Connecticut DEEP approves mattress stewardship plan

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has approved the Connecticut Mattress Stewardship Plan, which was developed by the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), a nonprofit organization created by the mattress industry to develop and manage mattress recycling programs.

The MRC, based in Alexandria, Virginia, says Connecticut is the first state to work with it to implement a statewide mattress recycling program.

The approved plan requires that mattress retailers add a $9 recycling fee to each new or renovated mattress and box spring sold to consumers in the state. The fee will be seen as a separate line item on their receipts starting May 1, 2015.

Retailers and other businesses selling mattresses will remit the fees to the MRC, which in turn will be used to pay contractors to collect and recycle the mattresses.

“Today, Connecticut has taken another step towards reaffirming its leadership in materials management,” says Robert Klee, commissioner of DEEP. “I applaud the mattress industry for working with us to develop a solution that protects consumers, works efficiently with our existing municipal solid waste networks and values the recovery of the natural resources contained in the thousands of mattresses that are buried in landfills, lost to incineration or abandoned in our communities each year.”

The MRC says the program will divert mattresses from the waste stream to recyclers, who will extract secondary commodities including steel, foam and cotton from each mattress. The program also is designed to minimize recycling costs to consumers by creating a statewide economy of scale.

“Responsibly managing discarded mattresses benefits consumers and the environment, and it’s most effective when done on a large scale,” says Ryan Trainer, president of MRC. “Through this law, the mattress industry has developed a self-sustaining infrastructure for handling these products.”

Any mattress or box spring discarded by Connecticut consumers is eligible for recycling. However, the program will not accept:

• severely damaged, wet, twisted, frozen or soiled mattresses or box springs;
• mattresses or box springs infested with bed bugs;
• mattress pads or toppers;
• sleeping bags;
• pillows;
• car beds;
• juvenile products (i.e., carriage, basket, dressing table, stroller, playpen, infant carrier, lounge pad, or crib bumpers);
• crib and bassinet mattresses;
• water beds or camping air mattresses;
• fold-out sofa beds; and
• futons and furniture.