Illegal Dumping

We invest $1 million annually to fund the Illegally Dumped Mattress Collection Initiative in California. This program works with a network of partners to collect data on illegally dumped mattresses and then target affected communities for support.

We sponsor a public service announcement to encourage proper disposal and combat illegal mattress dumping. Our current campaign has been aired nearly 6,000 times and has nearly 8 million impressions.

We provide outreach material to help local governments educate residents about the right way to dispose of a used mattress and how to access our no-cost recycling program.

We also created a guide for policy makers looking for best practices in addressing the illegal dumping of durable waste, and lesson plan activities for those interested in educating youth about how to recycle properly and the impact of waste on the environment.

We dedicate resources to implement and fund workable intervention solutions.

For example, we periodically invite those participating in California’s Illegally Dumped Mattress Collection Initiative to apply for pilot project funding. Berkeley, Palmdale and San Jose developed programs to reduce illegal mattress dumping in their multifamily neighborhoods.

We participate in local and state task forces focused on addressing illegal dumping.

We host interactive workshops to discuss the root causes of illegal dumping, the effectiveness of past mitigation efforts and develop potential new interventions.

We support projects to address hotspots and help communities prevent illegal dumping.

We engage communities working to mitigate illegal dumping by hosting mattress collection events and increasing outreach efforts in affected areas.