Mattresses are made from a mix of materials including fabric, foam and metal and are therefore hard to recycle. In this article, we’ll look at how to reduce waste from mattresses and what the different options are for correct disposal wherever you live in Surrey.
Before you buy
Buy second-hand
New mattresses are not cheap so shop for a second-hand or refurbished mattress and you could save yourself a pretty penny. Many of the furniture collection charities listed below and some local charity shops sell second-hand mattresses, retailers such as Bensons for Beds, Eve, Emma, Simba and My Next Mattress all sell refurbished mattresses or you could visit online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or eBay to find one.
If you think your mattress can be reused…
If your mattress is in good condition, it might be suitable for reuse and you may even get some cash back for it.
- Some of the furniture collection charities and social enterprises below accept used mattresses (please contact them for confirmation):
- Furnistore (operates in Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge)
- FurnitureLink Surrey (operates across Surrey)
- Furniture Helpline (operates in Guildford and Waverley)
- Kingston Community Furniture (operates in Elmbridge, Runnymede and Spelthorne)
- Woking Community Furniture (operates in Elmbridge, Guildford, Mole Valley, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley and Woking)
- Some charity shops accept used furniture (see our zero-waste map for your local shop or use the search function of the Charity Retail Association’s website)
- Pass on your item either for cash or for free using online stores or websites such as Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Freecycle or Gumtree
If you don’t think your mattress can be reused…
Take it to a CRC
Camberley, Earlswood, Epsom, Guildford, Leatherhead, Lyne, Shepperton, Witley and Woking CRCs accept mattresses.
What happens to mattresses when they are taken to a CRC?
Mattresses taken to CRCs are transported to a local facility where they are shredded. The metal is separated from the rest of the material, which is used to create energy. The metal is recycled into raw metal that is used to create new metal products.
Book a bulky waste collection
All district and borough councils run bulky waste collection services. To book a collection, find details of your local service on our bins, bulky waste and other waste collections in Surrey webpage.
Retailer take-back
Many retailers of mattresses will take away your old mattress at the same time as delivering your new one – make sure you ask about this service if buying new.
To find out what to do with other types of waste where you live in Surrey, use the Surrey Recycles search tool.