Mattress waste shredding

Mattress shredding - now possible

End-of-life mattresses are notoriously difficult to move, store and process, which means they’re widely considered a huge headache for the resource sector. Some operators would even go so far as to presume they’re economically unshreddable. Until now…

As UNTHA’s innovation has continued, so too have the possibilities when it comes to mattress shredding. We want to put a stop to the 167,000 tonnes of mattresses – that’s 7.5 million units – sent to landfill in the UK, every year. And, through clever engineering, we can even help you achieve a 100% material recovery rate.

Speak to us about mattress shredding

Why shred mattresses?

  • Like other bulky wastes, mattresses are tricky to handle. But the fact that 7.5 million mattresses are thrown away every year in the UK alone – at a cost of over £20m – means that change is needed, and quickly.  Disposal costs are mounting, space on landfill sites is ever-depleting, and fly-tipping is on the rise.
  • A number of recyclable materials remain ‘locked’ in unwanted mattresses, unless they are effectively processed and liberated. As the UK works towards a greener, more sustainable, closed loop society, such valuable resources cannot go to waste any longer – especially when there are mattress shredders which can shred up to 200 mattresses per hour.
  • 80% of a mattress can be recycled into new consumer and industrial products. For alternative fuel manufacturers with a strong environmental agenda, it is even possible to re-shred any residual contaminated material to achieve a 100% recovery rate – in other words, zero waste to landfill.
  • By investing in a mattress shredding machine engineered specifically to handle this bulky waste, the process can soon become a revenue-generating operation. Key to maximising margins is the investment in a low wear, low energy, robust machine that can withstand the pressures of this complicated application.

How can UNTHA help you shred mattresses?

1.

Globally renowned for making the ‘unshreddable’, shreddable, UNTHA has purposefully designed a flexible, heavy duty mattress shredder with 3m wide loading aperture, that can mechanically dismantle a mattress in as little as 30 seconds, compared to the 7-10 minutes it would typically take a skilled worker to manually break down this complex product.

2.

Shredding down to a pre-defined homogenous particle size – such as a <50mm fraction – to liberate steel from the flock, empowers downstream separation technology to best do its job! In fact, it’s possible to produce a highly calorific 30mm clean flock – free of contaminated material – which can be mixed to create a Solid Recovered Fuel. Even the residual contaminated arisings can be re-shred for alternative fuel production.

3.

Every design feature within an UNTHA mattress shredder, has been engineered to enhance plant uptime, minimise operational disruption and maximise ROI. Talk to us about variable product sizing, our indexable quick-change cutter system, our electric drive, low cost wear parts, long service intervals, and a payback period as little as 12 months!

4.

UNTHA’s team is as well-known as our technology, which sees operators routinely involve our shredding experts in the earliest stages of their projects. We are happy to help design mattress shredding lines and regularly consult with new and existing facilities to boost throughputs, refine output quality, increase production margins, and reduce whole life running costs.

Did you know…. 80% of a mattress can be recycled into new consumer and industrial products.

What materials can we liberate?

The size and composition of mattresses is extremely varied, therefore UNTHA’s flexible mattress shredders are capable of handling small, infant-sized mattresses through to super-king size and above – including pocket sprung products.

Metal

can be sent to scrap recyclers before being smelted for remanufacturing

Foam

can be broken down and transformed into carpet underlay or animal bedding

Textiles/Fibres

can be salvaged for reuse in oil filters or used as flock within the energy recovery market, reducing our reliance on depleting fossil fuels

Wood

can be shredded to produce landscaping mulch or a biomass resource

Textek’s Shropshire plant is home to two UNTHA XR shredders

Our range of mattress shredders

  • A world-famous single-shaft machine globally renowned for doing the job other shredders can’t.

  • The same great mattress shredding technology, with in-built tracks, discharge conveyor and magnet belt, for added on-site flexibility.

Struggling with shredding decisions?

Save time and money finding the perfect investment for your waste management needs – our shredding technology guide cuts through complexity to help you choose the right solution.

UNTHA UK

“Engineering innovations are advancing at pace, which is changing the shape of what’s possible, in the reuse, recycling and energy recovery arenas. Consequently, operators throughout the environmental sector are re-evaluating the commercial viability of materials that are still presumed impractical to process, but perhaps are not.”

Gary Moore, sales director

Textek

“Following trials to prove the UNTHA XR could handle the variety of foam and sprung mattresses currently being disposed of in the UK – not to mention our capacity targets – our sophisticated facility now stands to divert one million mattresses from landfill in the next 12 months. This will result in the recovery of approximately 25,000 tonnes of steel wire alone!”

Martin Price, managing director

Book a trial

If you’re considering an investment in
new technology, we invite you to visit
our HQ to try one of our shredders,
for free, using your own materials.

Order spare parts

With millions of pounds of consignment
stock available at our central UK HQ,
we have hundreds of product lines
available for immediate dispatch.

Request a Quote

To explore the indicative cost of a new shredding solution, complete this short form to get the conversation started.

Download our free buyer's guide