They’re a tricky item to dispose of.

But if you’ve got a mattress you need to dump, Cork City Council has announced it will be accepting old mattresses free of charge for two days only next week.

As part of an effort to reduce fly-tipping (and stop dodgy folk from dumping their rubbish in Cork’s parks or at the side of the road) a free Mattress Drop-Off will take place between 9am and 3pm on Wednesday, August 3rd, and Thursday, August 4th at Tramore Valley Park in Ballinlough.

The rules are simple: the Council will accept two mattresses per car, completely free of charge. Mattresses must be completely dry or they will not be accepted.

All you have to do is enlist a friend or two, heave your mattress down the stairs and into the car and it will be safely disposed of.

📢Time for a ‘Spring’ Clean!

🛏️Are you looking to get rid of an old mattress?! You can avail of a #FREE mattress drop-off next week!

📅3 & 4 August
🕒9am-3pm
📍Tramore Valley Carpark pic.twitter.com/YgysZR55jz

— Cork City Council (@corkcitycouncil) July 27, 2022

Many furniture stores now offer mattress collection when you purchase a new mattress. For a cost of between €25 and €30, larger companies such as IKEA and Harvey Norman recycle the mattresses by stripping away each layer (polyester, cotton, metal and foam) and finding a new use for each individual material.

If you miss the free event, you can still dispose of your mattress at Cork Civic Amenity and Recycling for around €15.