Manufacturers have set up a website called Bye Bye Mattress to help people recycle.
Connecticut has begun the first mattress recycling program in the country, which means a $9.00 charge will now be added to any new mattress purchase in the state.
First things first, this is not a tax on mattresses. "That $9.00 goes to a council made up of mattress manufacturers. It does not go to the state," said Tom Metzner, an environmental analyst at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. "The mattress manufacturers use that program to administer and implement a collection and recycling program so mattresses can be recycled."
Mattresses are expensive to get rid of. They're bulky, and Metzner said they don't fit into typical waste streams. In the past, towns had to foot the bill, paying to ship a mattress to a recycling facility, or sending it off to get incinerated.
"One of the driving factors was the cost the municipalities were having to pay to have to get rid of mattresses," Metzner said. "Hartford, in particular, showed a leadership role because they were paying -- once their landfill closed -- about $200,000 a year to get rid of used mattresses."
If you're curious about how you can get rid of a mattress, Metzner said to call your town. Manufacturers have set up a website, too: Bye Bye Mattress.
Metzner said many town transfer stations are already participating in the program. Going forward, since the costs are covered by manufacturers, he hopes more towns will get on board.
