Residents in the Cessnock local government area will be able to dispose of old mattresses for free later this month.
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Cessnock City Council will offer a free drop-off service for disused mattresses and ensembles at Cessnock TAFE between 8am and noon on September 19.
Discarded mattresses will either be sanitised and donated to charity or recycled for materials, depending on their condition and quality.
Ordinarily, there is a charge to dispose of a mattress at the Cessnock Waste and Reuse Centre, which covers the cost of recycling off-site rather than land filling.
“We believe most people want to recycle but it appears they change their mind when there is a cost,” environment and waste manager Michael Alexander said.
“We hope residents will use this free service and support recycling as we see too many old mattresses illegally dumped or incorrectly sent to landfill each and every year.”
This is the first year Cessnock council is running the initiative.
Maitland City Council regularly runs a successful mattress disposal program, called the Mattress Muster.
“Many people don’t realise 96 per cent of mattresses and ensembles contain valuable materials like steel, timber and foam which can be re-used or recycled,” Mr Alexander said.
“With the average mattresses being changed every 10 years sustainable disposal and resource capture becomes important.”
To take advantage of the Cessnock mattress disposal service, residents will need proof of their address. A limit of five mattresses or bases per household will be accepted.
