Willoughby City Council
Soft Landing Smithfield
Willoughby City Council Partnership: A Shared Commitment to Innovation, Sustainability and Community Impact
Soft Landing has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Willoughby City Council, providing mattress recycling services that deliver both environmental and social outcomes. Following a period with an alternative provider, Council re-engaged Soft Landing in August 2025, recognising our proven ability to combine high-quality recycling services with meaningful employment opportunities.
Since recommencing the service, Soft Landing has collected more than 4,000 mattresses from the Willoughby local government area. This has diverted over 112 tonnes of waste from landfill, including approximately 80 tonnes of materials recycled or reused, helping advance Council’s circular economy and sustainability goals.
Willoughby City Council’s online promotion highlights its mattress recycling partnership with Soft Landing.
The partnership delivers benefits far beyond waste reduction. The volume generated through the contract has created approximately 180 days of employment for people facing significant barriers to work, including long-term unemployment, social disadvantage and involvement with the justice system. For many of our team members, employment with Soft Landing represents not just a job, but a pathway to greater financial independence, confidence, stability and community participation.
During the year, Mayor Tanya Taylor and members of the Council team visited Soft Landing’s recycling facility for a behind-the-scenes tour, experiencing first-hand how mattresses are transformed into valuable resources while creating opportunities for people who need them most.
“It was inspiring to see every stage of the mattress recycling process in action and to meet the people whose lives are being changed through meaningful employment. Soft Landing demonstrates how environmental initiatives can also create important social outcomes, and we’re proud to support a partnership that delivers both.”
Tanya Taylor – Willoughby City Council Mayor
The visit reinforced the strong relationship between the two organisations and highlighted a shared commitment to innovation, sustainability and community impact. Looking ahead, Willoughby City Council and Soft Landing are exploring new opportunities to strengthen resource recovery outcomes, support the circular economy and create even greater social value.
This partnership shows how local government and social enterprise can work together to achieve lasting benefits for people, communities and the environment.
