Quick answer
A mattress cannot go in your wheelie bin. If you can get it outside, a council bulky collection or a tip run is usually cheapest; if you are buying new, ask the retailer to take the old one. For a mattress stuck upstairs or several beds in Brighton, a private collection is easier.
Your options at a glanceSection titled Your%20options%20at%20a%20glance
A mattress cannot go in a wheelie bin, so a Brighton household has four real choices: a bulky collection booked with Brighton & Hove City Council, a trip to one of the council's two household waste recycling sites, a retailer taking the old one away when you buy a new mattress, or a private collection. The cards below compare them, and the sections after that give the detail.
Brighton Council collection
Best for: One mattress that you can get outside before collection day.
- Cost
- From £25 for one item
- Timing
- Phone booking, slots 3 to 4 weeks ahead at the time of writing
- Single and double mattresses (including king size) are on the council's accepted list
- Left on a driveway or in a garden, or just inside the front door if you have no outside space
- You carry it out of the house yourself
Recycling centre
Best for: You have a car or van that a mattress will fit in.
- Cost
- No charge mentioned for mattresses
- Timing
- Within opening hours
- Brighton site (Whitehawk, off Wilson Avenue) and Hove site (Modbury Way, off Old Shoreham Road)
- Proof of a Brighton & Hove address may be asked for
- A double mattress is awkward in a car - check it fits first
Private collection with Brighton Rubbish Removal
Best for: Mattresses still upstairs, several beds, or when it needs to go quickly.
- Cost
- Priced by item and access
- Timing
- Usually the same week
- We carry it down from any room - no lifting for you
- Bed frames, headboards and other furniture in the same visit
- Licensed disposal, with recycling wherever possible
Book a Brighton Council bulky waste collectionSection titled Book%20a%20Brighton%20Council%20bulky%20waste%20collection
Brighton & Hove City Council's large and electrical household items collection lists single and double bed mattresses, including king size, as accepted items. You book by phone on 01273 292 929 (Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 1:30pm) and pay over the phone. At the time of writing the council said slots were being booked 3 to 4 weeks ahead.
Mattresses are not given a separate price on that page, so they appear to fall under the standard per-item rates: £25 for one item, £45 for two and so on, up to six items. Confirm the price for your mattress when you book. Leave it somewhere easy for the crew to reach, such as your driveway or garden, or just inside your front door if you have no outside space. The council warns that items left on the road or pavement count as fly-tipping, with a possible fine of £400. Council prices and rules change, so recheck the official page before booking.
Brighton Council bulky collection costs
Standard per-item rates for up to six items, booked and paid for by phone
One item (e.g. a mattress)
Mattresses are on the accepted list; confirm the price when booking
£25
Additional items
Standard rates run up to six items (£120 for six)
£45 for two items
Council prices and rules change. Recheck the official Brighton Council page before booking.
Take it to the tip yourselfSection titled Take%20it%20to%20the%20tip%20yourself
Brighton & Hove City Council runs two household waste recycling sites: Brighton at Whitehawk, off Wilson Avenue (BN2 5PA), and Hove at Modbury Way, off Old Shoreham Road (BN3 7AE). The council's list of what you can take includes mattresses, and it mentions no charge or limit for them.
- Opening hours: Brighton is open 8am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm at weekends and bank holidays. Hove is open 8am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 1.30pm on Saturday and 10.30am to 1.30pm on Sunday, and closed on bank holidays.
- Proof of address: The access page says car drivers may be asked for a photo driving licence showing a Brighton & Hove address plus a matching proof of residency dated within the last three months. Van drivers need proof of address and two forms of ID.
- Vehicles: Luton and box vans, tippers, flatbeds and commercial vehicles with business signage are not allowed. The access page does not mention a booking requirement, but check it before you travel.
Retailer take-back when you buy a new mattressSection titled Retailer%20take-back%20when%20you%20buy%20a%20new%20mattress
Some bed retailers will take your old mattress away when they deliver a new one, usually for a fee. Dreams, for example, lists its old bed recycling charges as £40 for a single mattress and £60 for a double, king or super king. With home delivery the old mattress is collected from your entrance hallway, or from your chosen room if you pay for its Room of Your Choice service. The service is not offered on products delivered by a third-party courier.
Terms vary by retailer and by order, so ask at checkout what is included, what it costs and where the old mattress needs to be left. That Dreams page is the only retailer scheme we checked, so look at the page of whoever you buy from.
Can you donate or sell an old mattress?Section titled Can%20you%20donate%20or%20sell%20an%20old%20mattress%3F
We could not confirm from a charity's own page that any Brighton charity takes used mattresses, so do not assume one will. The council's bulky collection page suggests donating household items in good condition to city organisations. Contact the organisation first and ask specifically about mattresses.
If you do pass one on or sell it, it needs its permanent fire safety label. GOV.UK guidance on the furniture fire safety regulations states that second-hand supply of furniture still requires a permanent label. A stained, damaged or unlabelled mattress is better disposed of than passed on.
When a private collection makes senseSection titled When%20a%20private%20collection%20makes%20sense
A private collection is worth paying for when the mattress is upstairs or in a flat, there are several beds or a whole bedroom to clear, nobody can lift it, or the council's next slot is too far away. Brighton Rubbish Removal carries the mattress out from the room and disposes of it through licensed routes, so you do not need a vehicle or a free weekend.
Old mattress in the way?
We collect mattresses, bed frames and bedroom furniture across Brighton, carried out from any room, usually the same week.
Which route fits your situationSection titled Which%20route%20fits%20your%20situation
Match your situation
One mattress, already downstairs, no rush
Brighton Council collectionMattresses are on the council's accepted list, from £25 for one item, but slots were 3 to 4 weeks ahead at the time of writing.
You have a van or a big car
Recycling centreThe Brighton (Whitehawk) and Hove (Modbury Way) sites list mattresses as accepted. Bring proof of address, and check a van is allowed.
You are buying a new mattress anyway
Retailer take-backAsk at checkout - the old one can often leave on the same delivery.
It is upstairs, there are several, or it needs to go now
Private collectionOne visit covers carrying, loading and disposal.
Common questionsSection titled Common%20questions
Can I put a mattress out with my bins in Brighton?Section titled Can%20I%20put%20a%20mattress%20out%20with%20my%20bins%20in%20Brighton%3F
No. A mattress is a bulky item, and the council collects those by booking through its bulky collection service. Items left on the road or pavement are treated as fly-tipping, with a possible fine of £400. Council prices and rules change, so recheck the official page before booking.
Does the tip charge for mattresses?Section titled Does%20the%20tip%20charge%20for%20mattresses%3F
The council's list of accepted items includes mattresses and mentions no charge for them. Trade and business waste is not allowed at the sites, so tradespeople clearing a customer's mattress cannot use them. Check the council page for the latest rules before you go.
What happens to a mattress after it is collected?Section titled What%20happens%20to%20a%20mattress%20after%20it%20is%20collected%3F
That depends on who collects it. Mattresses that are recycled are generally broken down so that materials such as steel springs, foam and fabric can be handled separately, but we have not verified how Brighton's council collection or recycling sites treat them. If it matters to you, ask the collector how the mattress will be handled.
Related servicesSection titled Related%20services
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