It’s not every day that you get to celebrate a milestone birthday for an organization that has made a tremendous difference. This year, Mattress Recycling Council hits double digits and there’s plenty to celebrate.
But first, a quick look back. MRC launched its first program in Connecticut in May 2015. California followed in December of that year and Rhode Island’s program kicked off in May 2016. For those of us who have been around for a while, that feels like yesterday. But the numbers tell a different story. In the 10 years since MRC created these state programs, 15 million mattresses have been recycled -—15 million. My brain has a hard time grasping a number that large. MRC has helpfully put it into context. If you laid 15 million mattresses end to end, it would cover 19,000 miles. I did some amateur calculations and learned that 19,000 miles is the equivalent of driving across the contiguous United States five times. Or you could visualize it this way — if you laid those 15 million mattresses out like a quilt, it would be the equivalent of 20 square miles.
Doesn’t it feel amazing to know that many mattresses have been kept out of landfills? And now, with Oregon’s new mattress recycling program underway, those numbers will continue to grow.
International Sleep Products Association and MRC staff recently were asked how these numbers made them feel. The overwhelming response? Proud. That sounds right. Those on staff or those in the industry who have worked with MRC programs or served on the MRC board should feel proud of all that they have accomplished. Not only has mattress recycling awareness and practice grown, but MRC has spent time and money investigating uses for recycled mattress components. It also has created the Sleep Products Sustainability Program, or more commonly known as SP2, to help California manufacturers reduce waste and increase efficiencies. So much good has been done in 10 years.
If you want to learn more about MRC, please read Julie A. Palm’s excellent cover story.
This month we’re not only celebrating MRC. We’re also looking ahead to Earth Day, which is April 22 this year. It seems fitting then, that we’re launching a dedicated space to talk about sustainability issues in each issue going forward. Look for the inaugural article here.
Here’s to all the ways our industry is making the world a better place. I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years hold.
