Rethinking bedding recycling in Australia

This article was contributed by Australian Bedding Stewardship Council.

How the ABSC is building a circular future… beyond the mattress

Every year in Australia, an estimated 1.8 million mattresses reach end of life. Most consumers just need new bedding and they might not consider what happens next.

Once removed from a bedroom, a mattress can become part of a much larger waste story, one that involves steel springs, foams, timber frames and textile layers that are difficult to separate and were rarely designed with recovery in mind.

For the Australian Bedding Stewardship Council (ABSC), this challenge is exactly where circular economy thinking begins.

How bedding recycling works in Australia and why it matters for you

Mattress recycling in Australia has evolved significantly over the past decade. Through industry participation and stewardship, collection pathways now exist via retailers, local councils and commercial operators. Recovered mattresses are dismantled, and materials such as steel, foam and timber are separated for reprocessing into new products or for industrial uses.

It is practical, hands-on work. Steel can be melted down and reused. Foam can be repurposed into carpet underlay or other applications. Timber can be chipped or recycled.

Yet recycling alone is not the solution. Mattresses are complex products. Mixed materials, adhesives and hygiene considerations make full material recovery challenging. That reality is why stewardship matters. The role of the ABSC is not simply to increase recycling volumes, but to work with manufacturers, retailers, recyclers and government to improve system design, encourage responsible participation and lift industry standards across the lifecycle.

Circularity begins well before disposal.

Moving higher up the waste hierarchy: reuse

Recycling is important, but what about reuse?

Commercial accommodation providers, including hotels and large facilities, often manage bedding replacement cycles at scale. When products remain safe and fit for purpose, extending their usable life can significantly reduce their environmental impact.

Creating practical reuse pathways means careful coordination. Hygiene standards must be met. Logistics must be viable. Transparency must be maintained. When these factors align, reuse can deliver environmental benefits while supporting community redistribution programs and reducing pressure on our landfills.

For the bedding sector, this represents a meaningful shift: from end-of-life thinking to full lifecycle solutions.

Building a circular bedding system

Product stewardship works when responsibility is shared. Manufacturers design. Retailers distribute. Consumers use. Recyclers recover. The government provides regulatory frameworks. The ABSC exists to bring these parts together in a way that is coordinated, transparent and measurable.

A circular bedding economy is not built overnight. It requires long-term participation, infrastructure investment and industry alignment. Progress is already visible in growing recycling capability, increased awareness and expanding conversations about reuse and product design.

The bedroom may feel far removed from the waste debate. Yet every mattress carries embedded materials, energy and resources. Managing them responsibly is not simply a waste issue, it is a systems issue!

Systems change happens when industries choose to collaborate.

Learn more about the work the ABSC is doing to make the industry more sustainable.