PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Panelists at last week's solid waste forum at the Berkshire Innovation Center urged support for upcoming legislation to address the solid waste crisis. 

 

Event organizer Thomas Irwin said the forum is the continuation of mass public education on potential solutions for the solid waste crisis. 

 

Justine Fallon, director of operations for the Mattress Recycling Council, discussed proposed recycling legislation, the program's process, and its impact. 

 

"The Mattress Recycling Council is a nonprofit that was created by the International Sleep Products Association," Fallon said and that the association started to administer mattress recycling programs in the United States in 2013.

 

The International Sleep Products Association works with states during the legislative process and once the law passes, MRC develops plans and implements programs. 

 

Getting the mattress bill to the Legislature is more complicated than the PaintCare bill because there are two competing bills that are difficult to agree on, Massachusetts Product Stewardship Council Chair Waneta Trabert said. 

 

Prior to the mattress ban established in November 2021, using the Extended Producer Responsibility model would have resulted in $10 million in municipal savings, Trabert said. 

 

"So, now some of that municipal savings is actually going to be passed on to an individual consumer where they would be paying a lower fee than say $50 to $60 that some municipalities are charging for mattress recycling now," Trabert said. 

 

Current proposed mattress recycling bills: Bill H.881 and Bill H.513. 

 

MRC developed House Bill 881 with state Rep. Edward R. Philips as a response to its concerns regarding the waste ban regulations because the regulation created an economic barrier to proper disposal and recycling, Fallon said.

 

"So these economic barriers, we're fearful they can create leakage into our bordering state programs that are no cost and really disrupt the operations of those programs and the financing mechanisms that we have been placed there," Fallon said. 

 

This legislation retains the "core successful models" of the current laws in its three program states, Fallon said. 

 

The bill would  "provide free, convenient and accessible opportunities for collection of mattresses discarded in this state from any person, in both the urban and rural areas of this state," it said. 

 

Bill 881 has antitrust protection and civil penalties and enforcement, Fallon said. 

 

Although there are similarities between Bill 881 and Senate Bill 513, Bill 513 has additional fees for all social service programs embedded in the legislation for wraparound services for one nonprofit mattress recycler in the state, Fallon said.

 

When working on legislation ISBA focuses on three key elements–administering programs that provide convenient collection of mattresses, "funding these programs with a visible fee collected at the point of sale, and educating the industry, consumers, residents and businesses on mattress recycling, reuse and proper disposal," Fallon said. 

 

Once launched in the state MRC works with communities to collect mattresses through the existing waste stream. 

 

"I think that's really important, people know where to go with the materials. So, we try to work within the local programs," Fallon said. 

 

The association currently operate in three states — Connecticut, Rhode Island and California — all of which passed legislation in 2013. Its newest state is Oregon, which passed legislation in 2022 and is projected to have the program launch in 2024.

 

Since launching its first program in 2015 MRC has recycled more than 12 million mattresses and diverted 450 pounds of mattress materials from disposal. 

 

Following concerns regarding the impact of the transportation of mattresses, MRC conducted a life cycle analysis in its California program. After two years, it was determined that MRC is a carbon negative program. 

 

When one mattress is recycled it saves 500 gallons of water and the equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions savings of 60 miles traveled. 

 

"So, we really feel like we're making a good impact by recycling mattresses, even though they do make up a small part of the waste stream," Fallon said. 

 

Within these states, they work with local organizations, curbside programs, retailers, transfer stations, landfills, and recyclers to collect mattresses. 

 

MRC provides containers at transfer stations or landfills for no cost drop off by residents and businesses. 

 

They "contract with recyclers in the state so that businesses and individuals can do direct drop off right at that facility" and "service retailers that take back mattresses when somebody purchases a new one," Fallon said. 

 

"And essentially we really work with any business that has a mattress that they need to get rid of prisons, the military, colleges, health-care facilities. So, any of those types of businesses."

 

Once the mattresses are collected MRC will transport them to contracted mattress recycling facilities to be deconstructed. 

 

There are approximately 50 mattress recycling facilities across the country, many of which are mission driven nonprofit organizations that provide second chance employment and job skills, Fallon said. 

 

Once deconstructed the mattress material is sold to secondary markets. The foam and quilt panels are recycled for products like animal bedding or carpet padding. 

 

The metal springs are sold on the scrap ferrous steel market, the cotton fiber is used for installation products, and the wooden box springs are recycled into mulch, biomass fuel, and reconstructed shipping pallets, Fallon said. 

 

PaintCare legislation was also discussed during this forum.