Belgium Waste Mattress Recycling Project: From Waste Mattresses to Rebonded Foam & Mattress Production

A local waste recycling company in Belgium had already established a stable collection channel for waste mattresses, but had no previous experience in rebonded foam or recycled mattress production. The client wanted to make further use of its existing waste mattress and waste foam resources by establishing rebonded foam production and then processing the rebonded foam into mattresses, mainly for the African market. 

The project involved the preprocessing of different types of waste mattresses, followed by crushing, washing, drying, rebonding, cutting, and mattress production. With limited factory space and finished mattresses requiring long-distance sea transportation, the entire process from incoming material to finished product needed to be planned as one complete production project.

A Stable Supply of Waste Mattresses Was Already in Place

The client had been engaged in waste mattress collection and dismantling for years and had established a stable local recycling channel in Belgium. The total weight of mattresses collected each year was approximately 530 tons. The company could obtain waste mattresses at no cost and was also eligible for local government environmental subsidies.

Before this project, the client's main operation was dismantling waste mattresses. The removed springs were sold as scrap, while the recovered waste foam was compressed, baled, and exported overseas as used foam material. The client already had a factory, a dismantling team, and established sales channels, but had no complete production experience in rebonded foam or recycled mattresses.

The project was intended to add two new production capabilities:

• Process recovered mattress foam into rebonded foam.
• Further process the rebonded foam into mattresses and compression roll-pack them for export to Africa.

The target rebonded foam density was 60-70 kg/m³, with a block size of approximately 1.8 * 2.0 * 0.8 m and a target capacity of 40 blocks per day.

Mattress Compression Testing Before the Order Was Finalized

Because the finished mattresses were planned for export to Africa, whether they could recover properly after remaining compressed for an extended period was one of the key points the client wanted to evaluate before confirming the project.

During the client's visit to the Sabtech factory, we produced rebonded foam samples and used a CNC foam cutting machine to cut them to the required dimensions. The foam cores were then placed inside mattress covers for compression and roll-packing tests. 

Three samples were prepared for different compression periods:

• After 15 days of compression, the first sample returned to its original height in approximately 8 hours.
• After 30 days of compression, the second sample returned to its original height in approximately 24 hours.
• After 45 days of compression, the third sample recovered in approximately 48 hours, with almost no difference from its original measurements.

The compression tests addressed one of the client's key concerns. Together with the complete equipment solution covering waste mattress preprocessing, foam recycling, cutting, and mattress compression roll packing, the results gave the client a clearer basis for confirming the full-line configuration and moving the project forward.

Different Preprocessing Routes for Different Types of Waste Mattresses

The waste mattresses collected by the client mainly fell into two categories: mattresses with springs and mattresses without springs.

Mattresses with springs first required the springs and foam to be separated:

Waste Mattress Shredding & Separation → Foam Crushing → Washing → Drying → Rebonded Foam Production

The Waste Mattress Shredding and Separation Machine first separates the springs from the foam. The recovered foam then moves into the crushing and subsequent processing stages.

Mattresses without springs do not require spring separation. Larger pieces of waste foam are first cut into smaller sections by a foam strip cutting machine before entering the crushing stage:

Foam Strip Cutting → Foam Crushing → Washing → Drying → Rebonded Foam Production

After different preprocessing routes, both material streams enter the common washing, drying, and rebonding stages.

Recovered mattress materials can vary in condition, which also affects front-end processing and downstream production. For mattresses containing springs, effective separation is important to reduce the risk of metal contaminants entering the subsequent foam recycling process. At the same time, the processing capacity of each stage needs to be coordinated to prevent material from accumulating between crushing, washing, drying, and rebonding.

Because factory space was limited, not all dismantled waste foam could be sent directly into production. Part of the recovered foam is compressed and baled for temporary storage, then taken out when required for production.

Equipment Configuration from Waste Mattress Processing to Recycled Mattress Production

After preprocessing, the waste foam is crushed, washed, and dried before entering the rebonded foam production stage.

The finished rebonded foam is then cut into mattress cores with a CNC foam cutting machine. A typical mattress core size for this project is approximately 180 × 200 × 20 cm. After mattress assembly, the finished mattresses are processed with a mattress compression roll packing machine to make them more suitable for long-distance transportation to Africa. 

The main equipment and supporting items supplied for the project included:

• Spring and foam shredding separator
• Foam strip cutting machine
• Foam Crushing Machine  
• Crushed foam washing machine
• Crushed foam drying machine
• Rebonded foam machine
• Electric boiler
• CNC foam cutting machine
• Foam baling machine
• Mattress compression roll packing machine
• Foam transfer trolley, floor scale, mattress covers, and other supporting items

The project also included factory layout recommendations, equipment installation and commissioning, and operator training.

Our ability to deliver a complete production line, from front-end sorting to finished-product manufacturing, in the shortest possible time is built on our understanding of upstream and downstream processes and equipment across the full production chain.

Optimizing the Production Line Layout for Limited Factory Space

The factory space available for the new production line was limited.

Based on the actual site conditions, Sabtech adjusted the equipment arrangement and material flow while reserving the space required for installation, operator access, and future equipment maintenance.

The final layout also needed to accommodate the different preprocessing routes for waste mattresses, temporary waste foam storage, and the connections between downstream equipment shared by both material streams.

From Initial Product Validation to Complete Line Production

The project entered formal discussions in March 2025.

• April 2025
  The client visited the Sabtech factory to learn more about rebonded foam production and completed rebonded foam cutting and mattress compression tests. Sample recovery was subsequently checked after 15, 30, and 45 days of compression.

• June 2025
  The client began planning the factory according to the proposed production equipment layout.

• October 2025
  Factory construction was completed, the order was formally confirmed, and equipment manufacturing and preparation began.

• November 2025
  The client visited the Sabtech factory for a second time to review the equipment and discuss key points for subsequent operation.

• January 9, 2026
  The complete equipment package was loaded and shipped to Belgium in batches.

• April 9, 2026
  The equipment arrived at the client's factory in Belgium, and equipment positioning, mechanical installation, and electrical connection began.

• April 15, 2026
  No-load testing of individual machines and full-line integrated commissioning were completed.

• April 22, 2026
  Actual waste mattresses were introduced for a full-process production trial, while equipment operation training was provided to the client's team.

• April 25, 2026
  The project entered trial production.

Project Result: The Complete Production Line Is Now in Regular Production

The complete production line is now in regular production. You can watch the full Belgium waste mattress recycling project here. It can process different types of waste mattresses and carry out the subsequent stages of waste foam crushing, washing, drying, rebonded foam production, cutting, mattress production, and compression roll packing.

The client has expanded beyond waste mattress dismantling, scrap spring sales, and exports of used foam material to establish its own rebonded foam and recycled mattress production capabilities.

From initial product validation, complete line planning, and factory layout to equipment delivery, on-site installation, integrated commissioning, production trials with actual waste mattresses, and operator training, the project was ultimately brought from the planning stage into regular production.

Reference for Similar Waste Mattress Recycling and Rebonded Foam Projects

This project is relevant not only to waste mattress recycling companies, but also to businesses with access to waste mattresses or waste foam that want to establish rebonded foam production or move further downstream into mattress manufacturing.

The key question it addresses is how to plan the required processing stages, equipment combination, and connections between production processes according to the intended reuse of waste mattresses or waste foam.

The reference value of this project lies in connecting waste foam rebonding with the upstream and downstream stages of mattress production, creating a complete production process from raw material handling and rebonded foam production through to finished recycled mattress processing.

If you are planning a waste mattress recycling, waste foam reuse, rebonded foam, or recycled mattress production project, you can share your available raw materials, target products, planned capacity, and factory conditions with Sabtech to discuss a suitable production process and equipment configuration.