Mattress Amnesty?

[prince]

Can anyone enlighten me as to why so many people seem content in leaving their old mattresses in front gardens and on the street?

[Parker1970]

The only legitimate reason is council collection. You can request old mattresses collected at which point you are instructed to leave it outside the property on a specific date for collection. Some people however leave them out regardless thinking it will get removed eventually.

[prince]

Exactly my point Parker. Their is no excuse and even households that I would think are well informed and should know better seem content to leave them to rot outside. We all have to share this space so it would be nice if people could take a little more effort to dispose of things appropriately!

[leenewham]

I think the council should go flat-out to sort this.

Let's not take it lying down.

[prince]

Yes very good Lee! However it would be nice if people could take a little more pride in the place they live! I work for a council and fully appreciate the issues that local authorities have in trying to get people to not dump rubbish. However people who should know better are still doing this. We should not take this lying down!

[pip]

If everyones DNA was kept on a national register then this would stop.

[prince]

Pip, I would hate to think about all that Dna on them!

[Pally]

Perhaps Trump would suggest that we sheet the lot of them !!!

[butters]

Pretty sure you have to pay for the council to pick up items like that. Also when you ask the council to collect it can take up to two weeks. If you don't have anywhere to store the mattress, I guess people just put it outside.

Other option being, people don't want to pay the money and hope if its out front being an eyesore someone will complain to council and get it taken away for free!

[leenewham]

In the US (Florida) they have a period of a week where people can put out unwanted items. People often take them while they are out (to recycle, repurpose etc). Then a lorry comes along and takes them all away.

If anything is put out at any other time, residents are heavily fined.

It's not a bad idea and may put the problem to bed.

[Parker1970]

Pretty sure you have to pay for the council to pick up items like that. Also when you ask the council to collect it can take up to two weeks. If you don't have anywhere to store the mattress, I guess people just put it outside.

Other option being, people don't want to pay the money and hope if its out front being an eyesore someone will complain to council and get it taken away for free!

I don't know about our council, but when I replaced my matress when I lived in Tower Hamlets about 2 years ago, they collected it free. But they did also stress where and when I should leave it out.

[syd-gal]

Lewisham council will definitely collect mattresses for free, but you have to book the collection via the www or by phone. They will then collect it on a specified day from outside your property. But you have to pay for bed frames to be removed.