The worrying results of a new survey undertaken through Freedom of Information Act requests to every one of the UK’s 385 waste authorities in the UK has highlighted a gulf between the best and worst performers in recycling bulky waste such as mattresses, and prompted the launch of a new website to aid consumers keen to recycle as much as possible. However, it has also shown that the 33 authorities across London are among the best performing across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In the midst of the busiest six weeks of the year for UK mattress sales, also the peak time for disposal, the survey data underlines why there is still consumer confusion about how to get rid of an end-of-life mattress responsibly.
Figures showed London to be performing above well average for diversion from landfill, with no councils in the region reported to use this method (national average 25.1%) and for recycling, with 63.6% of councils sending mattress waste to be separated into component parts for reuse (national average 39.9%). Incineration (generating energy from waste) utilised by 36.4% of councils (national average 36%).
Frontrunner for the region was the North London Waste Authority (NLWA), under which a specialist scheme launched in 2021 has recycled over 200,000 mattresses across its seven boroughs. The area managed by the East London Waste Authority (ELWA) also performed well, with all four boroughs using recycling as their main disposal method from both household waste recycling centres and doorstep collections.
With the survey highlighting the lack of a single, UK-wide resource providing information about how each local authority deals with this type of bulky waste, the National Bed Federation (NBF) which represents the bed industry across the UK, has launched a new free to use portal www.mattressdisposal.co.uk. The website gives insight into how different parts of the UK are disposing of unwanted mattresses and the recycling of their various components, and to signpost consumers to the best options for recycling in their town or city.
Tom Williams, sustainability & circular economy lead for the NBF, said: “Despite growing pressure from consumers for more environmentally-friendly mattress disposal options, it is disappointing to see such disparity across the UK with many regions and nations still a long way from reaching the NBF’s target of 75% mattress diversion from landfill by 2028. However, it must be pointed out that there are often valid reasons, beyond the local authority’s control, why they are not able to achieve higher levels of sustainability. For example, due to prohibitive costs or the lack of specialist recycling facilities. The vital thing is they continue to strive towards finding ‘greener’ solutions and learn from those that have made progress.
“With increased financial pressure on local authorities, we believe that the Government needs to support plans for a nationwide programme to fund a consistent service, perhaps combined with some type of Extended Producer Responsibilities (EPR) scheme, that that make it easy for everyone to cost-effectively recycle their used mattresses.”
The cost of mattress collection in London did amount to a postcode lottery, with prices ranging from ‘free of charge’ to up to £55.The average fee for mattress collection across the region was £20.80, sitting below the national average of £24.84.
With mattresses classed as a ‘difficult waste’ within the recycling industry, a number of councils have partnered with specialist bulky waste collection companies which are working to improve re-use/recycling processes, with the aim of creating viable and affordable solutions for the ever-increasing market.
Williams added: “Not only has our comprehensive research, given a clearer picture of what’s happening to unwanted mattresses across the UK, it has also enabled us to create the first ever dedicated mattress disposal portal, providing a free local search function alongside numerous resources, to make it easier for people to dispose of their mattresses responsibly.”
