Workers are removing mattresses.
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Consumers in a handful of states are paying for assistance Build mattress industry Greener—and more states might follow?
Four states—California, Connecticut, Oregon and Rhode Island—now impose a flat fee on any mattress or box spring that residents purchase online or in-store.
Retail fees, which range from $16 to about $23, fund state recycling programs that divert used mattresses from landfills as part of the recycling program. grow Policy initiatives aimed at promoting a circular economy for common household items, from plastic packaging to paper products and electronics.
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American throw away According to the Mattress Recycling Council, approximately 15 million to 20 million mattresses are produced each year, an average of 50,000 mattresses per day.
However, according to the MRC, more than 75% of mattresses are recyclable: their wood, steel, foam and fibers can be stripped, sold and reused.
Oregon implemented recycling fees on January 1st.
California and Connecticut will increase retail rates to $16 per unit from $10.50 and $11.75, respectively, in early 2025. Rhode Island raised the per-unit fee to $20.50 last year.
MRC spokesperson Amanda Wall said the industry is also working with lawmakers in Massachusetts, Maryland, New York and Virginia to develop similar plans.
Recycling options few but expanding
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Currently, there are few options for Americans who want to recycle their used mattresses or box springs.
one Table of contents A list compiled by the Mattress Recycling Council lists only 58 companies nationwide that recycle such products. States that have not yet enacted recycling laws often charge consumers for delivery and pick-up. (I recent payment For example, such services cost $95 in New York City.
Oregon officials say their program will allow consumers to easily recycle unwanted mattresses and reduce illegal dumping.
The goal is to “establish new convenient locations in every county for residents to drop off mattresses” and create jobs in the recycling industry, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Quality website.
State recycling efforts are an example of how “extended producer responsibility” laws are gaining traction in the U.S.
“Through EPR, the manufacturer of a product or packaging has the responsibility to manage it when it becomes waste,” according to Reid Lifset is a resident fellow in industrial ecology at Yale University and editor of the Journal of Industrial Ecology. Lifset said the EPR scheme provides a new source of funding to make recycling systems sustainable.
In the case of state mattress programs, Wall said, retailers pass on consumer fees to the Mattress Recycling Council to fund each state’s individual program.
In Oregon, for example, more than half of the $22.50 retail fee (about $12) will fund Operating costs are planned for 2025, with the remaining funds used for start-up costs, management, and public education and advertising.
According to the MRC, more than 300 mattress collection sites across states have recycling programs. These sites accept discarded mattresses for free. (They may charge a pickup fee, however.)
