A good night’s sleep is essential, and a quality mattress makes all the difference. But like all good things, mattresses don’t last forever – so what do you do when yours has reached the end of its life? If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “Can I take a mattress to the tip?” you’re not alone! Many people aren’t sure whether their local tip will accept it or if they need to arrange a council collection instead. The short answer? Yes, most tips do take mattresses – but that’s not your only option! There are plenty of other ways to dispose of or even recycle your old mattress sustainably and reduce the number of items we send to landfill each year. Read on to find out more.

What Are The Benefits Of Recycling Your Mattress?

Millions of mattresses are discarded by UK homeowners each year. In fact, the National Bed Federation estimate that the figure lies around the 7 million mark.

Need a visual? Imagine a line of 7 million discarded mattresses stretching from London to Edinburgh… and back -twice! Shockingly, around 5.25 million of these end up in landfills or incinerators instead of being recycled.

Being large and bulky, mattresses take up lots of space at landfill sites too, not to mention the fact they are manufactured from both organic and inorganic materials meaning that while some materials will break down within a few years, others will take much longer – we’re talking decades.

Finally, mattresses also contain bleaches and dyes which can cause ground pollution causing harm to animals and plants. They can be very toxic to ecosystems that become contaminated with these chemicals.

Which Parts Of The Mattress Can Be Recycled?

You’ll be surprised at how many of a mattress’s components can be salvaged and reused. Here’s a breakdown of what can be repurposed and how:

  • Metal springs. Once extracted, the steel springs are cleaned and melted down for reuse in construction materials, new appliances, or even new mattresses!
  • Foam (Memory Foam or Polyurethane Foam). Foam can be shredded and repurposed into carpet underlay, pet bedding, or padding for furniture and gym mats.
  • Fabric cover (cotton, polyester, or wool). These materials can be cleaned and reused for a number of purposes including insulation, industrial rags, or repurposed into textile products.
  • Latex (in latex mattresses). Natural latex can be broken down and reused in flooring materials, cushions, or insulation.
  • Wooden bed frame. The wood can be chipped and used for biomass fuel, landscaping mulch, or repurposed into furniture.

How To Dispose Of Your Old Mattress

Reuse

If your mattress is still in good condition (free from stains and damage), clean and hygienic you may want to consider donating or even selling it. You could…

  • Give your mattress to a friend or family member.
  • Donate to charity: In order to donate to a charity, your mattress will need to have a fire safety label still.  Unfortunately, if you don’t have one, charities are not legally allowed to accept them.  A fire safety label look something like this:

    Check out charities local to you first, or you could approach some national charities such as British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research, who are normally happy to receive quality, clean mattresses too.  It is advisable to contact these charities directly to confirm they operate in your area and arrange a collection.  This will ensure your donation meets their requirements and that they can facilitate the pick up.
  • Give away to individuals:  If you don’t have a fire label on your mattress, you are still able to give mattresses away for free. Online spaces like Freegle and Freecycle are a good place to start. If you want to try selling it, you could try Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree.

Recycle

  • Dismantle the mattress yourself and recycle the different components separately (foam, fabric and metal springs).
  • Retailer take-back schemes
    Some mattress retailers will collect and recycle your old mattress when you buy a new one from them at the same time.

Here are some of the UK retailers offering reasonable mattress take back services whereby they will remove your old mattress when delivering your new one and the price they charge (as of April 2025):

  • Dreams – £20 (single), £55 (double, King or Super King)
  • Benson for Beds – £50 (price of collection and disposal)
  • Ikea – £40 (for any sized mattress but there is additional charge of £8 for collection from room of choice rather than from near the front door).
  • John Lewis – £29.95
  • Silent Night – £30
  • Next – £20

The average cost for the service is typically around £40.

  • Utilise the council’s bulky waste collection service
    Old, unusable mattresses are classed by councils as household waste. However, as they are large items that will not fit in the bins provided by your local council, most councils will provide a bulky waste collection service for mattresses whereby you will need to arrange the collection of the item and your local council can collect it for you and take to your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC). The cost of this service will vary by council and will depend on the number and type of items you have for collection (for example, Croydon Council charge £39 for 1-3 items). It is always best to check what mattress recycling services are offered by your council by going to their website – find your local council’s website.

Top tip! If years of toddler accidents, baby vomit, and night sweats have you feeling a little embarrassed to face the collector, why not cover the mattress up in an old sheet or old mattress cover! Better still, roll it up and tie it with some sturdy rope or heavy-duty Sellotape.

  • Take your mattress to the local recycling centre or tip
    Disposing of your mattress at a local recycling centre is often the most cost-effective option, as many council-run facilities across the UK are free to use. However, transporting it can be challenging. If your car isn’t large enough, you may need to borrow a bigger vehicle from a friend or hire a van.

If mattress disposal is part of a larger project, such as moving house or renovating your home, renting a van – whether for a short period or on a long-term contract hire – can be a practical solution. This allows you to handle multiple tasks efficiently while making the most of your rental.

What NOT to do When Disposing of Your Mattress

There are a few things you should stay away from doing when trying to get rid of your mattress:

1) Burning your mattress

It might sound like a quick fix, but setting your mattress on fire is a terrible idea. For starters, modern mattresses are packed with synthetic materials that release toxic fumes when burned – think choking smoke and harmful chemicals that are bad for your lungs and the environment. Plus, if the fire gets out of control, you could end up calling the fire brigade, and that’s not exactly an ideal way to spend your day.

2) Fly-tipping

Dumping your mattress on the side of the road or in a random alley might seem like an easy way to make it disappear but trust us – it won’t go unnoticed. Councils are cracking down hard on fly-tipping, and if you get caught (which is very likely thanks to CCTV and vigilant locals), you could be slapped with a fine of up to £50,000. That’s a pretty steep price to pay for dodging proper disposal!

3) Choosing a company with questionable principles

Not all mattress removal companies are playing by the rules. Some will happily take your money and then illegally dump your mattress, leaving you unknowingly involved in fly-tipping. If an offer seems too cheap to be true, it probably is. Always check that the company has a waste carrier licence and real customer reviews before handing over your hard-earned cash.

Instead of risking fines, pollution, or a guilty conscience, consider donating, recycling, or using a council-approved collection service. Your mattress disposal can be quick, hassle-free, and guilt-free – no dodgy dealings or smoke clouds required!

If you are thinking of hiring a van short-term or on a long-term basis from one of our South London branches, we look forward to meeting you.