THE TFR GROUP STORY

167,000 tonnes of mattresses are sent to landfill every year in the UK. That’s a figure that Nick Oettinger, Founder and Managing Director of TFR Group, was simply not willing to ignore.

During his time as an Improvement Consultant, dealing with the full spectrum of waste types and processes, there was a poignant moment whilst at a landfill site when a mattress became wrapped around the drive shaft of a delivery vehicle on site. It got Nick’s cogs churning about these bulky items found in every single household and how each component of the mattress could be broken down to ensure 100% of it was diverted from landfill.

From that moment, Nick concentrated on tackling challenging waste streams to generate a sustainable business and achieve maximum recycling.

Armed with a passion for the environment and a great deal of determination, Nick set about finding a way to make a difference.

Following intensive research into the limitations and possibilities of recycling processes, in December 2010 he kick-started operations with the launch of EOL Recycling, a company that would soon grow into TFR Group.

Through lots of R&D, Nick and the growing team perfected a dismantling process that separates mattresses into 19 component parts while working hard to identify and on-board a variety of suitable, sustainable outlets for all of the component materials generated.

Once these were sourced, we were finally able to launch our very first operational site in the heart of Preston, Lancashire; a very exciting day for the team.

It was only a matter of time before the UK’s retailers, local authorities and hotel chains became aware of our new, forward-thinking company, and partnerships blossomed.

The EOL Recycling team went from strength to strength, evolving into what is now TFR Group, a company that is recycling 12,000 mattresses per week and has already recycled over 3 million mattresses since launch. TFR Group currently diverts 8.17% of all of the UK’s mattresses from landfill.

TFR Group’s mission is to divert 100% of mattresses in the UK from landfill, recycling and feed them back into the economy as pristine new materials.

Only when we succeed in creating a truly circular economy can we create a sustainable and comfortable future for the generations to come.

TFR Group has always been supported by its loyal customers, championing our transparent and sustainable processes, along with our forward-thinking approach to mattress recycling

In 2020, we opened our Bolton site, which allows more capacity for delivering services, as we reached a huge landmark of 3m mattresses diverted from landfill.

In 2021, we opened the doors to our fourth facility; a purpose-built rejuvenation centre, allowing us to further support our clients in getting the most out of their products’ lifecycle. Following an increase in online mattress returns, we’re able to support clients to maximise revenue. 

We launched The Mattress Recycling People, providing consumers with home collection for used mattresses.  Consumers can call upon us to collect their used mattresses. Our clients can white-label to collect from their customers.