How to Dispose of Mattresses
Mattresses provide comfort after a long day, but they’ve become a problem for Australia’s waste management in recent years. Approximately 1.8 million end-of-life (EOL) mattresses are disposed of in the country annually. Unfortunately, many of these are in landfills or illegally dumped in streets and bushlands.
Although 60% of this figure is collected for recycling, only 44 to 64% of mattress components like steel and polyurethane foam are recovered. Clearly, there’s a need for new ways to tackle the issue—something that will require us consumers to act.
Jump in, and together, let’s find out how to dispose of mattresses and divert them from landfills properly.
1. Donate the mattress to local charities and shelters
“One man's trash is another man's treasure.”
This holds even for old mattresses. If they're still in good shape, you can donate your mattresses to local charities and shelters housing and supporting the less fortunate. Some organisations you might consider are the following:
By donating, you’re making some people’s lives less difficult while positively impacting the environment. But before donating, ensure your mattress is in good condition and meets the centre’s standards. Otherwise, it’ll just get rejected, or worse, it’ll become the centre’s waste problem.
2. Give away or resell your mattress
Apart from charities, old mattresses in good condition can be given away to relatives or people from online forums like Freecycle who need comfortable bedding. This way, you won’t have to worry about disposal, and you’ll know if your old mattress is in good hands.
If you’re short on cash, you can also sell the mattress in a garage sale or through online selling networks like Gumtree and Etsy.
3. Recycle your mattress
Is your old mattress unfit for donation or reselling? Don’t worry. You can always go for recycling.
Recycling helps save landfill space and promotes sustainable waste management. Fortunately, the Land Down Under is a big fan of recycling waste, including end-of-life mattresses. Specifically, the Australia Bedding Stewardship Council (ABSC) supports and promotes mattress recycling and collection schemes by providing research and innovative ideas to universities and ABSC-approved mattress recyclers, such as the following:
Soft Landing is a social enterprise committed to recycling at least 75% of the components of end-of-life mattresses. Apart from reducing waste, mattress recycling drives Australia's economy — a job is created for every 23 old mattresses Soft Landing collects.
Soft Landing’s recycling scheme has various drop-off locations in ACT, NSW, Vic, and WA if you have old mattresses waiting to be recycled.
Like Soft Landing, Bounce Back Mattress Recycling was established to divert old mattresses to recycling streams, decongesting landfills. Specifically, this social enterprise dismantles mattresses on-site to separate the wood, foam, and metal components, allowing these materials to be used for other functions.
The company also employs over 600 people. More than half of this number are those who identify with disability. Hence, by recycling mattresses, you're doing your bit for the environment while giving old mattresses a new purpose and providing other people with job opportunities.
Most of these programs charge reasonable fees. If you don’t want to pay the extra price or couldn’t find a suitable mattress recycler, you can try dismantling the mattress on your own and take the parts like metal springs and coils to recycling centres offering free services.
4. Take-Back Programs at Retailers
As part of Australia’s shift towards sustainable production, many mattress retailers have take-back options, allowing customers to return their old mattresses after purchasing a new one. This solution makes mattress disposal easier and ensures manufacturers are responsible for their waste.
That’s why the next time you buy a mattress, ask if the company offers take-back options. It’ll save you the trouble of proper disposal in the future.
5. Local Council Pick-up
If your old mattress is completely unusable or broken, you can count on your local council to dispose of it for you. Sydney has a free pick-up program for bulky items like mattresses. Simply fill up the online request form and prepare your mattress before collection through the following:
- Separate your rubbished based on three categories: (1) mattresses, (2) furniture and bulky household items, and (3) metals, white goods, and electronics.
- Attach a note and your booking number to your waste so the council and your neighbours know it’s an officially booked collection.
- Bundle up loose materials together to ensure a complete collection.
You should know that the collections are only done on certain days of the week, so check your suburb’s pick-up schedule before booking.
6. Rubbish Removal Services
Can’t decide whether to donate or completely trash your old, broken mattresses? Leave it to the experts. All Gone Rubbish Removals have the expertise, experience, and equipment to collect or break down mattresses properly.
We also remove other bedding components, such as old pillows, broken bed frames, and air beds. Unlike council pick-ups, you can call us anytime you require our services. We’ll pick up your mattress on time and even on the same day you make the call.
We don't immediately resort to landfills as part of our commitment to the environment and sustainable growth. Instead, we prioritise recycling or donations to charities and other non-profit organisations.
We collect mattresses and other bulky trash, like construction waste, ensuring you don’t stress over rubbish removal. All these quality services are available for obligation-free quotes and affordable prices. You can even save $75 for your first load of junk.