ALEXANDRIA, Va., — The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) recently collected and tested 30 samples of mattress bonnell coils, pocket coils, foundation metal and foundation staples to understand the composition and hardness of each metal type.
The test samples were obtained from mattresses and foundations discarded in California and represented a variety of manufacturers and manufacturing dates. Analytical results indicate that bonnell and pocket coils contain more carbon and are harder than foundation metal and staples.
“This valuable information will assist mattress recyclers, metal brokers and smelters when preparing, processing and recycling these metals for use in secondary markets,” according to Mike O’Donnell, MRC’s managing director. Download or view the analytical results here.
MRC invests $1 million annually to fund research to improve the recyclability of discarded mattresses, improve efficiencies in the mattress recycling process, fund collection site infrastructure improvements and find new end markets for recycled mattress components.