Mattresses

Disposal options

• Donate, sell or gift items where possible. Consider repairing items to extend their life before disposal, including donating items to organisations that repair items or use parts to make new products. Check the City Services - Reuse page for more information.
• Drop off or organise collection of unusable mattresses and ensemble bases (fees apply) at:
  • Soft Landing
    John Cory Circuit, Hume
    7:30 am and 3:30 pm Monday to Friday
  • Mugga Lane Resource Management Centre
  • Mitchell Resource Management Centre

• Some items in excellent condition for children aged 0–16 years be accepted by Roundabout Canberra (conditions apply). Check the Donate Goods page for current acceptance criteria.
• GIVIT is an online donation platform that connects people with charities. Mattresses in good condition may be accepted if there is a current request listed on their What’s Needed page. Items are listed online and collected by the requesting organisation.
• Consider booking a free bulky waste collection. Follow the preparation requirements provided when booking (conditions apply). Mattresses and ensemble bases incur a fee and count towards the 2 cubic metre allocation.
• When buying a new mattress, ask the retailer to take your old mattress for recycling.
• Do not dump or leave items in public places or outside charities. This is illegal dumping and fines apply.

Mattress recycling pricing

Included in mattress recycling

• Mattresses of all sizes (foam, spring, pillow-top, box-spring styles)
• Sofa bed mattresses (remove from the frame before recycling)
• Ensemble bases (box-shaped base under a mattress, always covered in fabric, often sold as part of a set)
• Foam and latex mattress toppers (including memory foam)

Not included in mattress recycling

• Air mattresses (inflatable)
• Waterbeds (filled with water, or empty)
• Futon mattress (thin and foldable)
• Quilted or padded mattress toppers (non-foam; fibre filled or pillow top styles)
• Bed frames (timber or metal frames)
• Slats, rails or headboards (bed frame parts)
• Dismantled mattresses (ripped apart; fees still apply and dismantling can cause injury)
• Electric adjustable bed bases (including beds with motors, wiring, control boxes or remote controls). Check the Furniture (metal, plastic and wood) page for disposal options.

Additional Information

• Mattresses and ensemble bases are treated as separate items, even if purchased as a set. The same recycling fee applies to each item, regardless of bed size. Recycling includes the entire item, such as springs, foam and base frame.
• Do not dismantle mattresses or ensemble bases. Removing springs, foam or fabric is unsafe and will not reduce the recycling fee.
• Mattress parts are not accepted in the metal recycling at the Resource Management Centres or transfer stations.
• Soft Landing recycles mattresses to keep them out of landfill. Up to 75 per cent of a mattress or base can be recovered and reused in new products such as:
  • steel springs for roof sheeting
  • foam for carpet underlay
  • husk for weed matting and mulch
  • timber for kindling, mulch and animal bedding and
  • fabric for acoustic panelling.

For more information please watch the Soft Landing video.

Related items

This may include queen mattresses; single mattresses; cot mattresses; single-bed mattresses; double bed mattresses; queen size bed mattresses; ensembles; electric beds; motorised beds; slat bed mattresses; bed bases; king mattresses; futons; foam mattresses; waterbeds; air mattresses; mattress toppers; bed boards; bed frames.