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November 7, 2016

Mattress recycling saves $1.5M in disposal costs

Photo | Lisa Wilder Rocshay Thomas of Park City Green in Bridgeport breaks down an old mattress into its recyclable parts.

Connecticut's Bye Bye Mattress Program has recycled 150,000 mattresses, saving cities and towns more than $1 million in disposal costs, according to the first annual report released by the Mattress Recycling Council.

Robert Klee, commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said the program has created jobs and saved municipalities $1.5 million in disposal costs. The program debuted in May of 2015 and issued its first annual report last week.

The program also has recovered more than 2,800 tons of steel, foam and other materials that will be made into new products and expanded the collection network to 101 free drop-off sites that more than 2.3 million residents across Connecticut can use, according to the report.

The program requires used mattresses to be recycled and is funded by a $9 fee collected by retailers when a new mattress or box spring is sold. The program allows Connecticut residents to drop-off used mattresses at participating collection sites, collection events and recycling facilities free of charge.

It’s one of several “extended producer responsibility” programs in Connecticut.

Ryan Trainer, president of the council and the International Sleep Products Association, said the program has had a "productive start" and his organization will continue to work to expand the number of communities served and increase the volume of mattresses processed.

The Mattress Recycling Council is a non-profit organization formed by the mattress industry to operate recycling programs in states that have enacted mattress recycling laws – Connecticut, California and Rhode Island.

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