California was the third state in the nation to pass a mattress stewardship law, the Used Mattress Recovery and Resources Code Sections 42985-42991, PDF, 166 KB), which established an industry-run statewide mattress recycling program to promote proper end-of-use management and increase recovery of valuable resources. This page provides information on the mattress stewardship law and its implementation. It is estimated that millions of mattresses and box springs reach the end of their lives in California every year. The bulky nature of mattresses and the limited recycling of used mattresses results in significant illegal dumping costs to many local jurisdictions throughout the state. The Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act supports a statewide effort to reduce the landfilling or illegal dumping of mattresses by establishing an end-of-use management program to encourage the recycling and recovery of discarded mattresses. Chapter 388, Statutes of 2013 [Hancock, SB 254] set forth the requirements of the
statewide Mattress Stewardship Program. Chapter 371, Statutes of 2014 [Hancock, SB 1274] clarified definitions, report submittals, and record keeping requirements. Below are basic descriptions of key elements of the law. The purpose of the Mattress Stewardship Program is to reduce the number of mattresses discarded to landfills, reduce illegal dumping of mattresses, and increase mattress See the law (PDF, 166 KB) for more definitions. In very basic terms, a mattress recycling organization, established by a qualified industry organization, designs and manages its own stewardship program,It prepares and implements a used mattress recovery and recycling plan to reach certain goals and reports annually to CalRecycle on its progress. CalRecycle approves plans and annual budgets, sets goals, checks progress, and provides oversight and enforcement to ensure a level playing field among program participants. A used mattress recovery and recycling plan, commonly referred to as a
stewardship plan, outlines how a mattress recycling organization intends to fulfill its responsibilities under the law and communicates a course of action to stakeholders and the public. to CalRecycle will be posted at CalRecycle’s Mattress Stewardship Program webpage. The mattress recycling organization funds the Mattress Stewardship Program through collection of a mattress recycling charge added to the purchase price of a new or renovated mattress sold in California. The amount of the mattress recycling charge must be approved by CalRecycle as part of the plan and budget approval process and shall be sufficient to meet the cost of carrying out the plan including administrative, operational, and capital costs. Maintaining a level playing field among program participants is addressed through a combination of civil penalties for noncompliance and transparency that allows all stakeholders and the public to evaluate progress. To be in compliance, the mattress recycling
organization must develop and implement a CalRecycle-approved stewardship plan, submit annual reports on the progress of their program, and submit reimbursements to CalRecycle to cover CalRecycle’s direct costs to oversee and enforce this law. The mattress recycling organization, recyclers, renovators, and solid waste facilities are required to submit annual reports to CalRecycle. Reports required of the mattress recycling organization include, but are not limited to, information on the mattress recycling organization’s cost and revenues, the quantity of mattresses disposed of in solid waste landfills and recycled in the program, the quantity of each category of materials recycled and the uses for those recycled materials, a description of methods used to collect, transport, and process used mattresses in the state, examples of educational materials that were provided to consumers, the total volume, number, and weight of used mattresses collected recycled, renovated, and reused in this state during the preceding calendar year including any
conversion factors used to determine the number of mattresses recovered, and a report by the advisory committee. Reports required of recyclers and renovators must include, but are not limited to, quantitative information on the number of mattresses received and recycled or renovated in the state during the preceding calendar year and any other information deemed necessary byThese reports must also be submitted to the mattress recycling organization. Reports from solid waste facilities are required to be submitted to CalRecycle and include quantitative information on the number of used mattresses received by that facility that were recycled, renovated, or disposed of within the state in the preceding calendar year. Annual reports are due to CalRecycle July 1, 2017 and each year thereafter. CalRecycle reviews annual reports within the context of statutory and any regulatory requirements and identifies deficiencies in the reports. CalRecycle added clarity to certain components of the Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act through the
Regulations were approved on July 21, 2015 and becameThese regulations clarified provisions of the mattress stewardship law including, but not limited to: If you would like to receive periodic e-mail notifications specific to the Mattress Stewardship Program, subscribe to the CalRecycle's Mattress Product Stewardship listserv. Previous listserv messages can be found at theLegal Obligations for Mattress Industry Obligations vary depending on what role a company plays in the manufacturing, distribution, sale or renovation of mattresses and box springs. Businesses not complying with the law can be prohibited from selling their products in California and face financial penalties. MRC Launches Illegal Mattress Dumping Compensation Program MRC will compensate California agencies (including California local governments, certain permitted solid waste facilities, and authorized solid waste operations) that collect illegally dumped mattresses from public rights-of-way.
Mattress Producers, Retailers and Renovators Must Register will be unable to sell their products in California and could face other financial penalties. The following notices describe how the law affects different segments of the mattress industry. Participant obligations vary depending on what role the company plays in the manufacturing, renovation, distribution and sale of mattresses and box springs. California Determined Sales Tax Is Not Applicable The recycling fee is not subject to sales tax. See CA State Board of Equalization Sales Tax Determination for full details. CalRecycle Approved the Plan, Recycling Fee and Budget On Oct. 1, 2015 CalRecycle approved the $11 recycling fee and MRC’s budget. Fee collection began on Dec. 30, 2015. Plan approval followed on Jan. 29, 2016. To view MRC’s complete implementation plan, go here. Interested in Becoming a Collection Site or Event Host? MRC is recruiting solid waste facilities (transfer stations, landfills, MRF’s, public works yards) in California interested in collecting discarded mattresses and box springs for recycling or hosting special one-day collection events.
MRC will provide storage containers/trailers, transport the collected mattresses and box springs to the recycler and recycle those units at no cost to the collection site or event host. MRC will also provide reasonable compensation. If your facility is interested in participating, please fill out the form below. Large Volume Pick-Up Request MRC offers a Large Volume Pick Up Service to retailers, hotels, and educational institutions with at least 100 units to discard. All units must have been used and discarded in California. See the Large Volume Pick Up Service details for further eligibility requirements and contact us if interested. To help mattress retailers, municipalities, hotels, universities, healthcare facilities and other qualified parties understand how they may recycle discarded mattresses and box springs – MRC has developed factsheets, guidelines, videos and more. Sign Up for California Program Updates Whether you’re a retailer following the program’s implementation, a solid waste facility manager interested in getting involved, or a policy maker who wants to stay updated on mattress recycling news, simply enter your information in the form below and we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop.