NATIONAL REPORT—This year could be a landmark year for mattress recycling. Time will tell if other states will follow their leads but three states—California, Connecticut and Rhode Island—are getting closer to creating the infrastructure for statewide mattress recycling. Late last month, California’s State Senate approved SB 254 which creates a used mattress recycling program. Assembly hearings on that legislation, according to Ryan Trainer, president, International Sleep Products Assn. (ISPA), are expected to begin early next month. Earlier this year, with Public Act 13-42, Connecticut became the first state to pass comprehensive mattress recycling legislation. In Rhode Island, Trainer says, “There is one active bill patterned like Connecticut’s.” That bill is expected to be considered by the Rhode Island Senate in the next couple of months.
In California, where SB 254 has enjoyed a broad range of support from industry, retailers, cities and counties, local elected officials, and waste management organizations, a nonprofit mattress recycling organization would be created. Its purpose would be to plan, implement and administer a state system to collect discarded used mattresses, dismantle them and recycle their materials for use in new products. The program will be funded by a nominal fee collected at retail on the sale of new mattresses and box-springs.
“The recyclers will be the primary beneficiaries of the program,” Trainer says. “They will have a reliable income stream.”
Similar to California, in Connecticut a nonprofit will be formed by mattress manufacturers. The law will assess a fee at the point of sale to finance the program. The retailer will transfer this money to the nonprofit which will use it to pay for transportation and recycling of unwanted mattresses. The government will not administer the program or control the funds collected. Mattress manufacturers are required to submit a plan to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection by July 1, 2014. If approved, the plan will be implemented in late 2014 to early 2015.
A Voluntary Program
In any of the three states, nobody, including hoteliers, will be required to turn in a mattress or box-springs for recycling. The newly created infrastructure, however, will make it much easier to do so.
Ideally, Trainer says, mattress recycling should be a national activity and there should be a national legislative approach to it. “It is difficult to get Congress to focus on the recycling issue,” he says.
In recent years ISPA has pushed a national approach to the issue but Trainer acknowledges a lack of traction with it. “We made the strategic decision to shelve our federal approach,” Trainer says. “Our long-term goal is nationwide legislation.”
“We would prefer a national approach but it is difficult to get congress to focus on the recycling issue. The feds very seldom get involved. We were getting no traction with our approach. We made the strategic decision to shelve our federal approach. Our long-term goal is nationwide legislation.”
According to ISPA, up to 2,000 jobs could be created if a national infrastructure for mattress recycling were created.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
