MATTRESS RECYCLING

leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 3 Feb 2010 12:17

If like me you are fed up of seeing mattresses strewn around the area fear not!

Got an Old Mattress? Recycle, don't dump it!

6,710 old mattresses were dumped on the streets of the borough in the last five months of 2009. Now, in an effort to combat this anti-social behaviour, Lewisham Council are pioneering a new scheme - the first of its kind in the UK - to collect old mattresses and recyle them responsibly and at no extra cost to residents. To use the free mattress recycling service:

collect a sticker from Lewisham Council's Access Point or at a local library

place the sticker on the mattress

put your old mattress by your bin, the night before your refuse collection day

For further information:

020 8314 7171
www.lewisham.gov.uk/recycling

Courtesy of the http://sydenhamsociety.com/
Noticed the new banner, I still prefer the original one (with or without the se26 in the O*, it doesn't matter). Why doesn't it go right across the top?

* the original

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 3 Feb 2010 12:39

I noticed the piece in Lewisham Life from Steve Bullock regarding this. "Mayor's Mailbox" wasn't it?

An excellent initiative for the honest householder although I'm not sure how this will help with the fly-tipping problem?

I was tempted to get a batch of stickers and affix them to that shop down by Kent House Road that seems to dump/store it's high quality mattresses on the pavement. Tim has uploaded a picture of the offender. Used to be S&M removals or something?

Tim Lund · Post by **Tim Lund** » 4 Feb 2010 14:56

Nice idea Ulysses re those mattress from that shop down by Kent House Road

With this initiative, I was puzzled as to why you need a sticker, and how it worked. Having spoken to the officer in charge - Sam Kirk - it seems you don't really need the stickers - they're just marketing, awareness raising - although perhaps I should not say 'just'. Anyway, the way it will work is that the crews who do the regular refuse collections will make a note of any mattresses they see, and feed that back to another crew who will then come to pick them all up. So now you know.

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 12 Feb 2010 17:30

You are right Tim. It seems as if you don't need to pop a sticker on there. There were some offending mattresses that had been in one part of Sydders so long they were [literally] sprouting fungus.

A quick call to the relevant department and a few days later both fly-tipped mattresses are gone.

I have to say, I know Lewisham council gets a rough ride on this forum but regarding the services I use them for, I can only praise them.

simon · Post by **simon** » 12 Feb 2010 20:23

I thought they were being picked up by the recycling lorry with the rest of the recycling. Someone on Kent House Road put a matress out with their other rubbish for Tuesday morning, with the sticker prominetly displayed, but it was still there this morning.

Tim Lund · Post by **Tim Lund** » 13 Feb 2010 09:52

Well, mine went on Tuesday from Silverdale. Let's draw the attention of the Council to this, and see what they can say about how well this is working

simon · Post by **simon** » 13 Feb 2010 16:34

Gone this morning. Dont know if the council collected or the residents got fed up and did it themselves.

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 15 Feb 2010 10:14

I'm a bit confused here Simon but my understanding is it is a different crew entirely to the 'recycling' crew as it will be treated differently to our glass and paper...

The recycling crew are employed as 'look-outs' but won't drag it away as it's not going to SELCHP...I THINK.

Perhaps a fairly obvious question but the mattress that was on Kent House Road was in LB Lewisham's patch and not Bromley's? There seems to be a bit of a lag here in LB Lewisham but they are getting round to them...as far as I can see.

simon · Post by **simon** » 15 Feb 2010 11:31

Aah, I thought it was the same crew Greg. It was in the Lewisham part; ex local authority house on the right going from Sydenham. Anyway, its gone now.

Eagle · Post by **Eagle** » 16 Feb 2010 13:17

Mattress propped up against the old HSBS building next to Kente.
Why do persons commit such anti social behavior. Bring back the stocks.

leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 16 Feb 2010 15:14

Another reason why empty shops should be made more presentable. The more tatty a place looks the more anti-social behavior it attracts.

Like dumping mattresses near empty shops. New York figured this out and clamped down on things like graffiti and petty crime. It had a remarkable result.

It's worth reading tipping point by Malcom Gladwell.

Tim Lund · Post by **Tim Lund** » 16 Feb 2010 17:19

Eagle:

I saw that mattress, and wondered if, it being Tuesday, when stuff at least is collected in Silverdale, whether it was some flat dweller leaving it out for collection. Maybe they'd not had a sticker, or it had been removed, but it was still due to be collected. Time will tell, but apparently the number to ring is 020 8314 7171 for the council staff who are planning the mattress collection routes.

Alternatively you can download a free iPhone app from LoveCleanStreets. One day I guess I'll get an iPhone

GLOBAL THINKER · Post by **GLOBAL THINKER** » 9 Mar 2010 12:07

Just to clarify re mattress collection. Apparently neither the refuse or recycling crews take the mattresses. They are suppose to radio through and book to have the mattress collected. Info given on council website is not very clear and I have emailed them today and told them so. It would make more sense for the individual to ring the mattress collectors directly (whoever they are!!) and book the collection, at least then you'll know that it has been done. Potentially unattended mattresses could be set on fire which kind of negates the councils intentions regarding dumping/anti-social behaviour etc. I left mine out this morning and it wasn't taken. Not impressed.

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 9 Mar 2010 12:39

Give it time GLOBAL THINKER. Certainly, if your mattress is still there this time next week then you'll have cause to feel aggrieved. Truth be told I've noticed a huge difference in the local area as alot of the fly-tipped mattresses have gone. This applies to domestic 'left out' ones also.

Let us know how long it takes for the council to pick them up?

I think the council is doing it the correct way. As in waiting until a mattress is actually there. Otherwise I'd imagine there'll be plenty of instances whereby someone would book in a collection only for daily life to get in the way and they'd forget. Cue: the van coming to collect a mattress that simply isn't there. Very frustrating?

Trawlerman · Post by **Trawlerman** » 9 Mar 2010 17:28

Very good idea...But...We did what it said...Stuck sticker on mattress night before bin collection / recycling ...Mattress not collected!! Phoned council, they took note and mattress collected next day [not because of sticker, but as a result of phone plea!!]

JRobinson · Post by **JRobinson** » 12 Mar 2010 14:27

I don't want to derail the thread, but I thought that the reason that petty crime decreased so suddently in New York was because 16 years earlier they'd made abortion legal. The knock on effect of this was that there were vastly fewer late teens from poor backgrounds, and so less petty crime. [edit to add] which would mean that no matter what the govt of the day did, petty crime would get less, and could be seen as a result of that action.

anyway, as you were.

matresses need recycling!
Where do they go? are they dismantled? or just re-used?

mummycat · Post by **mummycat** » 12 Mar 2010 18:51

Here are more details of the company in Landmann Way (New Cross):
http://www.letsrecycle.com/do/ecco.py/v ... management

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MATTRESS RECYCLING

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