California’s Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act (enacted in 2013, and amended in 2014 and 2019) requires mattress manufacturers to create a statewide recycling program for mattresses discarded in the state. The Program is funded through an $11 recycling fee collected from consumers when a mattress or box spring is sold beginning Dec. 30, 2015. The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) is a non-profit organization established by the mattress industry that has been certified by CalRecycle to develop and administer the Program.
Waste Connections signed an agreement with MRC for the processing of mattresses received at the Tehama County/Red Bluff Landfill. As a result of the agreement, beginning January 1, 2016, mattresses and box springs have been accepted free of charge, resulting in a significant increase in units collected for recycling.
|
Year |
Outbound Mattresses/Box Springs (tons) |
|
2014 |
132.74 |
|
2015 |
130.37 |
|
2016 |
156.96 |
|
2017 |
175.29 |
|
2018 |
201.81 |
|
2019 |
191.01 |
|
2020 |
188.98 |
|
2021 |
218.33 |
|
2022 |
186.10 |
|
2023 |
173.89 |
Beginning in calendar year 2021, the Agency was able to additionally seek reimbursement for mattresses and box springs that were illegally dumped and cleaned up as part of the Agency's Illegal Dumping and Litter Abatement Program. A total of 56 mattresses and box springs were cleaned up in 2023. The reimbursement has not yet been received.