Why Mattress Recycling Matters in Sydney (And What Happens to Your Old Mattress)

Every year, Australians send millions of mattresses to landfill — yet up to 90% of a mattress can be recycled. A single mattress can take up around 20 cubic metres of landfill space, and the steel, foam and timber inside take decades to break down. Here's what actually happens when you recycle one instead.

What's inside a mattress?

A standard mattress is made of several recyclable components:

• Steel springs — melted down and reused in manufacturing
• Foam layers — shredded into carpet underlay or acoustic insulation
• Timber frame — chipped into mulch or biomass fuel
• Fabric cover — sorted for fibre recovery where possible

In landfill, all of this is wasted. Recycled properly, the materials re-enter the economy and reduce the need for virgin resources.

The mattress disposal problem in Sydney

Sydney generates a huge volume of mattress waste, driven by population growth and cheap mattress-in-a-box brands. Council kerbside collections can't always keep up, and illegal dumping creates hazards that cost councils — and taxpayers — millions to clean up.

How Recycle Corp does it differently

We make responsible disposal simple: book online, leave your mattress at the doorstep, and we collect it same-day across Sydney. Every mattress we collect goes to recycling — not landfill. Our flat $80 fee covers doorstep pickup, transport and full recycling. No skip bins, no tip runs.

How to book a mattress collection in Sydney

1. Go to the Book a Mattress Pickup page
2. Choose how many mattresses
3. Pick your preferred date and time
4. Proceed to checkout — a flat $80 per mattress

Every mattress you recycle with us is one less in landfill. Book your mattress pickup today →