How to dispose of a mattress in Malta

Your options at a glance

1. Your local council’s bulky refuse collection.
2. A WasteServ civic amenity site, if you can transport it.
3. The shop, when you buy a new mattress.
4. Reuse, only if it is almost new and spotless.
5. A collection service, when you cannot move it yourself.

Option 1: Council bulky refuse collection

Local councils in Malta and Gozo arrange collections of bulky household items, which usually include mattresses.

• Book in advance with your council, by phone or through its website.
• Ask how and when to leave the mattress out, and whether there are limits on how many items you can put out.
• Wrap it in plastic if possible, so it does not get wet or dirty if it has to wait outside.
• Put it out only on the agreed day, at the agreed place.

Arrangements differ between councils, so check with your own. This is usually the simplest option if you can get the mattress down to the street.

Option 2: A WasteServ civic amenity site

WasteServ runs civic amenity sites in Malta and Gozo where residents can drop off bulky household items, including mattresses.

• Check the accepted items and opening hours with WasteServ before you go.
• Wrap the mattress to keep your car or van clean.
• Fold foam mattresses and tie them if they bend. Spring mattresses do not fold.

A double mattress will not fit in most cars, so this option usually needs a van or a roof rack and two people.

Option 3: Ask the shop

When you buy a new mattress, ask whether the shop will take the old one away when it delivers the new one. Some do, sometimes for a fee, and some only on certain models. Ask before you pay, so you know what to expect on delivery day.

Option 4: Reuse, rarely

Used mattresses are hard to rehome. Most charities and second-hand buyers will not accept them, for hygiene reasons.

The exceptions are mattresses that are nearly new, spotless and still in their protective cover, such as a guest bed that has hardly been used. Even then, contact the organisation or person first and send photos.

If your mattress is stained, sagging, damaged or has been in a damp place, it should go for recycling or disposal, not reuse.

Option 5: A collection service

A junk removal service is the easiest option when:

• the mattress is on an upper floor, with narrow stairs or a lift too small to take it;
• you have no van, or no one to help carry it;
• you are clearing other items at the same time, such as a bed frame, wardrobe or sofa;
• it needs to go on a particular day, such as before new furniture arrives or a new tenant moves in.

The service carries the mattress out, takes it away for recycling or proper disposal, and can usually take the bed frame and other items at the same visit.

Getting a mattress out of a Maltese home

Mattresses are awkward rather than heavy, and Maltese buildings do not make it easier:

• Measure first. Check the width of the stairs, the tightest turn and the lift door against the mattress.
• Wrap it. A mattress bag or plastic sheeting keeps it clean and gives you something to grip.
• Carry it on its side, with one person at each end. Do not try to drag a mattress down stairs on your own.
• Fold foam mattresses lengthways and tie them. They become much easier to manoeuvre.
• Spring mattresses do not fold. If it will not go round the turn, it will not go, so measure before you start.
• Check the lift. Many apartment lifts are too small for a double mattress, even on its end.

Older townhouses with spiral or narrow winding stairs and roof washrooms reached by steep steps are often where people decide to call a removal service.

Can mattresses be recycled?

Mattresses are made of materials that can often be separated and recycled, such as steel springs, foam, fabric and timber in the base. Taking yours to a WasteServ site or handing it to a collection service that uses proper facilities gives it the best chance of being recycled rather than simply buried.

What not to do

• Do not leave it in the street or next to the bins without a booked collection.
• Do not leave it on the roof or in a yard to deal with later. It soaks up water, goes mouldy and becomes much heavier and dirtier to move.
• Do not burn it. Foam and fabric give off harmful fumes.

Getting rid of other furniture too?

If the bed frame, wardrobe or sofa is going as well, our guide on how to get rid of old furniture in Malta covers your options for larger items.

Book a collection

clear.mt arranges mattress and furniture removal across Malta and Gozo, from a single mattress to a full house clearance. Send a photo, tell us the floor and whether there is a lift, and we will give you a free quote.