With consumers continuing to become more eco-conscious, the latest survey by the National Bed Federation (NBF) shows that in Greater London, over three quarters of people are worried about the fate of their old mattress.

In the consumer research* undertaken by the NBF in June 2024, 77% in the region said that whether their old mattress was being recycled rather than being sent to landfill would influence the route they chose for its disposal.

When told that of the seven million mattresses disposed of every year in the UK, about 75% or 5.25m go to landfill, the majority of consumers in Greater London – 79% – said they would pay more for a ‘greener’ mattress which could be completely deconstructed and fully recycled, so avoiding it ending up in landfill. However, the cost of living crisis is having its effect on just how much extra they are willing to pay – 18% said they would pay up to 5% more; 36% between 6 and 10% and just 22% said they would pay between 11 and 15% more.

“Increasingly, sustainability issues are having an impact on mattress purchasing decisions both here and across the UK with more people every year concerned about what happens to their mattress when it reaches the end of its life. In recent years, we’ve seen growing numbers of consumers prepared to pay more for a new mattress that has been designed so that it can be completely deconstructed and fully recycled, thereby avoiding landfill,” explains Simon Williams, the NBF’s head of marketing and membership.

The research showed that, across the UK, just 10% had their old mattress collected by their local council, compared with 15% two years ago and 11.5% in 2023. However, the industry is taking up some of the slack: 17% reported having their old mattress taken away by the company delivering their new one, up from 14%; and just over 8% said it was collected by a waste disposal company, although this was a fall of 1% since last year.

“Unfortunately, it is often difficult for people to know the ultimate fate of their old mattress – while our survey showed that 21% of people nationwide took their mattress to the local tip, local authorities in many areas are still struggling to recycle these bulky, multi-component items,” continues Williams. “At the end of last year, we carried out an extensive Freedom of Information Act survey which highlighted the gulf between the best and worst performers in recycling this type of bulky waste. The huge disparity of provision in different areas which it revealed resulted in us launching a new website to aid consumers keen to recycle as much as possible.

“We believe it is more important than ever that the Government listens to the bed industry’s call for a nationwide programme to fund a service, enabling everyone to recycle their used mattresses, regardless of where they live.”

To find out more about how to dispose of mattresses in your local area visit www.mattressdisposal.co.uk