If you have an old mattress in the house, you might be wondering, what do I do with this mattress? How do I dispose of it and recycle my old mattress?
When it comes to getting rid of a mattress, there are a few different options;
- Take your old mattress to the local tip
- Give it a second life by donating to friends, family or a charity
- Use a mattress removal service to dispose of your mattress
- Book a bulky waste collection through your local council
- Book with Simba’s recycling team to come and collect it
All mattresses, no matter how well made, will need to be replaced eventually. Most manufacturers recommend that you should replace your mattress every 8-10 years on average, but this depends on the condition. An old mattress can become unhygienic or offer less support resulting in poorer sleep quality. They can also become damaged by damp, mould or staining.
How to recycle an old mattress
Many of us would like our old mattress to be recycled. Unfortunately, when you take a mattress to the local tip or use an independent mattress or waste removal service, it does not guarantee the mattress will be properly recycled. In fact, very often these surplus mattresses can be sent overseas and even fly tipped.
The figures don’t lie. In the UK, only 14% of used mattresses are currently sent for ‘real’ recycling. This refers to when more than 80% of components are salvaged. Which means that 86% of unwanted mattresses are not recycled, resulting in 167,000 tonnes of landfill. With this in mind, consider choosing a more sustainable mattress to begin with.
Buy a recyclable, toxin-free mattress in the first instance
To improve the chances of your old mattress being recycled, it helps if it is sustainably made in the first place. All Simba mattresses are made from 100% recyclable materials.
We make every effort to ensure that the manufacturing process for Simba is as environmentally friendly as possible. We only use British wool and ensure 100% of any waste foam or metal from the manufacturing process is sold on for use in other products, such as flooring underlay or dog beds.
We have also worked hard to remove toxins and recently introduced our Simba Pure within all our mattresses. Simba Pure, as well as being TCPP Free (a Fire Retardant chemical found in most furniture since the 1960's), has reduced Volatile Organic Compounds and is also free from Bisphenols and Parabens, to name just a few other nasty chemicals.
Buy a refurbished mattress
Simba’s mattress removal service is designed to refurbish or recycle every Simba mattress we take back. We test and inspect all returned mattresses, we replace defective parts inside and out with authentic Simba parts, and we cleanse and sanitise them so they are as pristine as new. We reduce waste and you save money with models like our Hybrid® Mattress Refurbished.
Use Simba’s mattress collection service
When purchasing a new mattress, check that the retailer will remove your old mattress when they deliver the new one as part of the delivery service. Simba will take away your old mattress, from any make or brand, for a flat fee of £40.