| If you are planning to buy a new mattress, the | | | | If you want to get your old mattress recycled, |
| first thing you would need to consider is what to | | | | you could either approach the local authority or |
| do with your old one. Most people usually think of | | | | your mattress retail store. You could request |
| disposing it off. In recent years, however, disposal | | | | them to collect your old mattress and send it for |
| of old mattresses has become a critical issue. | | | | recycling. In fact, over the past few years, a few |
| When people discard their old mattresses it | | | | UK companies have come up that offer recycling |
| creates a huge problem for landfills. A single | | | | and waste management services. One such |
| mattress can take up to 23 cubic feet of space. | | | | company is Matt:UK. Based at the Landmann Way |
| There needs to be a better solution than taking | | | | industrial estate, adjacent to the South East |
| your old mattress to your local community waste | | | | London Combined Heat Power (SELCHP) plant, the |
| centre or contacting your local council refuse | | | | company is into recycling 97% of metal, cotton, |
| department to have it removed. | | | | polyester and felt from mattresses. They procure |
| Reusing and recycling are the two most desirable | | | | mattresses from both local authorities and |
| alternatives to the disposal of your old mattress | | | | commercial sources. |
| into a landfill. If you want, you could break down | | | | Matt:UK follows an effective process for recycling |
| your old mattress and use its parts in a number | | | | mattresses. Each mattress is hand shred on a |
| of ways. For instance, the springs could be used | | | | bespoke table. A specialised cutting tool is used to |
| as a trellis frame to support climbing plants in your | | | | open them whilst they spun. Polyester, foam, felt |
| garden. Sometimes the local authorities take an | | | | and cotton are then separated from the metal |
| initiative to distribute used/old mattresses to poor | | | | produced during the recycling process. The fabric |
| families who are unable to afford to buy a new | | | | materials are then put into an industrial washing |
| mattress. | | | | machine and washed at a temperature of 40 |
| Recycling is the best way of disposing off your | | | | degrees. While the metal is usually sold for |
| old mattress. Unfortunately, not much initiative has | | | | reprocessing and reuse, fabric materials such as |
| been taken in this direction. This is really | | | | polyester, felt and cotton are used in textile |
| unfortunate, as mattresses have a lot of | | | | applications and the foam for insulation purposes. |
| recyclable materials. Each mattress usually | | | | You would need to ask your mattress retailer |
| contains 6-8 pounds of polyurethane which could | | | | whether they could take your old mattress and |
| be easily recycled. On recycling, an old mattress | | | | send it for recycling. Currently, there are a few |
| also produces foam flakes which could be reused | | | | outlets for recycling mattresses in the UK. If |
| in many ways. Foam powder, produced from | | | | there isn't any mattress recycling facility in your |
| recycling mattresses, could be used in high end | | | | area, then make sure you dispose it in a |
| industrial applications. It is important to address | | | | responsible manner. |
| recycling of old mattresses adequately. | | | | |