SACRAMENTO, CA – Five years ago the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) launched the Illegally Dumped Mattress Collection Initiative (IDMCI) to understand the extent of illegal mattress dumping in California and help cities and counties manage illegally dumped mattresses. In this time, it has grown to 72 participants that have collected more than 250,000 illegally dumped units from alleys, sidewalks and other public spaces in their communities.
IDMCI participants reported 75,904 mattresses to MRC in 2020 resulting in $1,141,215 in payments. This is a 17% increase in units reported over 2019. MRC attributes the increase to additional outreach to onboard new program participants.
In 2020, MRC began offering a higher incentive to participants located in counties that meet CalRecycle’s definition of rural (Public Resources Code 40183-4), with Madera County the first to sign on.
“We encourage eligible entities in rural areas across the state to apply for the IDMCI as each unit reported allows MRC to understand the extent of illegal mattress dumping activity, identify hot spots and target our resources,” says Taylor Grimes, MRC’s California Special Projects Coordinator.
MRC uses IDMCI data to look for relationships between illegal dumping and demographic and socio-economic factors. MRC also evaluates rates of illegal dumping in areas serviced by MRC’s no-cost collection network. Analysis of previous years’ data indicated that a relationship exists between areas that offer curbside bulky item collection and a reduction in illegal dumping. Communities with MRC collection sites or events experience less illegal mattress dumping as well. An updated analysis using 2020 data will be published in July as part of MRC’s annual report to CalRecycle.
IDMCI participants benefit from the data too. Each participant receives a heat map analysis of their data to aid their city or county in decision making and resource allocation. “This can help your municipality develop new outreach tactics or more effectively monitor areas prone to illegal dumping,” says Grimes.
MRC’s IDMCI enrolls new participants on an ongoing basis and the 2021 reporting year is now open for new participants and those that wish to continue their enrollment.
MRC encourages authorized solid waste operations, permitted solid waste facilities, urban and rural government entities, and nonprofit organizations to join the IDMCI.
To learn more about registering as an IDMCI participant, email Taylor Grimes. To learn more about MRC’s research and work to combat illegal dumping, visit www.mattressrecyclingcouncil.org/illegaldumping.
About the Mattress Recycling Council
The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) is a nonprofit organization that operates recycling programs in states that have passed mattress recycling laws: California, Connecticut and Rhode Island. MRC was founded by the bedding industry and recycles more than 1.7 million mattresses each year. For more information about MRC, go to www.MattressRecyclingCouncil.org. To learn how to recycle your mattress or to find a collection location or event near you, visit www.ByeByeMattress.com.
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