ONNI LONDON+ · Guides
Getting rid of an old mattress
A mattress is one of the hardest household items to dispose of. It is too large for a car, too bulky for most bins, and cannot go in general waste in most areas. Here are the routes, and what each one actually involves.
The options
| Route | Typical cost | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Council bulky waste collection | Usually a charge per item, varies widely by council | Booked in advance, left outside on a set day, waits can be weeks |
| Household waste recycling centre | Usually no charge for residents | You transport it yourself, which needs a van and a second person |
| Licensed waste carrier | Varies | Check the licence before booking. Fly tipped waste traced back to you is your liability, not theirs |
| Charity or reuse | No charge if accepted | Most will not take a used mattress on hygiene grounds, and none will take one that is stained or damaged |
| Retailer takeback on delivery | Varies, sometimes included | The simplest, because it leaves as the new one arrives |
Check the waste carrier licence
If you pay someone to take a mattress away, you have a duty of care over where it ends up. A carrier must be registered, and the register is public and open to anyone. If a mattress you paid to have removed is found dumped, the trail leads to you.
What happens to a mattress that is recycled
A mattress is stripped by hand. The cover and quilt come off, the foam layers are separated, and the spring unit is cut out. Steel goes to scrap and is genuinely recyclable. Foam is shredded, most commonly into carpet underlay. Textiles go to insulation or fibre recovery. Timber, in a divan base, goes to board or biomass.
Done properly, the majority of a mattress by weight does not go to landfill. Done improperly, all of it does, and a mattress in landfill is a large void that does not compress and does not break down.
Timing it so you are not sleeping on the floor
The most common mistake is disposing of the old one before the new one has arrived, then discovering the delivery window is a fortnight away. Arrange the removal to happen at the same moment as the delivery, or keep the old one until the new one is in the room.
How it works here
Concierge unpacking is included. The mattress goes to the room of your choice, unrolled onto your bed, packaging gone. Old mattress removal and recycling happens at the same moment, so there is never a night without a bed.
Old mattress removal and recycling is included. There is nothing to book and nothing to carry.
Room of your choice, old one leaves with us.