How To Dispose Of A Mattress

These days, it is not feasible to throw an old bed in a dumpster. As people become more environmentally aware, they know that mattresses are now recognized as a major source of pollution. But when it comes to how to dispose of a mattress, there are also other questions and concerns. Who do you call? What will happen to your old mattress? Our article covers everything you need to know about mattress disposal.

In case you want to read more about the frightening reality of mattresses and their damaging footprint on our planet, The Guardian tells the story of the millions of mattresses in landfills.

The Main Reasons For Disposing Of Mattresses

One of the most obvious reasons to get rid of a mattress is because it is too old or broken (or both). Countless beds reach the end of their lives every year and can no longer offer a safe sleeping space. Another reason is that your old mattress is still in working condition but you recently upgraded to something better and now you need the space for your new mattress. Depending on which one of these scenarios describe your own situation, disposing a mattress will require a different course of action. Let’s look at each one in turn.

I Have A New Mattress And Want To Get Rid Of The Old One

You did the shopping, found your new mattress and now want to clear the bedroom so that you can cart that dreamy piece of furniture in there. But first, how to dispose of your old mattress? In almost 99 percent of these cases, the old mattress is still usable. It would be a sad waste to just throw it away.

You can dispose of your old mattress by donating it to a charity. Unfortunately, there are many families who are in dire need of their own beds and you can make a real difference by giving away the one you no longer need. If you cannot take it to your chosen charity, check to see if they can make arrangements or whether they have a collection service. Some organizations might even have volunteers who are willing to pick up the mattress from your home.

One organization that accepts an old mattress is the British Heart Foundation. They will also use their own collection service when it’s time for you to get rid of an old mattress. As a bonus, the Britsh Heart Foundation also accepts other household items other than beds. So if you have stuff you no longer need, just box it up and let them take your old junk away when they come to collect the bed.

Make Sure The Old Mattress Is In Good Shape Before You Donate

There must be no odours and smells. It is hard enough to be on the receiving end of charity. What makes it worse for such individuals is that people often donate items that are nothing short of garbage. A mattress that is given to charity must never reek of anything, smell musty or dusty.
There must be no structural damage that will interfere with a good night’s sleep. Mattresses can only be given to charity organizations if they are still functional. If not, then its destiny is mattress recycling and not harming another person’s sleep and body. Be honest with yourself. As much as you would love helping someone less fortunate to get a mattress of their own, is your old bed comfortable? If the answer is no, then rather recycle it.
There must also be no damage that makes the mattress look ugly. Think along the lines of large tears, inner material like sponge or coils showing or broken borders. Giving somebody an old but well-kept bed is the right thing to do. Once again, if your mattress is too frayed, consider the recycling route.
Clean the mattress beforehand to get rid of stains and make it look as new as possible. The charity organization and the receiving family will both appreciate this. (Wondering how to clean a mattress? We have got you covered. You are welcome to read our free guide on how to clean a mattress to get the best practical advice and tips).
The mattress should not have any type of infestation. Obviously, if there is a bug problem then the mattress cannot be given to somebody else. But also consider the following question – did the mattress make your nose feel stuffy or aggravate your allergies or asthma? If your answer is yes, then the mattress is also not suitable for donation (unless you are willing to have it thoroughly cleaned by a professional company).

Are you currently struggling with allergies? Most beds can aggravate the problem. The best thing to do is to consider a hypoallergenic mattress. Some of the top beds are anti-dust mite, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial. We hunted down the top hypoallergenic beds. Please note that we show the double size mattress and that all prices were correct at the time of writing.

The Luxury Hybrid Mattress (£699) by DreamCloud is not just hypoallergenic. The bed also comes with the longest home test trial in the industry. You can test it at home for a full year. The guarantee is also pretty awesome. You can expect a lifetime warranty. The Luxury Hybrid Mattress is suitable for all sleeping positions and is delivered as a bed-in-a-box.
The Octaspring Hybrid Mattress (£1,299.99) by Dormeo is also naturally hypoallergenic. The mattress contains several award-winning designs, including the Octaspring foam “coils” and Superstretch™ fabric that apparently gives this bed one of the most luxurious surfaces to sleep on. You can also test it at home for 60 nights and get a 20-year warranty.
The Deluxe Memory Spring Rolled Mattress (£109.99) by Hap p y Beds is another great choice. The hybrid is suitable for all bases and is also delivered as a convenient bed-in-a-box. The mattress is orthopaedic, never needs to be flipped and comes with a 5-year guarantee. Unfortunately, it cannot be tested at home.

I Cannot Donate Because My Mattress Is Unusable

In this case, the mattress has reached the end of its life. You might want to familiarize yourself with the rules of the local council regarding sending a mattress to the tip or ask their recommendations for a local recycling company. The latter might cost a tad more but you are doing the environment a serious favour. If you use a good mattress collection and recycling centre, it also saves you a lot of physical effort. Forget about fighting that huge old mattress down the stairs, through the vegetable garden, and out the front gate. A reputable company has staff that will do that for you.

One of the best companies is Anyjunk (no, we do not get paid for recommending them, we are honestly impressed by the recycling and services they offer to their clients). Anyjunk, as the name suggests, recycle glass to mattresses – anything, really. But when it comes to mattresses specifically, the recycling centre tries to reuse or recycle every piece of the beds they collect. You can rest assured that you did not harm the environment just because you got rid of your old mattress for a new one.

I Do Not Want To Donate But My Mattress Is Still Usable

Once again, it is a pity to dispose of a mattress when it can still be used. If you do not want to go down the donation route or mattress recycling, then you have two other choices. You can either give it directly away to someone who needs a mattress or you can sell it. A lot of people do not want to purchase a new one or cannot afford to and look for used mattresses instead. You can use classified ads to dispose of a mattress.

But always remember, when it’s time for the buyer to pick up the mattress at your home – make sure that safety measures are in place and that you are not home alone. In a perfect world, there would be no danger but a lot of criminals use classifieds to gain access to people’s homes under the guise of being buyers.