Mattress Disposal: 10 Easy Methods

Last Updated on January 1, 2023

We recently conducted a survey in which one of the questions included “How would you dispose of an old mattress?” Many people were unsure, while other answers were somewhat shocking. So, we thought perhaps it’s best to offer some advice on the dos and don’ts on the correct mattress disposal process.

Buying a mattress is the easy part, however, if you’re replacing the old one you’ll almost certainly need to consider some kind of mattress disposal method to make way for your new one. There are plenty of options available, however, depending on where in the world you are some services may not be viable solutions. Please read below for some helpful tips, hopefully, at least one option could be the way forward:

How To Dispose Of A Mattress

Ask your retailer

One of the most straightforward methods is to ask the retailer selling your new mattress (if you haven’t purchased it already). The retailer themselves are unlikely to collect, dispose or recycle it, but instead, they may have contracts with local mattress recycling companies, so they can arrange everything for you perhaps for a small fee or maybe even without charge.

Free to collector

In a similar fashion to the above, if you’re having trouble selling or offering to charity for whatever reason, try advertising in a classifieds section and offer a free to collector advert. One mans junk is another man’s treasure, and if they’re willing to collect for free it will save you some cash at least.

Give it to charity

Giving to charity is the kindest and a relatively eco-friendly method. Most charity organizations will pick up from your home for free, and either sell to raise money or re-use in a charitable manner. What may be old and unwanted for you may have years longer life elsewhere.

Skip hire

Most people live their whole life without needing to hire a skip, but, if for some reason you’re having a clear-out and have a skip at hand, this would be an excellent opportunity for mattress removal.

Sell it

Selling used mattresses is another great method. Even if you think yours is old and no longer wanted, someone else may decide otherwise; buy for cheap, collect for free, and perhaps use for a guest room. Try listing on places like eBay, Craigslist, Gumtree etc, you’ll almost certainly get a response.

Recycling centers

A slightly more inconvenient method (but cost-free) is to roll it up and take to one of your local recycling centers. Transporting a mattress isn’t the easiest of tasks, but with a little determination and a few pairs of hands it can be rolled, tied, and potentially fit in the trunk ready for delivery. Once you reach your destination, usually the center assistant can help unload and get it prepared for recycling.

Local authority

Your local authority may have a service in place for the removal of large or bulky items. Not all councils provide this service and ones which do often charge a small fee as this would fall outside the scope of the regular household waste collection. Best to phone them and make an inquiry as this could be an easy method but would most likely cost money.

Mattress recycling

An easy and almost guaranteed option is to use a mattress recycling service. These businesses exist for the sole purpose of collecting and recycling mattresses (and other household junk). They will collect from your home and then eventually reuse every part, from springs to filling material nothing is wasted. There is, unfortunately, a fee involved, and depending on the distance they’ll travel the cost can be quite significant too, sometimes easily ranging between $50-$100. Click here to get a quote for a nationwide mattress removal service.

DIY recycling

Depending on which kind you have, if you’re handy and feeling up to the task perhaps you could try disassembling and recycling it yourself. The best type of mattress for DIY recycling is one consisting primarily of springs or coils. The coils of metal can be easily reused or sold on for scrap metal. The fabric can also be reused in the home, donated, or recycled. Attempting a traditional memory foam mattress or almost any type of latex mattress may prove slightly more difficult and messy due to their dense inner construction but can still be done nonetheless.

Dispose of with household waste

Perhaps none of the above appeal or just simply had no luck with either of the options. If you’re able to disassemble it into small enough pieces and can store it for some weeks (or months), you could then dispose of it little by little with the normal household waste. It will obviously take longer to get rid entirely, but will eventually be gone without having to pay any fees.

How NOT To Dispose Of A Mattress

Don’t burn it

Unfortunately, 3% of people said burning it was their chosen method. Please note, this is NOT the correct route to mattress disposal and is not recommended for health and safety reasons as well as being harmful to the environment.

Don’t fly tip

Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of goods in public areas onto land which has no license to accept waste, with the intention of ridding oneself of the items without notifying or arranging with waste removal services. Fly tipping is, unfortunately, a common occurrence in many parts of the world. It is harmful to the environment, unsightly, and of course against the law which could result in fines up to £20,000 ($30,370 USD) in the UK if caught.