The easiest way is to ask the retailer to take your old mattress when your new one is delivered, which typically costs £20 to £55. Other options are a council bulky waste collection, a household waste recycling centre, a charity if it is clean and in good condition, or a licensed waste firm. Never leave it on the street, because that is fly-tipping.
Key points
- Retailer take away with a new delivery is usually the simplest option, at roughly £20 to £55 depending on the shop and mattress size.
- Charities may collect free, but only if the mattress is clean, undamaged and has its fire safety label.
- Council collections range from free to around £80, and a bed frame can count as a second item.
- Many household waste recycling centres accept mattresses, but check first, because rules differ by council.
- Always use a registered waste carrier. If your mattress is fly-tipped, you can be fined.
Your main options at a glance
Mattresses are awkward. They are too large for a bin, a skip may charge extra for them, and they cannot simply be left outside. The good news is that you have several legitimate routes, and one of them is usually cheap or free.
| Option | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Retailer take away with a new mattress | About £20 to £55 | Anyone buying a replacement |
| Charity or reuse collection | Free, if clean and saleable | Mattresses in very good condition |
| Council bulky waste collection | Free to around £80, depending on council | One or two bulky items |
| Household waste recycling centre | Usually free, if accepted | People with a suitable vehicle |
| Paid collection by a registered firm | Varies; ask for a written quote | Mattress plus other clutter |
| Give away or sell | Free, or you earn money | Nearly new mattresses |
Retailer take away: usually the easiest
Many retailers take your old mattress when they deliver the new one. According to a Which? review, Argos charges £30, Dreams charges £20 for a single and £55 for a double, king or super king, IKEA charges £40, John Lewis charges £29.95 and Next charges £20. Prices change, so confirm the figure at the time of ordering.
Ask two questions before you agree. First, will the mattress actually be recycled? Which? points out that the National Bed Federation estimated a recycling rate of around 56% in 2023, so it is worth asking. Second, do you need to do anything beforehand? Some retailers ask you to wrap the mattress or leave it near the front door.
Free routes: charities, reuse and giving it away
If the mattress is in good condition, charities such as the British Heart Foundation, Debra UK, Emmaus, Sue Ryder and YMCA may collect it for free, according to Which?. They often ask for photos first, and the mattress must be clean and fit for use. The British Heart Foundation requires an intact fire safety label, and Debra UK asks that there are no stains.
Zero Waste Scotland gives the same warning: the fire safety label must stay on, or the mattress cannot be resold. Furniture reuse projects are also worth a call. In Glasgow, for example, Emmaus collects good quality, saleable furniture free of charge, and in Bristol both Emmaus and St Peter's Hospice offer free furniture collections. Our guide to free rubbish disposal covers more free routes.
You can also give a good mattress away on Freecycle or sell it on a marketplace. Be honest about its age and condition. Most worn mattresses are not suitable for reuse, and charities will turn them down.
Council collection and recycling centres
Most councils collect bulky items for a fee. Which? found examples ranging from £76 for up to five items in the London Borough of Richmond to £80.90 for a short collection in Argyll and Bute, while a few councils, including Liverpool, collect for free. A bed frame and mattress may be counted as two items.
From our own council research, checked on 3 November 2026:
- Liverpool collects up to five bulky items free of charge.
- Manchester gives each household one free collection of up to three large items a year, then charges £27 for up to three items.
- Leeds gives one free collection of up to five items per financial year, then £30 per collection.
- Edinburgh charges £5 per item, up to five items per booking.
- Glasgow charges £5 per standard or upholstered item, so check how your mattress is classed when booking.
- Cardiff charges £15 for one or two items, plus a £5 booking fee.
- Birmingham charges £49.50 for up to 10 items, but new bookings were paused when we checked because of industrial action.
Our guide on booking a council bulky waste collection explains the process step by step. If you would rather take it yourself, many household waste recycling centres accept mattresses, but not all do. Zero Waste Scotland says to check your council website first, and the same advice applies in England and Wales.
Paid collection and what it can cost
A registered waste firm can take a mattress on its own or as part of a larger clear out. Specialist mattress recyclers exist, and in Scotland Zero Waste Scotland names several that collect for a fee and recycle the parts. Ask where the mattress will go before you book.
For a small load, one ranked Leeds firm publishes single item removals from £45 including VAT, which gives you a sense of the price range; see the Leeds junk clearance ranking. If a mattress is one of several items, a combined load is often better value. You can browse more firms on the junk clearance hub.
Be wary of skips. Many hire firms ban mattresses or charge per mattress, as covered in our guide on what can and cannot go in a skip. And never leave a mattress in someone else's skip.
What not to do
- Do not leave the mattress on the pavement, in an alley or at a bin store. Which? says that fly-tipping is illegal and can result in a large fine.
- Do not pay a cash only stranger who knocks at the door. Anyone taking your waste must be a registered waste carrier. You can check on the Environment Agency register in England, and Natural Resources Wales publishes its own register in Wales.
- Do not burn it.
- Do not remove the fire safety label if you hope to donate or reuse the mattress.
As a householder, you have a legal duty of care to give your waste only to a licensed carrier. In England, councils can issue householders who fail in that duty a fixed penalty of up to £600 when their waste is later found fly-tipped. Read more in our guide to fly-tipping fines.
Quick answers
How to get rid of an old mattress for free in the UK?
Offer it to a charity or furniture reuse project if it is clean, undamaged and still has its fire safety label, or list it on Freecycle. Some councils also collect a limited number of bulky items free, for example Liverpool and, once a year, Manchester and Leeds.
What is the easiest way to get rid of an old mattress?
Ask the retailer to take it away when your new mattress is delivered. It is usually a flat charge of around £20 to £55 and needs no extra trips or bookings. Ask whether it will be recycled.
How much does it cost to dispose of a mattress in the UK?
Retailer take away is typically £20 to £55. Council collections range from free to around £80 depending on where you live. Our city data shows single item removals from £45 including VAT from one ranked Leeds firm.
Can you cut a mattress in half to get rid of it?
We found no official guidance that recommends it, and a mattress contains springs or dense foam that can be hard to cut and hazardous to handle. It is safer to use a collection or recycling route. If you plan to take it to a recycling centre, ask the site how it wants mattresses presented.
Find a trusted junk clearance firm
We rank the five best junk clearance companies in 11 UK cities on reviews, licensing and recycling. Nobody pays to be listed. See all junk clearance rankings.
Sources
- Which?: How to dispose of a mattress
- Zero Waste Scotland: What to do with mattresses
- National Bed Federation: Partnership with Zero Waste Scotland
- GOV.UK: Find a registered waste carrier
- Natural Resources Wales: Householders, disposing of your household waste
- GOV.UK news: Fly-tipping, new measures in fight against waste crime
- GOV.UK: Household waste duty of care fixed penalty notice guidance
Prices and council fees quoted from our city rankings were checked on 3 November 2026. Rules can change, so check with your council or the regulator before you act. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
