to leaving it somewhere within your home, because it takes up a portion of your space and mind- waiting to be dealt with.

It’s important to know that dumping your mattress or ‘fly tipping’ is not only harmful to the environment, but a criminal offence where you can receive a fine or prosecution. So below, are some of the best solutions you can take.

Take Mattress to Local Recycling Centre

Go to your local council tip! But before you do so, book online through gov.uk website for an appointment and see what materials they accept. Make sure to do your research to see what you must do. This is a great way to dump your mattress, leaving it in expert hands in a safe and environmentally friendly way. Your mattress has a lot of recyclable parts such as the metal springs, foam, coconut fibres, wadding and covering. Instead of this being wasted in a landfill or burned, these essential parts can be recycled for reuse. For example, metal springs can be recycled to make metal household appliances. Another example is that mattress foam stuffing can be used for carpet underlay, pillow stuffing and even furniture.

The issue with this is that you will need to use a car, you can travel by foot. Your car would need to be big enough to fit the mattress in too. If this isn’t possible, or you don’t have a car, then you can use council collection. Council collection will come to your door to collect the mattress which can also be booked at gov.uk website. However, this will come up to a fee approximately around £20 – prices vary depending on your location.

Another issue is that even though mattresses have the potential to be up to 95% recycled, your mattress may only be 16% recycled.

Donate or Sell

Is your mattress in a good condition? If your mattress is still reusable, it may be a good idea to donate it to charity, church, or a shelter where someone else can benefit from the mattress, instead of it being put in a landfill. Some charities offer free collection, such as British Heart Foundation, Red cross, and Salvation Army.  It may be a good idea to call the charity or organization to see if they can accept this donation before giving it to them.

Selling you mattress is also another great way to reduce landfill, getting use out of the mattress and even earning some pocket cash. Apps such as Gumtree, Facebook, Instagram, Ebay, Shpock and more are great ways to sell for free.

To get an idea if your mattress may be donated or sellable is if it is under 7 years old, no damaged or stained fabric, no signs of wear and tear, springs don’t stick out or squeak, and it is hygienically clean.

Mattress Retailer

Your mattress retailer (where you purchased your mattress from) , may offer the service of taking away your mattress. Check on their website or give them a call to find out if is free or charged. Prices vary for different companies, and even depending on the size of mattress may affect the cost too. Prices may be between £20-£40.

A Waste Collection Company

You can also pay privately for a company to remove any sort of waste, furniture, appliances, and any bulky household items which is a quick and convenient way if you’re in a hurry and don’t mind spending money to get rid of a mattress. Each collection company will charge different prices, so it’s worth researching on the internet of all the prices to decide on the cheapest. Keep in mind, that bed size will also affect the price too.