Mattress Recycling Council achieves improved waste diversion rate in 2019

In 2019, more than 83 percent of mattresses discarded in California were discarded from the landfill. According to research from the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), Sacramento, California, that percentage is up 3 percent compared with where figures were at in 2018.

MRC attributes this improvement in part to its statewide mattress recycling program known as Bye Bye Mattress, which launched in 2016, the council says in a news release on these figures. In the past year, the council says it has also worked to stop illegal dumping of mattresses and to invest in research to improve the mattress recycling process as well as develop new markets for reclaimed component materials.

In 2019, MRC says it focused in a few key areas, including:

• expanding its collection network in rural counties;
• expanding its presence in areas of the state of California that have experienced high per capita rates of illegal dumping; and
• expanding its presence in communities most vulnerable to pollution.

The council says overall residential access to mattress recycling increased from 92.7 percent to 94.8 percent in California, with higher gains in rural counties (78.5 percent to 85.8 percent) and environmental justice communities (95.3 percent to 98.5 percent). In addition, every county in California had access to the Bye Bye Mattress program through at least one collection site or collection event by the end of 2019.

“Coordinating with mattress retailers and the existing solid waste infrastructure throughout California has been a monumental achievement for the program,” says Mike O’Donnell, managing director of the Mattress Recycling Council. “We’ve augmented that network by collaborating with nonprofit partners, including local Conservation Corps, Goodwill Industries and Habitat for Humanity, so that access to the program is provided no matter where you live.” 

Last year, the council says it focused on increasing efficiency and exploring new applications for recycled mattress components. Significant projects included more than $120,000 in funding awards for collection sites to enhance their storage and loading capabilities, studies to identify new end markets and improve the transportation network, lean manufacturing assessments of its recyclers and projects to improve the recycling of pocketed coils and create a circular economy for polyurethane foam.  

In addition to improving the program’s outputs, MRC also launched the Sleep Products Sustainability Program (SP2) to help mattress manufacturers reduce waste while increasing operational efficiencies. Three companies completed the initial SP2 training in 2019 and are now identifying steps to reduce their environmental impacts, establish best practices and define metrics to track progress.  

In 2019, MRC says more than 1.4 million mattresses were recycled in California, which diverted about 58.3 million pounds of material from state landfills. To date, MRC has more than 200 collection sites and has hosted more than 150 collection events as well as 50 curbside bulky item collection programs.