ISPA Completes Program with Mattress Recycling Company

August 25, 2010  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Bedding on August 26, 2010 The International Sleep Products Association has completed its pilot program with Rubber Recovery for options in processing and recycling large volumes of used mattresses.

ISPA partnered with RRI last year to see whether the shredding technology the company uses to recycle used tires and other materials could be used to process used mattresses.

€œMost mattress recycling today is performed exclusively using manual labor," said Ryan Trainer, ISPA president.  "An efficient mechanized approach is needed to process the volumes of used mattresses that large urban areas will generate. RRI€™s expertise in processing other durable products provided us with an excellent opportunity to test whether the shredding technology they use can efficiently separate the spring steel from other mattress components.€

A number of ISPA members contributed resources to help make the testing program a success. Simmons Bedding Co. and Park Place Corp. provided hundreds of used mattresses and foundations for use in these tests. Simmons also provided logistical support for staging the delivery of the used units at the shredding plant and simplifying how the products were handled during processing. 

Leggett & Platt provided people from its quality assurance and engineering departments to document the tests and several foam manufacturers will analyze whether the mixture of shredded foam, fiber and fabric generated from the shredding operation is suitable for making re-bond foam used for carpet padding. Throughout the process, other mattress manufacturers, recyclers, component suppliers and retailers observed the tests and provided valuable insights into how the RRI process could be adapted to mattress recycling.

€œThe RRI pilot program is an excellent example of how ISPA and our member companies serve the mattress industry,€ said Don Wright, ISPA chair and chief marketing officer at Wright of Thomasville.  €œProper disposal of used mattresses has been a pressing industry problem for years and the need for a permanent solution is obvious. ISPA is committed to working with mattress manufacturers, industry suppliers, the retail community, government officials, and recycling centers to develop an economically feasible and sustainable solution to this problem. I look forward to seeing the results of this pilot program, and sincerely appreciate all the support we have received from our members.€

Leggett & Platt will draft a report and recommendations on the tests, which ISPA will make available to all members, as well as companies interested in recycling used mattresses.

More information on the ISPAEarth Sustainability Initiative, including its recycling efforts can be found online. A directory of mattress recycling facilities can be found here.