Oregon, US – A proposal from the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) for Oregon’s planned mattress recycling programme has been rejected by the state’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Concerns cited included the environmentally sound management of mattresses, how dumped and contaminated mattresses would be dealt with, and ensuring it would be easily accessible for all Oregon residents, including those in remote rural areas.
Oregon became the fourth US state to enact a law mandating a state-wide programme back in 2022. The aim is to make it easier for consumers to recycle old mattresses, with convenient locations for drop-off in all the state’s 36 counties. It will be funded by a small levy on the sale of mattresses.
MRC’s plan was the only one submitted by the closing date in October 2023. It is now revising its plan in the light of the extensive feedback supplied by DEQ. The state still hopes to have the programme up and running by early 2025.
“The Mattress Recycling Council is working diligently to amend the programme plan and will resubmit it to Oregon’s DEQ as soon as possible,” said Mike O’Donnell, MRC’s chief operating officer. “The amendment will elaborate on how the programme will provide access to communities across Oregon, as well as address other feedback we’ve received from the department.”