Yes, most of a mattress can be recycled, but most UK mattresses still aren't. Where yours ends up depends on how you get rid of it. Don't assume that having it collected means it'll be recycled: ask where it's going before you book.
Recycling a mattress in brief
Most mattress parts can be recycled, but the NBF estimates only about 24% of UK mattresses are sent for recycling, with the real rate nearer 14%. Search for your council on the NBF's mattress disposal site for local options. You can use your council's bulky waste collection or a retailer that takes your old mattress away. If you pay anyone else to collect it, check they're a registered waste carrier.
Most UK mattresses still aren't recycled
The National Bed Federation's fourth end-of-life report, published in 2022, estimates that 6.4 million mattresses reach the end of their life in the UK each year. By 2021, 24% were sent for recycling, up from 10% over the eight years the NBF had tracked it.1 After sorting and processing, though, the real recycling rate was nearer 14%.
Landfill is still the most common place the rest ends up, and the NBF's own target of diverting 75% from landfill by 2028 looked set to be missed. A mattress is an awkward thing to recycle: springs, foams and fibres are mixed together and need separating before the materials can be reused. That's why it needs specialist processing. Getting a mattress collected is only part of the job.
You can arrange mattress disposal locally or through a retailer
The NBF's mattress disposal site helps you find a disposal option where you live. The options vary by council, so a local search is more useful than a general recommendation.
| Option | How it works | Check |
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| NBF council search | Enter your council's name at mattressdisposal.co.uk to see the options near you. | Options vary by council. |
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| Council bulky waste collection | Your council collects large items from home. | Ask what happens to the mattresses it collects. |
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| Retailer take-back | Many retailers offer to take your old mattress away when they deliver a new one. | Ask when you order, and whether there's a charge. |
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| Private collector | A company you hire to take it away. | Only use one that's a registered waste carrier. |
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If you're buying a replacement, use our checklist of questions to ask before you buy to include removal in the conversation at the point of sale.
Check that a private collector is a registered waste carrier
A cheap collection you can't check isn't a bargain. GOV.UK's advice on reporting fly-tipping says to check that any private company you hire to move waste is registered as a waste carrier.3 A dumped mattress counts as fly-tipping; report it to your council's environmental health team.
Sort out removal before your new mattress arrives
Agree a collection date so you're not left storing two mattresses.
Book the old mattress's collection for around delivery day so you're not storing two.
- Search for your council. Use the NBF's mattress disposal site to find local options before choosing a delivery date.
- Ask the retailer. Check whether it will take your old mattress when it delivers the new one, and what the charge is.
- Book the council. If the retailer won't take it, book a council bulky waste collection for around delivery day.
- Check any private collector. If you arrange a private collection instead, check that the collector is a registered waste carrier before booking.
If you're not sure the old one needs replacing yet, the mattress replacement checker helps you decide.
Questions people ask about mattress recycling
Yes, springs, foams and fibres can be separated and recycled, but the NBF puts the real UK recycling rate at about 14%. Treat "recyclable" as a description of the materials, rather than a guarantee of what will happen to your mattress.
Whether your council recycles mattresses depends on where you live. An NBF survey of all 385 UK waste authorities found big differences: every Welsh council diverted mattresses from landfill.2 Diversion from landfill doesn't necessarily mean recycling, so check your council's options through the NBF's council search.
You can pay your council, the retailer delivering your new mattress, or a private collector registered as a waste carrier. Check a private collector's registration before you pay. Agree what's included in the collection, and keep the booking details so you can follow up if it doesn't happen.
