Learn more about Mattress Disposal in Enfield
Private waste removal companies and Enfield’s council run services both provide mattress disposal options for residents, along with some mattress retailers that will remove your old mattress when they bring your new one. This “swap” system may be very convenient, but unless it is stated otherwise on a company website, you cannot guarantee that your mattress will be disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way.
Mattresses can take up to 10 years to break down in the landfill environment, using up valuable space due to their bulky size. Of the 70,000+ mattresses that were disposed of in Enfield last year, only 9,000 were recycled, giving the area a mattress recycle rate of just 12%. This means that the vast majority of Enfield’s unwanted mattresses ended up in landfills or worse, illegally dumped or fly-tipped, which inevitably get landfilled. When fly-tipped, a mattress is exposed to the elements and loses its flame-retardant coating. This coating is considered toxic and creates a risk for nearby plants and wildlife, as well as becoming a serious fire hazard.
To lessen the number of illegally dumped and landfilled mattresses, the local authority operates a bulky item collection service for Enfield residents. This is a popular method of mattress removal and will cost around £40 for one item, with an additional charge of £10 for the option of choosing your collection date. If you don’t want to pay the extra, the collection is sorted by postcode and you may be left waiting for some time with your unwanted mattress taking up space. Additionally, the local household waste recycling centre (HWRC) is able to accept unwanted mattresses from Enfield residents, with the closest option being the Barrowell Green Recycling Centre.