How do I get rid of a mattress?

You get rid of a mattress in one of four ways: a council bulky-waste collection, usually a fortnight away; a retailer take-back when a new one is delivered; a charity collection, which only takes mattresses with the fire label still attached and no stains; or a licensed waste carrier, which collects on a day you choose. A mattress cannot go in a wheelie bin or a household recycling centre's general skip, and leaving it on the street is fly-tipping. Collected mattresses are stripped at a recycling plant: springs to metal, foam and fabric to carpet underlay or energy recovery. For a hotel, a refit or a landlord with several, a single bulky collection takes them all in one visit.