Tips and recycling centres
How to get rid of a sofa
Give a sofa or armchair in good condition to a charity that collects. Otherwise book a council bulky waste collection or take it to a tip.
Donate it
The British Heart Foundation collects sofas for free if it can sell them. It needs the fire safety label attached and no rips that show the filling.
Council bulky waste collection
Most councils collect old sofas for a fee.
Tips
Tips take sofas and armchairs. They have to keep them apart from other bulky waste.
Old sofas must be burned, not buried
Sofas and armchairs can contain persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the foam and covers. GOV.UK guidance says waste seating containing them must be destroyed in an incinerator, not sent to landfill.
Key facts
- Binmap lists 1 place that says it takes sofas and upholstered seating.
- Another 695 places may take sofas and upholstered seating, but they do not say so. Check before you go.
Last updated: 15 October 2026
Written by Binmap using guidance from GOV.UK and the British Heart Foundation.
Pages from the organisations involved
What to do
- Check the fire safety label is still attached.
- Check for rips or tears that show the filling.
Kinds of place that take it
- Collection services
- Recycling centres
- Reuse shops
Guides for similar items
Other kinds of place
Schemes and collection services
Binmap is independent and is not run by any council.