HOW TO HIRE · REMOVALS & STORAGE

How to hire a mattress disposal firm in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A mattress disposal firm must be a registered waste carrier. Check the number, ask whether it is recycled, and compare the council.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a mattress disposal firm in five steps

  1. Check the carrier numberOn the public register first.
  2. Say the size and numberSingle, double, king; divan bases too.
  3. Ask about recyclingMattresses can be dismantled for recycling.
  4. Compare the councilMany collect bulky items.
  5. Keep the receiptWith the business details.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Waste carrier registration

Carrying waste for others is lawful only with registration: Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland, DAERA in Northern Ireland. Ask the mattress disposal firm for the number; in England an upper-tier one starts CBDU.

Look the number up before booking, and note it with the date. environment.data.gov.uk →

Your duty of care

The householder's duty of care (Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34 in England and Wales; Scotland's own duty) means checking that the mattress disposal firm is authorised. In England failing it can bring a £150 to £600 fixed penalty.

Keep a photo of the carrier registration, the vehicle registration and a receipt with the business's details. legislation.gov.uk →

Where the waste is going

Scotland's 2026 duty of care code of practice (Environmental Protection Act 1990) says to ask where the waste will go and to treat unrealistically cheap prices with suspicion; a mattress disposal firm should name the site.

Ask which licensed site the load will go to. gov.scot →

Council bulky-waste collection

Gov.uk's recycling service finder (England and Wales) points you to your council's household waste services; many councils collect mattresses as bulky waste.

Compare the council's bulky-item service with the mattress disposal firm's price. gov.uk →

VAT

Mattress collection is standard-rated, so a registered mattress disposal firm adds 20% to the price per mattress or bed base. Registration becomes compulsory once a mattress disposal firm has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the mattress disposal firm for the VAT number with the carrier number and for each item and VAT shown separately. gov.uk →

“What is your waste carrier number?”

A good answer: One you can check that matches the mattress disposal firm.

“Will the mattress be recycled?”

A good answer: A recycling site named, or a licensed site.

“Do you take divan bases too?”

A good answer: Priced per item.

“Is the mattress collection price per item?”

A good answer: Written, including carrying.

“Do you bag it for the van?”

A good answer: Bagged if it is soiled or for hygiene.

“Can you collect from upstairs?”

A good answer: Included, or priced.

“Will I get a receipt?”

A good answer: Yes, with the carrier number.

Getting the quote right

  • Items and price per item
  • Who actually attends the collection: the mattress disposal firm's employed crew, or a subcontracted carrier with its own registration
  • Carrying and access
  • Where it goes
  • The carrier number
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the price per item

Walk away if

  • No carrier number
  • A cash price far under others
  • No receipt
  • They cannot say where it goes
LOW
£20
TYPICAL
£40
HIGH
£60

What a mattress disposal firm costs: £20–£60 per item

Mattress disposal is priced per item; size, the number of items and access set the price. Mattress Disposal price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Mattress disposal firms near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. BookItems listed, carrier checked.
  2. BagBagged for hygiene if needed.
  3. CarryCarried out with walls protected.
  4. TransportLoaded and covered.
  5. RecycleTaken to a recycler or licensed site.

Divan base
The box base under a mattress.
Mattress recycling
Separating springs, foam and fabric.
Bulky waste
Large household items.
Waste carrier number
Registration to carry waste.
Duty of care
Your duty to use an authorised person.
Fly-tipping
Illegal dumping.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the receiptYour record of the duty of care.
Check the stairsNo damage on the way out.
Report dumpingTell the council if it turns up dumped.
Write the reviewYour review is what the next customer reads before booking this mattress disposal firm. If there is something to fix, use the make-it-right step before you post it.

STEP 1Write to them firstSend the mattress disposal firm a message naming the problem with the collection and the fix you want. If the work lacked reasonable care and skill (Consumer Rights Act 2015), you may ask for it to be done again or for a price cut.
STEP 2Make it right through LocufyGive fewer than four stars and you are asked whether the mattress disposal firm should get the chance to fix it first; we follow it through before the review goes up.
STEP 3Fly-tipping or an unregistered carrierIf waste the mattress disposal firm took turns up dumped, report it to the council and the regulator — the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or DAERA — with your receipt and their number. Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133, England and Wales), Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) and Consumerline in Northern Ireland (0300 123 6262) advise and can refer a trader to Trading Standards.
STEP 4The court, if it comes to thatAn unpaid refund from the mattress disposal firm can be claimed for up to £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland and £5,000 in Northern Ireland, with no lawyer needed.

Hiring a mattress disposal firm: questions people ask

Yes. Carrying other people's waste as a business needs registration in every nation — Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or DAERA. Ask for the number and check it.

The mattress disposal firm commits an offence, and you can too if you did not check they were authorised: in England the fixed penalty for a householder is £150 to £600. Keep the carrier number and receipt.

Between £20 and £60 an item; about £40 is typical. Read the mattress disposal price guide for the detail, and search your area above for local prices.

Many councils collect mattresses as bulky waste; check yours.

Some retailers offer collection when you buy new; ask.

Not for your household waste in England and Wales — keep the receipt and carrier number instead. A business clearing its own waste must complete one for each load, and DAERA advises households in Northern Ireland to ask for one.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in removals & storage

How to hire: Furniture DisposalHow to hire: House ClearanceHow to hire: Junk & Rubbish RemovalHow to hire: Appliance DisposalHow to hire: Man with a VanHow to hire: Home RemovalsHow to hire: Skip HireHow to hire: Garage ClearanceAll 701 hiring guides →

Mattress disposal firms near you

Mattress disposal firms in LondonMattress disposal firms in ManchesterMattress disposal firms in BirminghamMattress disposal firms in GlasgowMattress disposal firms in BelfastAll mattress disposal firms on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (England)
  2. Environment Agency — public register of waste carriers
  3. Natural Resources Wales — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer
  4. SEPA — waste carriers and brokers
  5. DAERA — registration of carriers and brokers
  6. Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34 — duty of care
  7. Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34ZA — householder fixed penalties (England)
  8. gov.scot — Duty of Care code of practice for managing controlled waste (2026): householders
  9. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  10. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track (England and Wales)
  11. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  12. gov.uk — recycling collections (England and Wales)
  13. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  14. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register