January 2021 Highlights

New Year, Bright Outlook for MRC

It was a difficult year, but MRC is proud of what we achieved together. An early look at year-end statistics shows that MRC collected nearly 1.8 MILLION MATTRESSES for recycling in 2020, our best year yet. “These numbers are a testament to the industry’s commitment to sustainability and to the dedication of MRC and our Bye Bye Mattress networks across California, Connecticut and Rhode Island,” said MRC managing director Mike O’Donnell.

“From our statewide networks, to our education and outreach, to our investments in research and best practices, MRC is leading the way in mattress recycling,” he continued. In addition, MRC launched a new website, expanded its staff, added numerous new resources for program participants, conducted retailer outreach and continued to provide no-cost, convenient and safe mattress recycling options for residents and businesses.  “We will continue to make a strong impact in 2021,” said O’Donnell.

MRC Benefits from Veteran Industry Leadership with 2021 Board of Directors

MRC recently announced its 2021 Board of Directors, all of whom bring tremendous industry knowledge to their service. “We are grateful to these industry veterans for generously sharing their time and expertise as members of MRC’s Board of Directors,” said Ryan Trainer, president of MRC and ISPA. The board is chaired by Doug Guffey, the director of sales for Hickory Springs Manufacturing. New members include Michael Doggett, Senior Vice President, Serta Simmons Bedding; Thomas Gioiella, Vice President of Operations, Mattress Firm; and Joe Paviglianti, Senior Vice President, Southerland Inc. View the full list of board members here.

Show Off Your Program Participation With the “We Recycle” Digital Badge

MRC’s consumer behavior research shows that an online search is the first action consumers take when researching how to dispose of a mattress. The next most important source is their local government. This is why it is important that your city, county or company website has accurate information about mattress recycling and how to access Bye Bye Mattress.

To make this simple, MRC created a publicity toolkit with template language for use on websites, social media, newsletters and other residential communications. See how San Luis Obispo and Orange County have implemented this information.

“An item in the toolkit that we’d love to see used more is the Bye Bye Mattress badge,” said Amanda Wall, MRC’s manager of consumer communications. “We created ByeByeMattress.com to explain the program and how to access it. This digital badge is a simple image that catches the reader’s attention and links to our website for more information.”

MRC is reaching out to webmasters and public information officers to encourage use of the badge and discuss other opportunities for residential outreach. Visit the resources page on our website to download the Site Publicity Toolkit or contact MRC’s Marketing and Communications team for more information.

California

MRC Celebrates 5 Years in California

Happy birthday to MRC’s Bye Bye Mattress program in California for 5 years of operations! The program officially launched on Dec. 30, 2015 with the first mattresses collected and processed in January of 2016. Since that time the program has grown and serves as an successful example of California’s environmental leadership and commitment to sustainability.

Updated Retailer Take Back FAQs & Resources

MRC has issued updated answers to frequently asked questions about the new retailer take back requirements in California. The FAQ update is a result of MRC’s collaborative effort with CalRecycle to provide guidance to program participants on how to comply. As of Jan. 1, California’s mattress law requires ALL retailers that deliver a new mattress to a California consumer offer to pick up the consumer’s discarded mattress at no additional charge regardless of sales format or delivery method. Additional MRC resources regarding compliance with the state’s updated take back requirement can be found here.

Welcome Sam White!

In a new position at MRC, Sam White has joined the team as Supply Chain Manager. With 10 years of experience helping to grow two start-ups, Sam brings strong knowledge of international and domestic logistics to MRC, where he will maximize the efficiency and productivity of MRC’s mattress transport and recycling network in California. Welcome, Sam! More here.

Northeast

MRC Partners with Connecticut Towns to Foster Mattress Recycling

On Jan. 13, MRC was proud to sponsor and participate in the Connecticut Council of Small Governments (COST) Annual Town Meeting. The event brought together mayors and town managers from across the state to discuss challenges and hear directly from legislative leaders, Governor Lamont and U.S. Senator Blumenthal, as they discussed important issues facing our municipalities.  MRC staff was there to listen and connect with towns to offer mattress recycling solutions and expand no-cost collection site options for residents.

A significant topic of discussion was the looming waste crisis in Connecticut. DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes outlined findings and next steps for the newly formed Connecticut Coalition for Sustainable Materials Management (CCSMM) to explore ways to reduce waste and improve reuse and recycling.

MRC is proud of our recycling efforts in Connecticut and the more than 3,400 tons of mattresses and box springs recycled through our program in Connecticut last year alone.  We look forward to continuing our work with COST and its municipal members to advance the goals of the CCSMM. To learn more, contact MRC’s Northeast Program Coordinator Dan McGowan.

MassDEP Proposed Mattress Landfill Ban

In October 2020, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) issued draft regulations proposing to ban mattresses from in-state disposal or incineration or transfer for disposal effective October 1, 2021.

The International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) and MRC are concerned that this proposed regulation is premature and will impose unfair and unwarranted burdens on neighboring states. 

ISPA is urging MassDEP to either withdraw the proposed mattress ban or defer its implementation until the Commonwealth has sufficient capacity to properly recycle the more than 600,000 mattresses that MassDEP estimates state residents discard annually. ISPA and MRC are also concerned that some haulers will transport Massachusetts mattresses to Connecticut and Rhode Island and attempt to recycle those “out of state” units at no cost through MRC’s statewide recycling programs in those states. ISPA is working with Massachusetts legislators and regulators to craft new mattress recycling legislation that would foster mattress recycling in the northeast. For more information, contact Marie Clarke or Grant Johnson.

Research

Project Aims to Optimize Pocketed Coil Recycling Prototype 

Building on the success of their 1/8 scale prototype for recycling pocketed coils, Knoble Design is now working on further improvements to optimize the technology. When the prototype was announced, it spurred global interest from recyclers and pocketed coil manufacturers. In follow up discussions, recyclers offered valuable insights on desired performance features to make the machine commercially viable.

With this feedback, ideas to further improve the robustness of the design were conceived, with plans to test the upgrades on the prototype, followed by construction of a commercial scale machine. The improvements will increase throughput and are expected to be completed in February 2021. “We expect this effort will strengthen the business case for investment and accelerate the development of a commercial scale machine,” explained MRC Managing Director Mike O’Donnell. Learn more about MRC’s robust research efforts here.

MRC in the News

  • How Mattress Recyclers Adapt to Evolving Consumer Trends – Article in Waste Dive examines mattress recycling and points to MRC’s expertise in proactively advancing solutions. MRC annual reports and research are cited and MRC Managing Director Mike O’Donnell is quoted.
  • Paris Gholston Named to WithIt Board – Paris Gholston,  MRC’s customer relations specialist, has been named to the board of WithIt, a leadership development network for women in the home furnishings industry based in High Point, North Carolina.

New Collection Sites

Welcome City of Merced

MRC would like to welcome City of Merced to the mattress recycling program!  Visit their listing on the Bye Bye Mattress website for more information.
 City of Merced
3504 North State Highway 69
Merced, CA  95341 
 Mattresses are accepted from residents and businesses for recycling
Tuesday – Friday, 12 to 3 pm.

Welcome Salton City Landfill

MRC would like to welcome Salton City Landfill to the mattress recycling program! This is our second permanent drop off location in Imperial County. Visit their listing on the Bye Bye Mattress website for more information.

Salton City Landfill
935 West Highway 86
Salton, CA  95341 

Mattresses are accepted from residents for recycling
Monday – Friday, 7 am to 5 pm.

Upcoming Events

At this event, MRC is a premium sponsor, will host a virtual booth and will present information about mattress recycling solutions for California municipal city managers at 10:30 am PT on Feb. 5. Look for us!

California League of Cities – City Manager Conference
February 1, 3 & 5, 2021
10:30am-11:00am
https://www.cacities.org/Education-Events/City-Managers-Conference

For Retailers

Customer Education Materials

Samples:

For Collection Site & Event Hosts

Collection Site Hosts:

Find press releases, flyers, site signage and more!

Event Hosts:

Media alerts, flyers, posters, signage and more!

Recyclers in Your Area

California

Businesses need to make arrangements directly with recyclers. Those with at least 100 units may contact Joy Broussard for Commercial Volume Pickup.

Connecticut & Rhode Island

Businesses should contact our Northeast Program Coordinator Dan McGowan for arrangements.

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