Updated
Old Mattress To Get Rid Of
Mattresses are not covered by the sofa rules, but they are hard to recycle, banned from most kerbside collections, and a bed-bug risk if handled carelessly.
Find a rubbish and waste clearance specialist
What's happening?
Mattresses sit in an awkward gap. They are not upholstered domestic seating, so the incineration requirement that now applies to sofas does not apply to them — Environment Agency guidance names mattresses specifically as outside that category. But they are bulky, they compress badly, and a sprung mattress is a composite of steel, foam, felt and textile that has to be pulled apart mechanically before any of it can be recycled. That combination means most councils exclude them from kerbside collection, charge for them as bulky waste, or restrict how many a household can bring to the tip. A pocket-sprung king size weighs a great deal more than people assume, and once it is damp it weighs more again.
What usually causes it?
- Buying a new bed and the retailer not including removal of the old mattress
- A sagging or collapsed mattress that has reached the end of its life
- A guest-room or bunk mattress cleared out during a move
- A mattress that got wet through a leak, a flood or a window left open
- An end-of-tenancy clear-out where the landlord will not accept the mattress staying
- A bed-bug or heavy staining problem making the mattress unusable and unsellable
- A memory-foam mattress that cannot be rolled or folded back into a manageable size
Is it dangerous?
Only in ordinary ways, with one exception worth naming. Mattresses are heavy, floppy and hard to see past on a stair, which is how people fall carrying them. The exception is bed bugs: if the mattress is being removed because of an infestation, moving it uncovered through a house and out to a van spreads the problem into other rooms and to the vehicle. It should be sealed in a bag or wrapping before it leaves the bedroom, and the infestation itself needs treating rather than just the mattress replacing.
Can I fix it myself?
You can bag it, which is worth doing regardless: a mattress cover keeps it dry, stops it shedding, and makes it far easier to carry. You can check whether your council collects it, book a tip slot where mattresses are accepted, or ask the retailer delivering the new bed. A clean, unstained mattress in date may be taken by a reuse organisation. Do not leave it propped outside on the pavement waiting for a collection you have not booked — that is fly-tipping, and it is your waste.
When should you call a rubbish and waste clearance specialist?
Call a clearance firm when it will not fit in your car, when there is no lift and several flights of stairs, or when you have more than one to shift. Say if the mattress is coming out because of bed bugs so it can be wrapped and the van managed accordingly. Check the firm is a registered waste carrier before it takes anything — for household waste, that check is your legal duty and not a courtesy.
What will the rubbish and waste clearance specialist actually do?
- Bag or wrap the mattress in the room, particularly where bed bugs or heavy soiling are involved
- Carry it out with two people rather than dragging it down a stairwell
- Take it to a facility that separates the springs, foam and textile for recycling where one is reachable
- Issue a waste transfer note and give their waste carrier registration number
- Take the bed base, headboard and frame at the same time, which are ordinary bulky waste
- Advise where the mattress is reusable and a reuse route exists locally
Frequently asked questions
We’re happy to answer all your questions.
Need a rubbish and waste clearance specialist?
Compare local rubbish and waste clearance specialists on Tradehand — coverage areas, accreditations and phone numbers, no middleman.