Mattress Recycling Council will submit a plan to operate the program, proposing a 2024 launch
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has signed legislation establishing an industry-led statewide mattress recycling program. This action caps a multiyear effort by the mattress industry and other stakeholders to negotiate a practical recycling law for the state.
The mattress industry supports this new law, which authorizes an industry-organized nonprofit like the Mattress Recycling Council to provide residents with free, convenient and accessible opportunities to discard old mattresses and divert them from waste to recycling.
MRC will submit a program plan to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality no later than Oct. 1, 2023, and will propose launching the program in 2024. This legislation is aligned with other successful recycling programs administered by MRC in California, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Since 2015, MRC has recycled more than 10 million mattresses and diverted more than 380 million pounds of steel, foam, fiber and wood from landfills.
“By giving Oregonians a convenient way to recycle mattresses, we are reducing both waste once destined for the landfill and the likelihood of these items being illegally dumped,” said Sen. James Manning (D-Eugene), co-chief sponsor of Senate Bill 1576. “The public-private partnership authorized by this legislation will be good for state residents and the environment, and will create good green jobs.”
MRC will propose funding its activities through a stewardship fee added to the cost of all mattresses and box springs purchased in Oregon, including online sales. MRC would then use the fee to establish collection sites and events to allow residents to drop off mattresses for free. In California, Connecticut and Rhode Island, MRC accomplishes this by working with mattress retailers, the existing solid waste infrastructure, waste haulers, small businesses and nonprofit organizations. MRC would also recycle mattresses from commercial sources, including hotels and universities.
“MRC has developed a successful approach to mattress recycling. We continuously seek to improve the service we provide residents, increase the amount of each mattress that can be recycled, and reduce the environmental impact of our operations,” said Ryan Trainer, president of MRC and the International Sleep Products Association. “We look forward to working with mattress manufacturers, retailers, recyclers, local governments and state officials to develop an efficient and effective program for collecting and recycling mattresses discarded by Oregon residents.”
MRC also uses its mattress recycling expertise to foster innovation and cooperation across the supply chain to develop a circular economy for mattress products.
“What to do with an old mattress has been an age-old challenge for both the mattress and solid waste industries. MRC’s approach offers a practical and efficient solution to this problem,” said Doug Guffey MRC board chair, senior vice president of sales for Atlanta Attachment Co. and vice president of sales for Hickory Springs Manufacturing. “MRC welcomes the opportunity to add Oregon to its recycling network.”
