A study from the National Bed Federation (NBF) has revealed that almost three-quarters of respondents who purchased a mattress between July 2022 and July 2023 would pay more for ‘greener’ mattresses — indicating the increasingly prevalent role sustainability issues are playing in consumer purchasing decisions.

The sustainable disposal of mattresses has long been an important topic in our industry, so we’re delighted to see this research hit the headlines. However, while it’s positive news that consumers want to make more eco-friendly choices, it’s important the public and organisations alike recognise landfill isn’t the only option for end-of-life mattresses. 

Here, we explore how shredding offers a valuable solution when it comes to the sustainable disposal of complex waste materials — discussing its ability to support landfill diversion, and highlighting how investing in this technology can help achieve sustainability goals. 

Unpacking the environmental impact of mattresses

Mattresses are difficult to recycle for several reasons. They are large and bulky items, which makes them inconvenient and costly to handle and transport. The materials they are made from also pose a challenge, as they are typically constructed from a mixture of foam, fabric, metal springs and wood — which can all be difficult and costly to separate and process. 

Plus, in many areas, there is a lack of infrastructure dedicated to the responsible disposal of mattresses. The technology needed to separate, sort or liberate the component materials so they can be recycled or transformed into valuable resources, such as solid recovered fuels (SRF), can be very costly, and may not integrate easily into a business’s wider operations. This leaves many organisations reluctant to invest in the necessary technologies or machinery. So even if people want to get rid of their mattresses sustainably — they may not have convenient options available to them.

These barriers often lead to the unsustainable (and unsightly!) disposal of mattresses, where they are frequently sent to landfills or worse still, fly-tipped — which has a huge impact on the surrounding environment. Considering research by the North London Waste Society, which has revealed that over 7 million mattresses are thrown away in the UK each year — it’s clear that something needs to change, especially when taking into account the large quantities of material and energy involved in their production.

Offsetting this environmental impact through recycling is essential — but unfortunately, many people are still unaware of the fact that mattresses can, and should be recycled.

Investing in a mattress shredder

Successfully recycling mattresses depends on their effective deconstruction, so the different materials can be liberated for effective downstream sorting and re-insertion into the value chain.

Shredding offers a great solution, as the right shredder can break down even the bulkiest of mattresses into its individual component parts. For example, shredded foam can be used as padding in other products, while  wood and metal could be used in new products or melted down for future use. By repurposing materials and giving them a second life, less waste ends up in landfills — which in the long term, can reduce the environmental impact associated with mattresses. 

Shredding also brings benefits from a financial perspective, as dismantled mattresses take up significantly less space than intact mattresses, which immediately reduces transport and storage costs. Carefully segregated and non-contaminated materials can also be sold for re-sale, which reduces manufacturers’ reliance on raw materials.

Sustainable shredding in practice

Renowned for making the ”unshreddable” shreddable, we stock a range of powerful machines, specially engineered to destroy mattresses with ease. This includes the UNTHA XR  — our heavy-duty mattress shredder with a 3m wide loading aperture, which can mechanically dismantle a mattress in as little as 30 seconds. 

With every shred, this powerful electric-driven machine proactively diverts mattresses away from landfills — enabling waste handlers and producers to advance their green credentials, take a more circular approach to mattress disposal and achieve specific environmental goals. 

This has been seen in the case of our client Textek, a Shropshire-based recycling company, which has achieved its ambitious target to recycle one million end-of-life mattresses per annum — thanks to the amazing capabilities of two UNTHA XR3000C shredders. The XR investment has bolstered Textek’s pitch as being the UK’s most advanced bulky waste processing plant, helping the business deliver on its goal of producing a closed loop recycling system that can efficiently process and recycle complex material types, and achieve 100% landfill diversion.

Discover the full story, and explore the range of sustainability benefits shredding mattresses can bring, by downloading our dedicated whitepaper: Mattress recycling — the secret to shredding 200 mattresses per hour

Alternatively, take a look at sustainable mattress shredding in action.