Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 5 hrs ago
Swiss pilot shows up to 90% of old mattress materials can be reused
A Swiss pilot is recycling old mattresses instead of burning them after disposal.
The Matratzen Allianz began the project a year ago in the canton of Aargau, where three recycling centres collect used mattresses.
They are taken to a prison in the canton of Bern, where people held there can volunteer to separate the fabric, foam and springs by hand.
Up to 90% of a mattress’s materials can be reused, and the foam may be made into cushion filling; using it in new mattresses is still being researched.
The project currently recycles about 80 tonnes a year and aims to reach 900 tonnes, while more than 20,000 tonnes of old mattresses are burned annually in Switzerland.
Recycling costs about 20 francs per mattress, making burning cheaper, so the project has so far received financial support mainly from Aargau and now also has myclimate Schweiz as a partner.
Collection is expanding beyond Aargau, with mattresses from across Switzerland now accepted at a company in Aarberg, and the alliance plans more local collection points and stronger links with hotels and manufacturers.
A Swiss pilot project has found that up to 90% of materials from old mattresses can be reused.
The Mattress Alliance launched the project in Aargau a year before the report to test collection, transport and recycling.
Three collection points in Aargau send mattresses to Witzwil prison in Bern, where workers separate the materials by hand.
The project currently recycles about 80 tonnes of mattresses a year and aims to increase that to 900 tonnes.
Recycling costs about 20 francs per mattress, making incineration financially more attractive.
- Who
- The Mattress Alliance is running the pilot with support from Aargau and myclimate Switzerland.
- What
- A pilot project collects and recycles old mattresses; up to 90% of their materials can be reused.
- When
- The pilot began a year before SRF published its report on 14 November 2026.
- Where
- Collection points in Spreitenbach, Oftringen and Kölliken in Aargau send mattresses to Witzwil prison in Bern.
- Why
- The project aims to return mattress materials to the raw-material cycle instead of incinerating them.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Mattress Alliance began its pilot project in Aargau to recycle mattresses rather than burn them.
The project reported that up to 90% of old mattress materials could be reused.
Old mattresses from across Switzerland can also be delivered to Sortec in Aarberg, Bern.
- Reuse potential
- Up to 90% of old mattress materials
- Current recycling volume
- About 80 tonnes of mattresses per year
- Target recycling volume
- 900 tonnes per year
- Cost
- About 20 francs per mattress
- Aargau collection points
- Spreitenbach, Oftringen and Kölliken
What people are saying
Das Potenzial ist riesig
Derzeit recyceln wir rund 80 Tonnen Matratzen pro Jahr. Künftig sollen es 900 Tonnen sein.
Die Wiederverwertung kostet im Schnitt rund zwanzig Franken pro Stück
In Zukunft sind dezentrale Sammelstellen geplant