How to get rid of an old mattress
Council collection, retailer take-back, recycling centre or a registered collector: the legal ways to dispose of a mattress.
Your options
- Council bulky waste collection: many councils collect mattresses for a fee. Book through your council’s website.
- Retailer take-back: some shops collect the old mattress when they deliver a new one, often for an extra charge. Ask before you buy.
- Recycling centre: some sites accept mattresses, sometimes in a separate area. Check before you go.
- Registered collector: useful if you have other items to clear at the same time.
Can it be reused?
Charities and reuse shops usually only accept mattresses in very good condition with fire safety labels attached, and many do not take them at all. Ask first rather than leaving one outside a shop.
Before collection
Keep it dry and off the pavement until the agreed collection time. A wet mattress is heavier and harder to recycle, and leaving one in the street can be treated as fly-tipping.
If you pay someone to take it, check they are a registered waste carrier first and keep the receipt.
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