How to Get Rid of a Sofa or Mattress in Nottingham
The quick answer
- Take it to the tip yourself. Free, if you can fit it in a car or van and lift it.
- Book a council collection. Free in Nottingham City from 26 October 2026, and once a year in Ashfield (Hucknall, Kirkby, Sutton). About £24 to £26 for one item elsewhere. Crews collect from outside only.
- Donate it. Free, but only if the fire-safety label is still attached and it's in good condition.
- Have it collected by a licensed waste company, from inside your home, often the same week. Get free quotes.
The same rules apply to a couch, settee, armchair or sofa bed. None of them can go in your bin or a normal skip, because they contain chemicals that mean they have to be burned at a specialist plant, not buried.
An old sofa, couch, settee or mattress is one of the most awkward things to get rid of. It won't fit in your bin, most skips won't take it, it's too heavy to move on your own, and there are rules about how sofas have to be disposed of. Here's every option in Nottingham, what each one really costs, and which one makes sense for you.
When paying for collection makes sense
The free and cheap options only work if you can get the sofa out of the house and into a vehicle. For a lot of people, that's the hard part:
| Your situation | Why the cheap options don't fit | Better option |
|---|---|---|
| It's upstairs or in a flat | Council crews only collect from outside your home | Rubbish removal |
| Corner sofa, sofa bed or recliner | Won't fit in a car, and it takes two or three people to move | Rubbish removal |
| You need it gone this week | Council collections can take a week or two to book | Rubbish removal |
| Sofa, mattress and other furniture | Several trips to the tip, or several council items to pay for | House clearance |
| No fire label, stained or damaged | Charities can't legally accept it | Rubbish removal |
| Landlord clearing a rental | Council bulky services are for householders only | House clearance |
What you get for your money
- Carried out for you, from the living room, bedroom or an upstairs flat. You don't lift a thing.
- Often collected the same week, instead of waiting for a council slot.
- No van hire, no tip run, and no scratched walls or door frames.
- One visit can take several items: the sofa, the old mattress, the bed frame and anything else you want gone.
- Disposed of properly, with sofas sent for incineration as the law requires, and a receipt so you're covered.
Your options compared
| Option | Cost | Best if… | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tip (recycling centre) | Free | You have a big enough vehicle and someone to help lift | You load and unload it. Vans need permission at county tips. |
| Council collection | Free in Nottingham City, about £24 to £26 for one item elsewhere | You can get it outside and don't mind waiting | Crews won't come inside. Wait times vary. |
| Charity donation | Free | It's in good condition with the fire label attached | Many sofas get turned down. |
| Licensed collection | Often less than people expect | It's heavy, upstairs, or you want it gone fast | Costs more than the council, but they carry it out and take other items too. |
What the council charges to remove a sofa (2026)
Which council collects your sofa depends on where you pay council tax. These are the prices on each council's website on 25 September 2026, with Nottingham City updated on 19 October 2026 and Ashfield added on 30 October 2026:
| Council | Price | What that means for one sofa |
|---|---|---|
| Nottingham City | Free from 26 October 2026: two collections a year, up to six items each | Free, and the mattress and other furniture can go on the same booking |
| Rushcliffe (West Bridgford, Radcliffe, Bingham) | £25.80 for the first item, £12.80 for each extra one | £25.80, or £38.60 with a mattress |
| Gedling (Arnold, Carlton, Mapperley) | £26 for one item, £13 each for two or three | £26, or £26 total for two items |
| Broxtowe (Beeston, Stapleford, Eastwood) | £13 booking fee plus £11 per item | £24, or £35 with a mattress |
| Ashfield (Hucknall, Kirkby, Sutton) | One free collection a year, up to 3 items, until March 2027. After that £19 for one item or £25 for up to 3 | Free, with room for a mattress too. Say it's a sofa when you book |
Every council's crews collect from outside only. They won't carry a sofa down the stairs or out of a flat. Prices usually change each April, so check before you book. For Long Eaton (Erewash), see our council bulky waste guide. Mansfield, Newark & Sherwood and Bassetlaw run their own collections, so check your council's website for the current price.
Can't get it outside for the council?
Licensed local companies will carry it out from any room, including upstairs flats, often the same week. Tell us what's going and we'll get you up to 3 free quotes.
Get sofa collection quotes →Free ways to get rid of a sofa or couch
- The tip. Free for households, if you can get it there. See the next section for which tip to use.
- Donate it. Charities such as the British Heart Foundation offer free furniture collection, but only for items in good condition with the fire-safety label still attached. No label, stains, tears or broken springs usually means a no.
- Give it away. If it's in decent shape, local Facebook groups and Freecycle are quick, and the person taking it usually collects.
- Nottingham City free collection. From 26 October 2026, every city household can book two free bulky collections a year, up to six items each. Bookings opened online on 19 October, first come first served. See our council collection guide.
- Ashfield free collection. If you live in Hucknall, Kirkby or Sutton, Ashfield District Council gives every household one free collection of up to three items a year, until March 2027. A sofa and a mattress both count.
Can you take a sofa to the tip?
Yes. Nottingham's tips take sofas, couches, settees and mattresses from households for free. Sofas go into a separate container, because of the rules on sofa chemicals, so ask staff where to put it. Which tip you can use depends on where you live:
- Nottingham City residents: Redfield Road in Lenton. No booking needed. Staff may ask for your driving licence.
- Nottinghamshire County residents: any county tip, including West Bridgford, Beeston, Calverton and Hucknall. Your car must be registered first, and hire vans need permission at least 24 hours before.
The catch is getting it there. A three-seater won't fit in most cars, it usually takes two people to lift, and van hire for one sofa can cost more than having it collected.
Can a sofa or mattress go in a skip?
Sofas: usually no. Since 2023, the Environment Agency has required sofas, armchairs, sofa beds and other upholstered seating to be kept separate and incinerated, because the foam and fabric can contain chemicals called POPs (persistent organic pollutants). They can't go to landfill or be mixed with other rubbish, so most skip companies refuse them. Don't cut a sofa up to make it fit either, as that can release the chemicals.
Mattresses: often not, or at a surcharge. Mattresses aren't covered by the sofa rules, but they need specialist recycling, so skip companies often refuse them or charge extra. If you're hiring a skip anyway, ask first. See skip hire vs man and van for which is cheaper for your job.
How to get rid of a mattress
Your options are almost the same as for a sofa:
- The tip takes mattresses for free. A double folds badly and is heavier than it looks, so bring a helper.
- Council collection: a mattress counts as one item at the prices above. In Nottingham City it can go on the same free booking as your sofa, though sofas may be collected on a separate van.
- Retailer take-back: many shops will take your old mattress when they deliver a new one, often for a fee. Ask before you buy.
- Donate: only if it's clean, unstained and still has its fire label. Most used mattresses don't qualify.
- Licensed collection: the easiest option if it's upstairs, or if you're getting rid of the bed frame and other furniture at the same time.
Can you take a mattress to the tip?
Yes. Nottingham's tips take mattresses from households for free. Nottingham City residents use Redfield Road in Lenton. County residents can use any Nottinghamshire tip, such as Hucknall, Beeston or Mansfield, with a registered vehicle. Keep it dry on the way, because a wet mattress is very heavy and hard to lift.
What the council charges to collect a mattress
A mattress counts as one item, so the prices are the same as in the sofa table above:
- Free in Nottingham City (two collections a year, up to six items each) and Ashfield (one collection a year, up to three items).
- Rushcliffe: £25.80 on its own, or £12.80 extra if it goes with your sofa.
- Gedling: £26 on its own, or £13 each if you book two or three items, so £26 in total with your sofa.
- Broxtowe: £24 on its own, or £11 extra if it goes with your sofa.
Sofa, mattress and bed frame to shift?
One collection can take the lot, carried out from wherever they are. Get free quotes from licensed local companies.
Get sofa & mattress collection quotes →Only hand your sofa to a registered waste carrier
Your waste is your responsibility until it's disposed of properly. If you give a sofa to a cheap, unregistered collector and it's dumped, you can be fined. Check anyone on the Environment Agency register and get a receipt. Every company we pass your details to is registered. More in our fly-tipping guide.
Getting a sofa or mattress ready for collection
- Keep it dry. A sofa or mattress left out in the rain soaks up water, gets too heavy to lift safely, and can be refused.
- Take off anything you're keeping, like throws, covers and cushions.
- Clear the route to the door, and mention stairs or tight corners when you book.
- Don't cut it up. Keep sofas whole, because breaking them releases foam and dust that may contain restricted chemicals.
- Never burn it. It's illegal and toxic.
- For a council collection, put it outside on the right day, covered if it might rain.
Questions people ask about sofa and mattress disposal
How do I get rid of a sofa in Nottingham?
Take it to the tip yourself for free, book a council bulky collection (free in Nottingham City from 26 October 2026, about £24 to £26 for one item elsewhere), donate it if it still has its fire-safety label, or have a licensed waste company collect it from inside your home. Sofas can't go in your bin or a normal skip.
Can you take a sofa to the tip?
Yes. Nottingham's tips take sofas from households for free, and they go into a separate container. Nottingham City residents use Redfield Road in Lenton, and county residents can use any Nottinghamshire recycling centre, such as West Bridgford, Beeston, Calverton or Hucknall, with a registered vehicle.
How much does the council charge to remove a sofa?
From 26 October 2026 Nottingham City collects up to six items free, twice a year per household. Ashfield (Hucknall, Kirkby, Sutton) gives every household one free collection of up to three items a year. Elsewhere, Rushcliffe charges £25.80 for the first item, Gedling £26 for one item and Broxtowe £24 (a £13 booking fee plus £11 per item). Crews collect from outside your home only.
Is there free sofa disposal in Nottingham?
The tip is free if you can get the sofa there. Charities such as the British Heart Foundation collect for free if the sofa is in good condition with its fire label attached. From 26 October 2026, Nottingham City gives every household two free bulky collections a year, up to six items each, and Ashfield gives one free collection of up to three items a year.
Can you put a sofa in a skip?
Usually not. Since 2023, sofas and other upholstered seating have had to be kept separate and incinerated because they can contain chemicals called POPs, so most skip companies refuse them. Don't cut a sofa up to fit it in a skip.
Can you put a mattress in a skip?
Often not. Mattresses aren't covered by the sofa rules, but they need specialist recycling, so many skip companies refuse them or add a surcharge. Ask before you load one.
How do I get rid of a mattress in Nottingham?
Take it to the tip for free, add it to a council bulky collection, ask the shop to take it when they deliver a new one, or have it collected with any other furniture. Mattresses can only be donated if they're clean, unstained and still have the fire label.
How do I get rid of an old couch or settee?
Exactly the same way as a sofa, because the rules are the same. Take it to the tip for free, book a council bulky collection, donate it if the fire label is still attached, or have a licensed company carry it out for you. A couch or settee can't go in your bin or a normal skip.
Can you take a mattress to the tip?
Yes. Nottingham's tips take mattresses from households for free. City residents use Redfield Road in Lenton, and county residents can use any Nottinghamshire recycling centre with a registered vehicle. Keep it dry, as a wet mattress is very heavy.
Can I donate my old sofa?
Only if it's in good condition with the fire-safety label still attached. Charities can't legally resell upholstered furniture without the label, and they usually turn down anything stained, torn or broken.
Prefer someone else to do the lifting?
Don't fancy wrestling a sofa down the stairs or hiring a van for one mattress? Compare Waste Nottingham connects you with up to 3 vetted, fully licensed local companies, so you can compare real collection quotes side by side, for free.
📞 Call 07348 454816 or get free quotes online here.
This is an independent guide, not run by any council. Prices and rules were checked on 25 September 2026 and can change, so check before you book: Rushcliffe charges, Broxtowe bulky waste, Gedling bulky waste, Ashfield free bulky collection (checked 30 October 2026) and GOV.UK guidance on upholstered seating.