2018 R3 Conference presentation by Marie Clarke of the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) on how mattress manufacturers are working with several states via product stewardship programs to reduce mattresses in the waste stream and get them recycled.

1. State Mattress
Recycling Programs
Marie Clarke
International Sleep Products Association

2. Who We Are
International Sleep Products Association
Trade association for the mattress industry
Mattress Recycling Council
The non-profit ISPA created in 2013 to develop and
implement recycling programs in states that enact
mattress recycling laws

3. How many mattresses are discarded?
35-40 million
new mattresses and box springs
sold per year.
50%
100 new products sold
generates 50+ discards
15-20 million discards annually.
That’s 50,000 per day!

4. Mattress Recycling
• Approximately 50
mattress recyclers in U.S.
• Many are non-profits
• Most use manual labor to
dismantle the mattress
• Processing fees range
from under $10 to $50 per
unit

5. What happens to recycled materials?

6. Recycling Challenges
CHALLENGES
• Used mattresses are bulky and
durable
• Recycled materials have
low/volatile value
• Scrap revenue insufficient to
fund collecting/dismantling
mattresses
• Competition from tipping fees
restricts processing revenue

7. First state laws passed in 2013
Connecticut
May 2015
California
Dec. 2015
Rhode Island
May 2016

8. Program Basics: Industry Obligations
• Administer statewide mattress recycling program
(subject to State oversight)
• Fund program with Visible Fee collected at retail
• Create and administer education and outreach program
• Provide for collection or receipt of mattresses
• Provide for transportation of mattress discards
• Provide for mattress deconstruction and recycling

9. How are mattresses collected?
• MRC uses a variety of collection methods including:
– Consumer no-cost pick-up from solid waste facilities
– Community collection events
– Retailer collection after delivering new mattress
– Large volume user (hotels, dorms, etc.) delivers
discarded units directly to MRC recycler
– Bulky item curbside pick-up

10. Who are our collectors?

11. Connecticut
• Launched May 2015
• Recycling fee: $9/unit
• 2 recycling facilities
• Almost 275 participating
sites/entities
• Processed over 400,000 units

12. Rhode Island
• Launched May 2016
• 2 recycling facilities
• Nearly all municipalities
participating
• Recycling fee: $16/unit
• Processed roughly 150,000
units since launch

13. California
• Launched December 30,
2015
• Recycling fee: $10.50/unit
• 5 recycling facilities with 10
locations
• Over 160 participating
sites/entities
• Processed over 2 million
units

14. Industry & Consumer Outreach

15. Outlook for Future?

16. Contact ISPA & MRC
Marie Clarke
International Sleep Products Association
Mattress Recycling Council
mclarke@sleepproducts.org
www.sleepproducts.org
www.mattressrecyclingcouncil.org
www.byebyemattress.com