Council bosses hope to boost mattress recycling after NAC was among the first local authorities in Scotland to benefit from funding towards innovative waste reduction projects.

Almost £60,000 has been secured by the council through the newly launched Recycling Improvement Fund by Zero Waste Scotland.

The funding will be used to support a number of circular economy, carbon reduction and Community Wealth Building waste and recycling projects including the introduction of a mattress recycling service in partnership with Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company (CFRC).

This scheme will allow residents to drop off mattresses that they no longer need but that are still in a reusable condition at the council’s recycling centres.

The mattresses will then be collected by CFRC who will fully sanitise them with specialist cleaning equipment and then offer them at a reduced cost. It is estimated that this could help reuse around 1,400 mattresses each year that would otherwise be disposed of.

New signage will also be installed across North Ayrshire’s four Household Waste Recycling Centres in Irvine, Kilbirnie, Largs and Brodick, to encourage residents to ‘Stop and think – can it be reused or recycled’, in a bid to improve and increase the separation of items.

Councillor Jim Montgomerie, Cabinet Member for Green New Deal and Sustainability, said: “Mattresses are an essential item. but can be an expensive purchase – particularly if you are buying them brand new. Our mattress recycling service will offer families a more affordable option and thanks to CFRC, they can have peace of mind that the mattress has been checked, cleaned, sanitised and is in a reusable condition.”

More at www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/local-authorities/recycling-improvement-fund.