THE number of mattresses thrown away in West Yorkshire each year would stretch further than the distance from Leeds to Southampton if laid end to end, a new guide has estimated.

The Best Mattresses Guide thinks that more than 250,000 mattresses are thrown away in the region each year – which would stretch nearly 500km.

They are calling for an industry-wide label to show shoppers the carbon footprint of their new mattress.

The website wants each new mattress to come with details of its carbon footprint – including the emissions from manufacturing and transport.

A handful of mattress companies already offer some of this information but many don’t and there is no obligation to do so.

It is urging people to support the campaign by signing its petition at https://www.best-mattresses.co.uk/campaign

They are aiming to get 833 signatures for clearer labelling – one for every mattress thrown away in just one hour in the UK.

Robert Lane from The Best Mattresses Guide said: “Many mattress companies have made big efforts in recent years to become greener. Some make packaging from recycled materials and some boast of ‘carbon neutral’ factories.

"However, there's a lot of information missing and the UK's mattresses are still having a colossal impact on the environment. For shoppers who want to make a difference, it is hugely confusing.

“Displaying the carbon emissions from manufacturing and transport wouldn’t tell you everything about how ‘green’ a mattress is, but it would be a good start. We are raising the challenge to the mattress industry to help consumers make environmentally friendly choices.”