How to Dispose of a Old Mattress UK
Disposing of an old mattress sounds so easy until it’s time to replace your mattress. Mattresses take a lot of space and the last thing you want is reducing the available space with an old mattress.
Although it is possible to break the mattress to individual components and discard or burn it, this adds to the UK’s landfill problem. Burning the mattress may cause a fire hazard or land you in conflict with the local regulations since the fumes are harmful to the environment. Instead, here are the best ways to dispose of your mattress. Also check out our guides for your new mattress.
1. Dispose it to a recycling center
A recycling centre will save you the trouble of disposing of your mattress. However, the service may not be available in your local area so you will have to do some extra research to contact them. At the centre, your mattress is torn apart and recycled to different products. In case of a spring mattress, the springs can be melted to form metal parts while the foam can make carpet paddling.
Mattress recycling is becoming the best and highly recommended method to dispose of mattresses in the UK. It is not only easy but also simple and environment friendly. You can take it to the reprocessing centre yourself or call them to pick it.
Donate the mattress
If you are in a dilemma on how to dispose of mattress without spending a coin, donating it is the best way. However, the mattress should be in good condition to be used again. By donating your mattress, you play a corporate responsibility of taking care of the environment and more importantly, put a smile on someone’s face.
Some people may not afford a new mattress and giving them what you consider old adds to their sleeping comfort. Check with your local shelters, charitable organizations or church groups to donate it there. Alternatively, use social media platforms for advertising this and making sure you specify that it’s a free donation. You will have to be patient in your donation as it may take several days.
Use a mattress collection disposal service
You most likely will be buying a new mattress as you dispose of the old one. If you are in such a scenario, the best way would be to dispose of the mattress with the company you are buying from. However, not all mattress companies offer disposal services. Research to find those that offer this service and buy from them as you dispose of the old one.
You can also contact a local mattress collection centre and direct them to pick your old comfort. They will, in turn, take it to a disposal company which may recycle it to other items. Furthermore, a collection centre is experienced in this so they will know where to take it.
Sell it
If the mattress is in a decent state, donating it is not the only option. You can opt to sell it and make some extra coin from the sale. Use the available advertisement options like social media to spread the word and promote the sale. You can also advertise through your friends who may know someone in need of such a mattress.
Although you have an option to sell your used mattress, make sure not to overprice it as this may discourage buyers. The best way is to research what other sellers are selling their used mattresses at and place your price within the range. Again, don’t price it too low as you will not get the amount you deserve.
Contact the local council
Fortunately, a lot of UK’s local councils provide mattress disposal services. Contact your local council and arrange a pick-up location and time to get rid of your used mattress.
This will save you time and effort to get the large item to a convenient location. However, you will have to pay a collection fee for your old mattress collection.
Not all local councils offer bulk disposal services. Being a bulk item, your old mattress collection will demand a large fee. Contact your local council to know how much they will charge you and prepare in advance.
Take it to the local tip
If you own a car, you drive to a local tip and dump your mattress there. The advantage is that you won’t pay for this. However, a tip may be far from your residence so you will have to drive a long way.
Depending on the size of your car, you can roll the mattress to occupy less space. However, there are mattress types that will take more space. For example, a traditional pocket mattress may be hard to roll, demanding more space. With a small car, driving it to a tip may be impossible.
Once in the dumping tip, these mattresses are picked for reprocessing. Mattresses are not biodegradable and leaving them to decompose may take forever. If not taken care of, they result in landfills and ugly environments, thus reusing them is the best solution.
Other ways to dispose your mattress
The above-discussed methods are not the only ways to dispose of your mattress. However, they are the best options as most of them are in line with regulations and are environment friendly.
Unfortunately, research shows that most people prefer burning their mattresses as a disposal method. Although it is a successful method, the fumes released to the environment are harmful to the environment and may even interfere with our respiratory system. Besides, it is hard to control a mattress fire and may cause a hazardous fire if handled carelessly.
Another option is to dispose of your mattress in a skip if you happen to rent one. Before you settle for this option, you should know that it will contribute to a landfill, which is a rising issue in the UK. If you don’t mind, you can dump your mattress in a skip. Just not in another person’s skip or along the road as you may be fined for these.
There are several ways to dispose of your mattress. However, not all of them are safe or environment friendly. Some methods may even land you in trouble, so be careful as you go about it.
How long before you dispose your mattress?
People expect their mattresses to last at least five years before replacing them. Although this is possible, the duration of your mattress depends on a lot of things. The obvious ones being its make, how you take care of it and the quality of materials used to make it. You, therefore, have to consider all that when determining the duration of your mattress.
Some people think that buying a mattress with a new bed base improves its durability. This does not, however, guarantee that your mattress will last longer. Even though using an incorrect or old bed frame with a new mattress comes with disadvantages like invalidating your warranty. Choose the correct bed frame to enjoy the warranty and be comfortable in your bed.
There is a misconception that the more money you spend on a mattress, the longer it will last. Although investing in quality mattress may be expensive, this should not guarantee durability. There is so much to consider apart from cost for better quality. Include all these factors when buying a new mattress.
Final thought
While replacing your old mattress, think of where to take your old one to avoid congestion in your room. Research on the available options on how to dispose of mattress and make sure they are in line with the set regulations. Furthermore, consider disposal methods that are safe and friendly to the environment and be a leading example in taking care of our environment. For our other recommended bedroom furniture click here.
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