MRC News
COVID Update
As COVID-19 has altered daily life for millions worldwide, we know that it is impacting your family and your business. To support our recycling network and retailers, MRC has added a COVID-19 page to our website, offering updates and resources.If you have questions or concerns, please contact your program coordinator. For Connecticut and Rhode Island, contact Dan McGowan. In California, a map of program coordinators by territory is available here. You can also reach MRC customer service at 1-855-229-1691 or by email. Contact information for all other MRC staff is here. Stay safe!
MRC Announces 6 Million Mattresses Recycled
Looking for good news? MRC has recycled more than six million mattresses in less than five years through its Bye Bye Mattress program. Laid end to end, these mattresses would span over 7,000 miles from coast to coast between program states – from California to Connecticut and Rhode Island and back again. WOW. That equates to more than 210 million pounds of material diverted from landfill by MRC’s recyclers. MRC’s announcement is in time for the 50th Earth Day on April 22 and is getting positive pickup in industry publications and on social media. In addition:
- MRC’s ByeByeMattress.com website has now had over 1 million visitors who can use the locator to find nearby mattress recycling locations and events.
- MRC’s Illegal Dumping Public Service Announcement has had over 3,000 airings.
“We are proud of the work we have done to build successful mattress recycling networks across our program states, keeping more than six million mattresses out of landfills and supporting a greener Earth,” said Mike O’Donnell, MRC’s managing director. “We thank all those who have helped make it possible.”
Updated Collection Guidelines and Publicity Toolkits Available
MRC staff has been hard at work updating important resources for our recycling network. Notably, California’s Collection Guidelines have been updated to reflect changes resulting from AB 187 and the guidelines for Connecticut and Rhode Island were consolidated into a singular Northeast Guidelines document. Please check these links for the latest information to share with your staff.
Collection Site and Event Publicity Toolkits have also been updated, offering the latest program information and revised templates to help you promote mattress collections. Tips and tools can also be used any time of year to generate awareness of mattress recycling.
Click any of the links to access these resources or you can find them on the resources page of mattressrecyclingcouncil.org.
Research
Lean Assessments Report for Recyclers Released by MRC
MRC recently completed lean manufacturing assessments for mattress recycling companies through MWS & Associates. Lean is an improvement and problem-solving methodology that strives to reduce or eliminate activities that do not add value.
Twelve recyclers participated, with each facility receiving a confidential report detailing the results of the analysis, recommendations for improvement and associated potential impacts. Through the assessments, it was determined that all recyclers collectively have the potential to increase their productivity by an average of 30% by focusing on reducing non-value-added activities.
Recyclers that adopted recommendations from the assessments reported immediate benefits. “With MRC’s help, we implemented lean manufacturing techniques that radically changed our approach to mattress recycling,” said Jon Nasser, owner of GMR NorCal in Livermore, Ca. “It was a major inflection point in our business and we haven’t looked back since.”
A summary report of the lean assessments can be found here.
MRC Microgrants Fund Collections Site Infrastructure Improvements
Thanks to more than $120,000 in grant funding awarded by MRC, 15 mattress collection sites across nine counties in California have completed infrastructure projects designed to increase the recyclability of mattresses and save landfill space.
The awards resulted in 10 new weather-protection projects, including covers, cement pads and cargo containers. In total, those sites anticipate increasing recyclable units by more than 12,000 annually. The other five awardees purchased equipment including mobile ramps, forklift attachments, scissor docks and staircases to assist in loading units and improve the safety and/or efficiency of collection operations.
The grant program is part of MRC’s annual $1 million research fund designed to improve the recyclability of discarded mattresses and box springs and build new markets for recycled mattress materials. For full details on the improvements, click here. For information about collection site funding projects, please contact Abbie Beane.
California News
New Site Signage and CVP Decals Sent Out
MRC has successfully delivered updated signage to 245 collection sites across California. The new signs reflect updates to the California program to include futon mattresses (disconnected from the frame or base) as eligible for recycling. Please be sure to update your signage as soon as possible.
MRC thanks participants in our Commercial Volume Pickup (CVP) program for being an essential part of the success of the Bye Bye Mattress program.
All California CVP participants were mailed a badge of affiliation decal that they can display proudly to their customers. If you did not receive either your new signage or the CVP decal, please let us know.
McMullan Joins MRC to Support Sustainability Initiative
MRC welcomes Ryan McMullan to the team as a consultant to support the Sleep Product Sustainability Program (SP2).
McMullan brings two decades of experience helping manufacturers develop sustainability programs that have lasting, positive impacts on the company and the world. Read more here.
SP2 is a proactive environmental program designed to help mattress manufacturers reduce waste and energy consumption while increasing operational efficiencies. The program was developed as part of the industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship and complements MRC’s sustainability efforts. The training is offered at no-cost to eligible California-based mattress manufacturers. Click here for more information.
For Retailers
Customer Education Materials
For Collection Site & Event Hosts
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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