The mattress disposal in London has been an issue for a long time. A quick walk down some London streets reveals not quite a pleasant view. Soaked to the bone mattresses on the pavement, sitting there, quietly observing the fast paced life of the Londoners. Surprisingly big number of mattresses end up in landfills when they could have been recycled or cleaned and reused.
We do offer a complete house clearance services package, that includes mattress disposal and we take responsibility for its future recycling. But before you go to the mattress disposal step, we recommend you to check its condition and then choose how to get rid of it.
To ease the things, let’s divide the mattresses on such that can be reused, and such that cannot. If it is in good condition you can donate or pass it to someone else, why waste it? It can be a friend, a neighbour or even a stranger in need. There are many shelters for homeless, battered women’s shelters or refugee resettlement programs which will gladly accept it. Prepare yourself to make some calls and a little research for the greater cause. In case it is in bad condition which is more likely, it should be recycled. The materials will be used for new products, keeping the planet resources from being used unnecessarily.
The environmental benefits of recycling your old mattress:
- Extended landfill life
- Reduced pollution associated with extraction of virgin materials, pulpwood for example
- Spared resources for future use
There is a special connection between landfills and junk. They love waste, but can not stand mattresses. That is because mattresses can’t be compressed the way most other things can. Thus, they take a great amount of space reserved for other junk. Not to mention that their metal springs can clog the landfill machinery and cause an accident. Many conventional mattresses are made with toxic chemicals. They can leach from it and contaminate the wider environment through seepage into groundwater. As you can see, proper mattress disposal is important.
Depending on your location, you probably will have to pay for the privilege to have your mattress recycled, but only a few pounds. As long as it is bedbug-free, its condition will not matter.
What happens to the recycled mattress materials?
- The mattress foam is turned into carpet underpayment
- The cotton is used in industrial machinery oil filters and other textile applications
- The wooden frames are chipped and used as fuel for a power generating station
- The fabric ticking is tuned into archery targets
The steel wire can be recycled. Steel is continuously recyclable, which means it can be recycled over and over with no loss of performance
Almost any mattress materials are made from recycled and renewable materials and can be recycled at the end of their life. It doesn’t matter if it is a mattress or other junk, we strongly recommend you to get rid of your waste in a responsible and eco-friendly way.