The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) announced that in 2023, it collected nearly 1.5 million mattresses, an increase of 3.3% from the previous year.

MRC is a nonprofit organization that operates recycling programs in states that have passed mattress recycling laws, like California. Bye Bye Mattress is MRC’s statewide network of collection sites, events, and recyclers, which has recycled nearly 12 million California mattresses since its inception.

Since its inception, MRC has grown each year. In 2023:

MRC recyclers diverted 60 million pounds of steel, foam, fiber and wood from landfills – a 76.9% recovery rate that makes these materials available for new products.

Geographic analysis shows that virtually every Californian lives within 15 miles of MRC’s 240 permanent collection sites or 131 collection events.

Removed 55,000 illegally dumped mattresses from parks and roadsides.

MRC spent nearly $1 million on research projects to find new and better uses for recycled mattress materials and improve the efficiency and safety of mattress collection facilities.

“The Mattress Recycling Council is proud to have recycled nearly 12 million mattresses in California since the program’s inception,” said Mike O’Donnell, MRC’s chief operating officer. “Recycling an unwanted mattress conserves valuable raw materials, resulting in energy savings, water conservation, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.”

Working to expand its network, MRC is working with local governments in the state this year to provide residents, especially in underserved areas, with better access to collection sites, both to improve convenience and to curb illegal dumping.

Source: Mattressrecyclingcouncil.org