EPR program recycles 150,000 mattresses in Connecticut

The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) extended producer responsibility (EPR) program in Connecticut completed its first annual report in June 2016. Since the May 2015 start, the program recycled 150,000 mattresses through 101 free drop-off sites. The MRC is the nonprofit organization which manages EPR programs created by laws enacted in Connecticut, California, and Rhode Island. In those states, residents can drop-off used mattresses at participating collection sites, collection events and recycling facilities free of charge, funded by the $9 recycling fee that Connecticut consumers pay when they buy a new mattress or box spring (Rhode Island and California have separate fees). The fee provides for collection containers, transporting the discarded mattresses, recycling costs, and outreach and education.