Senator Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) introduced legislation that establishes a statewide industry-led mattress recycling program to build on existing collection infrastructure. This program would manage the residential and commercial recycling of mattresses, box springs, and foundations.

“The problem is people buy these mattresses, and when it comes time to toss them, people don’t know what to do with these big bulky products, so they make their way into our landfills and ditches, and they end up plaguing our environment,” said Sen. Howe. “Not only does this bill create a program that gives consumers an easy option for recycling, but it keeps our roads clean, it’s good for our environment, and it allows old mattresses to be repurposed.”

This bill would establish a stewardship fee that would cover the cost of collection, transportation, and processing of mattresses, box springs, and foundations. This one-time fee would be the funding mechanism for the program and would be paid at the point of sale and would go straight from the retailer to the mattress recycling council. Other states like Connecticut and Rhode Island have had success with similar programs.

“Recycling these products yields reusable commodities like foam and steel, which can find a second life in new products. This bill is a great way of getting these mattresses out of our landfills and environment and into a new recycling and repurposing program,” finished Sen. Howe.

Senate File 1767 was heard in the Environment and Natural Resources Committee and was laid over.