How to get rid of old mattress

[Fly]

Southwark bulky waste collection is now online and charges! I want to get rid of a mattress but it is 160x200 and they will not pick up anything over 180cm (edited). Can anyone suggest how to get rid of it or better still get rid of it for me if rate reasonable.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Fly, Southwark bulky waste refuse do pick up mattresses. The alternative is to take it/find someone who can take it for you to the recycling centre just off the old Kent Road.

Renata

[Lowlander]

My mathematics suggest that they will pick this up for you? 200cm is their max size and your mattress is 200cm?

[Cora]

For the first time I understand fly tipping! How crazy that they won't collect mattresses a normal/standard item of bulk waste....What if you don't have a car/van?..

[Siduhe]

They do collect mattresses - see http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200084/recycling_and_waste/1667/bulky_waste_collection/2

I think the issue may be the size of the mattress but as Lowlander says this mattress appears to be within the limits.

I hadn't appreciated they make you register for an online Southwark account before you can use the bulk collection service and the only way to book the service appears to be online. Not very helpful for those who may not be so tech savvy.

[Azalea]

Lots of fly tipping near me yesterday, by the end of the day it was gone. Makes me wonder if they have trucks going round on a daily basis.i have reported stuff in the past and it's gone within 24 hours.

[richard tudor]

Same on my street

Pavement and road blocked.

I came home after midnight left again at 6.00 there it was.

Cleared sometime during the day. Will only get worse

[Azalea]

Road blocked? Never seen that. It must happen near me in the see small hours of the morning as it's never there at midnight or 1 am.

[wongo]

Renata Hamvas Wrote:

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> Hi Fly, Southwark bulky waste refuse do pick up

> mattresses. The alternative is to take it/find

> someone who can take it for you to the recycling

> centre just off the old Kent Road.

> Renata

Do you mean Landmann's Road, off Surrey Canal road ? That centre is for Lewisham residents and they want proof of your residence.

[Loz]

Fly Wrote:

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> Southwark bulky waste collection is now online and charges! I want to get rid of a mattress but it is

> 160x200 and they will not pick up anything over 200cm. Can anyone suggest how to get rid of it or

> better still get rid of it for me if rate reasonable.

If they are being picky, then I might suggest you consider that you mattress has probably shrunk a little and that it is now only 160x199cm.

[Giacomelli]

To be fair to the council, I find that now you pay they can't really find many excuses not to take it. I find it a nuisance that you have to select from a drop down menu what you are chucking, because the item you want to throw is not there. But on both of the 2 occasions I have used the bulk collections I have just selected a similar-ish item and they have collected. Eg I put kitchen work tops for a whole load of tiles I needed to chuck. I also used this service before it was paid for and not everything was always picked up. I think the best thing to do is share cost with neighbours if you can as you can really get rid of a lot and at the end of the day it's cheaper than using professional waste disposal companies - who I do use for rubble etc. I will be moving to lewisham borough soon and from first look on their website, it doesn't seem they collect as much stuff as Southwark do.

[dc]

Interesting point.

A little research reveals:

Lewisham ?15 for 4 items, ?30 for fridges (American style not collected)

Lambeth ?20 for 4 items

Wandsworth ?16.50 for 4 items

Westminster ?22 for 5 items

Sutton ?25 for 3 items

Barnet ?56.60 for 1 item

Richmond ?50 for 5 items

and Southwark ?16 for 10 items

[uncleglen]

Yes, if you don't have a car or a van you will have to pay for a collection- seems like you are being penalised for doing the environmentally correct thing.

I saw one of their trucks with the mesh sides either yesterday or Thursday and it was absolutely overflowing with rubbish- including a bath (that would block a road)

[spider69]

You get more with Southwark because the Borough is bigger?

Smaller collections would only result in more being dumped here there and everywhere

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi all, the Southwark recycling centre is at Devon Street, near Carpet Right. They are open 7 days a week from 8am-6pm. You need to bring some proof of address with you. The link to more details is here:

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/10070/recycling/1364/reuse_and_recycling_centre/1

Thanks for the info DC. The real cost to do a pick-up of bulky waste is actually even higher than the Barnet charge! If the items you are disposing of can be reused, think charity (eg for cots, chests of drawers etc), eg ALD life in Peckham will pick up donations. Furniture and similar items in good condition that are processed by the Southwark recycling centre are donated to the British Heart Foundation Shop on the Old Kent Road.

Renata

[Mustard]

Renata, any idea how much it costs Southwark to clear up fly tipping?

[Fly]

Sorry, I meant to say, they will not collect anything over 180 and my ( and most mattresses) are 200cm. It is too heavy to drag and do not hVe transport to get rid of it.

[elizocha]

I stripped off the material/wadding, then folded up the wirework and secured it with cable ties, so a king size becomes small enough to be collected or taken by car to the dump. Lambeth recycling centre won't take mattresses but they will take the metal part.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi fly, I'm sure that there isn't a size limit of 180cm. Please let me know where that figure came from. All doors, mattresses (even standard singles), wardrobes, some worktops and some bookshelves are above 180cm/5ft11 in height/length. These are all items that the bulky waste collection service will pick up.

The list on their website is not exhaustive. If in doubt call 75252000 to check. If you have a number of similar items, then bundle them up, eg a bundle of bits of wood count as one item.

There are items that won't be picked up as bulky waste that need to be taken to the recycling centre eg car batteries and cans of paint.

Hi Mustard, I can find out for you, bulky waste costs around ?80 per collection.

Renata

[moondancer]

Between us we spent an exhaustive morning ringing around charities, charity shops, hostels, in order to dispose of an 8 month old bed, mattress and sprung base, only as we felt it was too soft. it was clean, comfortable, unspoilt. Eventually we paid forty pounds to have it taken away. This was during the rainy season early December, so that being neighbourly and good citizens we did not feel we could leave it outside to become sodden and await Southwark Council pick up. Our neighbours opposite had a filthy mattress propped up outside for months before SC picked it up.

This is such a bulky item, really purveyors of new beds should remove the erstwhile bed, but I understand why they do not. good luck !

[mancity68]

Doesn't seem to be any size limitation referred to on website http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200084/recycling_and_waste/1667/bulky_waste_collection/2

[goldilocks]

Re the 'unspoilt bed' comments above - realise its no help now, but British Heart foundation will collect furniture donations as long as they are not stained / marked and have the relevant fire safety labels.

[Fly]

Requirements for using the bulky waste collection service

? Southwark?s bulky waste collection service can ONLY be used for household waste from your own household. It cannot include items from your business, or from your tenants, if you are a landlord.

? Items must be no more than 180cm in any direction. Larger items can be broken down, but must be tied securely together, so they can be lifted as a single item.

? You must be able to present your items for collection at ground level, where they can be easily found, by 6.00 am on the morning of collection. They must not cause a danger or an obstruction to anyone else.

? Items must be safely accessible without moving other items out of the way at the time of collection. Items including glass (such as glass table tops, mirrors and TVs) must be wrapped securely to prevent injury.

? The waste must not include any hazardous materials, such as chemicals, paint, oils or solvents, or asbestos ? Find out about free hazardous waste collections.

? Not all wastes can be included in a bulky waste collection ? See the list of items we can collect.

? Only the items you include on this collection request will be taken.

? You don?t have to be at home for a collection, but you must make sure the item can be easily found and removed.

? The service costs ?16 for up to 10 items, You will need a valid credit or debit card to make the payment.

? You can cancel a booking after it has been made, but the fee is not refundable. This is because vehicles and crews are allocated to each collection at the time of booking and there is a cost to the Council.

? This form should not be used to report dumped rubbish or furniture. Please use the street cleaning report form as this will ensure the dumped items are cleared and investigated quickly.

? You must have a valid email address to make this request online.

The information you provide will be used fairly and lawfully and Southwark Council will not knowingly do anything which may lead to a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Fly, I will try and get something done about this, as it means that as well as mattresses there would be an issue with other items on the list such as doors.

Renata

[Lowlander]

Could you fold it in half and tie it together with some string to get it under 180cm?