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California Nixes Mattress Recycling Bill
September 6,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Mattresses on September 7, 2012
The California state senate has voted down a mandatory mattress recycling bill.
The bill--which would have added millions of dollars in costs for mattress manufacturers that sell in California by requiring them to fund the cost of collecting used mattresses from consumers, dismantling them and recycling their components--failed in the final minutes of the 2012 California legislative session. The bill also would have required the industry to prevent consumers from illegally dumping their used mattresses. California is the third state this year to have considered, but failed to enact, a used mattress recycling law.
For over 20 years, the International Sleep Products Association and its members have supported responsible mattress recycling, said ISPA President, Ryan Trainer. However, the approach proposed in California would have been bad for consumers, retailers and manufacturers. Instead, we believe that a national system for mattress recycling, rather than an inefficient piecemeal, state-based system, is best for this industry. The strong unified voice that California legislators heard from the mattress manufacturing and retail industries demonstrates that this legislation was short-sighted and that a comprehensive national solution is needed.
A national program, according to ISPA, would take advantage of economies of scale to make mattress recycling efficient and cost-effective. ISPA will continue to advocate for federal legislation with the goal to build a mattress recycling solution that suits both consumers and industry.
According to some estimates, 20 million used mattresses are discarded annually. Through mattress recycling, many components of used mattresses can be used to make other products. Existing mattress recycling programs have also demonstrated that mattress recycling can create jobs while helping to protect the environment.
For more information about a national system for mattress recycling, visit the ISPA Web site.