Aargau pilot aims to expand mattress recycling nationwide
Saturday 14th November 2026 on 21:30 in
Switzerland
A Swiss pilot that recycles old mattresses instead of burning them could be expanded nationwide, SRF reports. The Mattress Alliance says up to 90 percent of the materials in discarded mattresses can be reused.
About one million mattresses are thrown away in Switzerland each year, and more than 20,000 tonnes are burned. The project currently recycles around 80 tonnes annually, but aims to reach 900 tonnes, said Corinne Gemperle, managing director of the Mattress Alliance.
Three recycling centres in the canton of Aargau collect old mattresses in Spreitenbach, Oftringen and Kölliken. They are taken to Witzwil prison in the canton of Bern, where people held pending deportation can earn money by separating fabric, foam and springs by hand. They receive 15 francs for two and a half hours of work.
The sorted materials are then recycled. Foam can be turned into flake foam for use as cushion filling; researchers are also exploring whether it can be used to make new mattresses. The Kunststoff Ausbildungs- und Technologie-Zentrum, a plastics training and technology centre in Aarau, is studying how to recover as much material as possible.
Recycling costs about 20 francs per mattress on average, making incineration cheaper. The canton of Aargau has so far helped fund the pilot, and the myclimate Switzerland foundation has now joined as a partner. The alliance hopes this support will mean one in every 10 mattresses is taken to a recycling centre rather than an incinerator.
The three Aargau collection points will continue to accept mattresses. Old mattresses from anywhere in Switzerland can also now be delivered to Sortec in Aarberg, in the canton of Bern, the company that handles the recycling. The alliance plans to create decentralised collection points and expand cooperation with hotels and mattress manufacturers.
The Netherlands offers a model for the scheme: since 2022, manufacturers and importers there have been required to pay a disposal contribution. More than 60 percent of old mattresses were recycled last year, and the country aims to raise that share to 80 percent by 2028. France, Belgium and the UK also recycle mattresses.