MRC’S Bye Bye Mattress Program Surpasses Five Million
Since the program began in 2016, the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) has recycled five million mattresses in the state of California announced today. If these mattresses were laid end-to-end they would span nearly 6,000 miles – enough to build a bridge from California to Hawaii and back. By recycling these units, Bye Bye Mattress helped California save more than 6 million cubic yards of landfill space.
“California is a global leader in mattress recycling, as evidenced by this significant milestone achievement,” said Mike O’Donnell, managing director of MRC, which operates the Bye Bye Mattress program. “We continue to build on this leadership by growing no-cost mattress recycling options statewide and helping ensure a greener California.”
More than 80 percent of a mattress can be recycled and turned into new consumer and industrial products. The five million mattresses recycled to date in California through MRC’s Bye Bye Mattress program equate to more than 168 million pounds of material kept out of state landfills and recycled into new products or diverted for other uses including:
• 84,318,480 pounds of steel
• 26,344,803 pounds of foam
• 26,853,401 pounds of cotton, quilt and other fibers
• 21,978,631 pounds of wood
• 8,883,028 pounds of other materials (cardboard, plastics, etc.)
When a mattress is recycled, it is cut open, the layers separated and interior materials organized by type for reuse. For example: the foam is recycled into carpet padding, the springs are used to make new appliances or other steel products, the fabric can be made into industrial filters and the wood from box springs is chipped for use as mulch or biomass fuel.
Bye Bye Mattress is funded through a recycling fee collected when a mattress or box spring is sold. MRC uses the fee to establish free drop-off locations and collection events throughout the state, combat illegal dumping and to further research that improves mattress recycling and develops new uses for the materials.
To find a collection location or event near you or to learn more about mattress recycling, visit www.ByeByeMattress.com.
Category: Business, Sustainability
