Despite the fact that the overall percentage of waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting rose from 27% to 29% in the period of 2009 – 2010, Sheffield has one of the worst recycling rates in England, according to DEFRA statistics. Although the area’s recycling rate has now improved to just over 30%, Sheffield still remains one of the UK’s worst areas for responsible recycling, as reported in the local Star newspaper in December 2014.One of the reasons for low recycling rates cited amongst those interviewed for the newspaper report is the actual cost of removal of items for recycling or composting, as rather than pay the amounts required by the borough council, many locals choose to take the refuse rather than recycling route for their unwanted items.
The contribution of the cost factor
Although some Sheffield social housing tenants enjoy one free collection of up to 12 items per annum, the general private tenant and homeowner residents of the area are required to pay a minimum of £19.50 for the removal of up to 3 items, part of a rolling scale which includes a costly maximum of £58.50 for removal of 10 to 12 items. Although those residents on certain benefits are eligible for a discounted collection charge, this still adds up to more than many households may want (or be able) to pay, possibly a contributory factor in the rising number of fly-tipping ‘hot-spots’ in Sheffield, as also reported in The Star in February 2015.So what can local residents, particularly those in the private household sector, who find themselves wanting to dispose of their bulky items such as mattresses responsibly, but with the restriction of frugal finances that won’t stretch to the council’s minimum or discounted charges actually do?
Going it alone… transport permitting
There are several recycling centres across the wider Sheffield area, including those at Longley Avenue, Beighton Road, Blackstock Road and Baxter Road, so if transport and strength for lifting aren’t a problem, residents have several options for taking their unwanted mattresses and beds direct to their local centres. However, not all households have access to the larger sized vehicles required to transport unwanted bulky items themselves.
Private possibilities
One of the little-known solutions available for households in the Sheffield area to responsibly dispose of unwanted beds and mattresses is to use a dedicated private recycling company such as Collect Your Old Bed. For a low single item price starting from £11.99, Collect Your Old Bed mattress removal services include:
- A convenient collection service for unwanted beds and mattresses in Sheffield.
- An easy process for booking collection, by following three simple steps on Collect Your Old Bed website:
- Add in the postcode for collection.
- Choose the items to be collected.
- Choose a collection date and add in contact details.
- Full assurance of a complete 100% recycling service, with all unwanted bed and mattresses being processed and recycled into a range of other items, including:
- Textile items from recycled mattress fabric.
- Pet bedding and sundries such as kitty litter.
- Garden chippings from recycled wood.
- Metal components and items created from recycled steel mattress and bed springs.
Waste not, why not?
Finally, as well as offering the chance to have mattresses and beds collected conveniently and quickly at a favourably low cost and responsibly recycled, using a service such as Collect Your Old Bed for mattress disposal in Sheffield also helps residents and businesses to work towards improving those local recycling statistics. In turn, a change to such habits will help to improve the overall green credentials of the Sheffield area, as well as demonstrate a pro-active community approach to reducing that fly-tipping problem. Why not, indeed?