Your mattress matters

Someone pressing down on an old mattress

How to dispose of mattresses in Surrey

An old mattress can be difficult to get rid of. They're bulky, awkward to move and made from a mix of materials, including fabric, foam and metal. This makes them harder to recycle than most household items.

The good news is that there are several ways to dispose of mattresses across Surrey.

Think before you buy

Buying a new mattress can be expensive, so it's worth considering whether a good-quality second-hand or refurbished mattress could meet your needs.

Many of the furniture collection charities listed below and some local charity shops sell second-hand mattresses.

Retailers such as:

Bensons for Beds
Eve
Emma
Simba
My Next Mattress

All sell refurbished mattresses. You can also visit online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, or eBay.

If you think your mattress can be reused...

If your mattress is still clean and in good condition, someone else may be able to make use of it.

Some of the furniture collection charities and social enterprises below accept used mattresses (please contact them for confirmation):

Furnistore (operates in Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge)
Furniturelink Surrey (operates across Surrey)
Furniture Helpline (operates in Guildford and Waverley)
Kingston Community Furniture (operates in Elmbridge, Runnymede and Spelthorne)
Woking Community Furniture (operates in Elmbridge, Guildford, Mole Valley, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley and Woking)

Some charity shops may accept used mattresses, although you should check that they do before visiting them. See our zero-waste map for your local shop or use the search function of the Charity Retail Association’s website.

Pass on your item either for cash or for free using online stores or websites such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Freecycle or Gumtree.

If you don’t think your mattress can be reused...

Take it to your local Community Recycling Centre (CRC).

Camberley, Earlswood, Epsom, Guildford, Leatherhead, Lyne, Shepperton, Witley and Woking CRCs accept mattresses.

What happens to mattresses when they are taken to a CRC?

Mattresses taken to CRCs are transported to a local facility where they are shredded. The metal is separated from the rest of the material, which is used to create energy. The metal is recycled into raw metal that is used to create new metal products.

Book a bulky waste collection

All district and borough councils run bulky waste collection services. To book a collection, find details of your local service on our bins, bulky waste and other waste collections in Surrey webpage.

Retailer take-back

Many retailers of mattresses will take away your old mattress at the same time as delivering your new one – make sure you ask about this service if buying new.

To find out what to do with other types of waste where you live in Surrey, use the Surrey Recycles search tool.