In Greater Manchester, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK and The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) have recycled “277,000 mattresses”, which would have previously been sent to landfill.
Over 85% of mattress materials have been recycled, equating to around 7,000 tonnes diverted directly from landfill, TFR Group says.
Mattresses can be difficult to process via shredders, as the metal content can cause blockages and damage to equipment. TFR Group says this created frustrating processing delays and saw mattresses heading straight to landfill sites.
Nick Oettinger, CEO and Founder of The Furniture Recycling Group, commented: “The partnership has not only seen us recycle 85% of materials, but it has also created 25+ new jobs in Greater Manchester, as we all work together to tackle the UK’s landfill problem.”
TFR Group says it diverts 100% of mattresses processed from landfill and were brought on board by SUEZ to help implement circular economy practices to remove mattresses from SUEZ’s waste stream.
The partnership has not only seen us recycle 85% of materials, but it has also created 25+ new jobs in Greater Manchester.
The Group says it has created a system to “simplify mattress recycling” to break down mattress materials into 19 different component parts, including steel, cotton, polyester and foam. The firm says it recycles up to 12,000 mattresses each week and has recycled over 3 million to date.
John Wrigley, Regional Director for SUEZ, commented: “Sustainability is critical to our business, so we are delighted about our evolving partnership with TFR Group, enabling us to recycle items that were previously sent to landfill.
“Not only does this have a positive impact on the planet it also increases Greater Manchester’s recycling rates, while helping us to achieve our environmental goals which are at the heart of our business.”
