According to local reports, Santa Cruz, CA has seen a 25% increase in recycled mattresses citywide since 2016 thanks to a new bed recycling initiative.
To better understand the relationship between the MRC, local governments, and programs such as Bye Bye Mattress, I spoke with a variety of local and national stakeholders.
COMPREHENSION OF THE PROBLEM
In California specifically, any and all conversations about mattress recycling must begin with the Used Mattress Recovery & Recycling Act, a law passed by the state in 2013 to force the mattress industry to address and deal with the waste produced by discarded beds and box springs.
Californians Against Waste (CAW), a non-profit group, and Loni Hancock, a former state senator, sponsored the bill., who represented the 9th Senate District in the northern East Bay from 2008-2016.
Senator Hancock was representing Oakland and noticed that the city had a particularly bad mattress problem, CAW Policy Analyst Kelly McBee told me. At the time, the city was collecting between18-35 illegally dumped mattresses a day, which resulted in half a million dollars spent per year on bed removal. This was just one of many Californian cities.
Zooming out to the macro level reveals the extent of the problem, not only in Sen. Hancocks‘ district but throughout the state. As Lance Klug-Public Information Officer forCalifornia Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)-explained:
In California, weve got nearly 40 million people, which means weve got millions of beds that reach the end of their lives in any given year. Before the law, many of these beds were illegally dumped which was not only a waste of resources and a major eyesore for communities, but also cost the taxpayer a lot of money in cleanup.
COMING UP WITH A SOLUTION
This legislation was created to address this problem and ensure compliance with all requirements.the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) established the Mattress Recycling Council on behalf of the mattress industryCalRecycle was then approached by, who proposed the Bye Bye Mattress Program. The initiative was approved in 2015, setting into motion an overhaul of how discarded beds were managed statewide.
Klug explained that our role is to set goals for mattress recovery and provide oversight. The entire program is run by the mattress industry itself.
That the program is run by the industry is an important distinction, asserted McBee, as it takes the stress off taxpayers and puts it on those creating the debris in the first place. This idea-commonly referred to as product stewardship- ensures that when a manufacturer makes a good, theyre also thinking about the costs associated with the end of the life of the product.
From the industry perspective, ISPA VP of Policy and Government Affairs Marie Clarke put it to me bluntly: We could either fight the legislation, or take a seat at the table and come to a consensus with local governments.At the end of the day, its way more beneficial to have a say in how your products going to be managed at the end of its useful life.
The results so far are amazing.
As mentioned above, Santa Cruz saw a 900 unit spike , adding up to over 5,000 recycled box springs and beds. Klug told me that cities across the state have seen similar results, with
Bye Bye Mattress gathering over 1.3 million units last year alone (compared to just 88,000 from other programs).
What is the secret to success? A combo of demystification (through an aggressivepublic education campaign), greater accessibility (thanks a stringnew recycling centers), and affordability (with no drop-off fees or the adoption of aRecycling fee at purchase).As the program continues to grow, CalRecycle anticipates annual 15% increases of recycled mattresses through .
HELLO, NEW RECYCLING MODEL!
The groups Marketing & Communications Manager Amanda Wall explained to me that the success comes in keeping things local, even as the organization was built by and for the industry.
The first step we take is always to work with the solid waste collecting infrastructure that already exists in an area, Wall said. Sometimes that means working with a city, county, or a third party that is collecting waste on behalf of the area. We hope to get them on board with our program, but we also look for other options, like working with small business owners, non-profit organizations, or retailers.
While the aim is to have operational programs in every California county, Wall said the sheer size of the state is making this a slow process. Bye Bye Mattress in Rhode Island and Connecticut has been able set up shop with strong, active participation from constituents.
According to Clarke, this participation stems frompeople knowing and understanding how they contribute to the programs up-keep, a transparency that isnt always apparent in other environmental initiatives.
She said that everyone has a part in this model. Because they don’t have to pay the cost of recycling, the industry is investing in its success. It means that local governments can be more efficient in regulation and lower costs for taxpayers. And everyday folks are getting educated on the importance of recycling and therefore feel empowered when they can do something other than just leaving their bed on the curb.
LOOKING FOR THE FUTURE
While one might assume this momentum would result in a proliferation of similar programs throughout the United States, both Wall and Clarke admitted thats not the case. Not because Bye Bye Mattress doesn’t want to make mattress recycling more accessible, but because it is completely dependent on the states.
We like to respond to interest in the state, said Clarke. We don’t want to say „This is what you should do“ to the state legislature.
We leave the door wide open, rather than trying to get in.
Wall agreed, adding: Were constantly monitoring state legislation, looking for laws that specifically say they want the mattress industry to be responsible for product stewardship. It seems unlikely that we will see any new legislation on the environment given the current outlook of the administration.
But, its not all bleak. In Massachusetts, for example, theres a resolution to study mattress recycling and what effects it would have on the local infrastructure. MRC will jump in to get programs underway if and when the measure is passed. The team will monitor and improve its efforts in California and Rhode Island until then.
For those who live outside these jurisdictions, Clarke says there are still ways to ensure that your mattress doesnt wind up in a landfill.
Waste management is a local issue, so all you have to do is a quick Google search to figure out who represents that sector in your local government, give their office a call, and schedule a pick up, she said. The service is not free, although there might be a charge.
