SACRAMENTO–The Mattress Recycling Council’s (MRC) Bye Bye Mattress Program (Program) said today a campaign to proactively combat the illegal dumping of mattresses and box springs.
MRC’s public service announcement promotes the use of free, responsible disposal options in California. Meanwhile, ByeByeMattress.com assists consumers with finding free mattress recycling locations and events and offers tips for preventing and combating illegal dumping in their communities.
“Addressing illegal mattress dumping across the state is a priority for our Program,“ said Mattress Recycling Council’s Managing Director Mike O’Donnell. “This campaign shows consumers they have plenty of no-cost solutions to recycle unwanted mattresses including asking retailers to take back their old mattress during delivery of a new mattress, taking advantage of residential curbside pick-up, or using the Program’s network of free collection sites and events.”
Visitors to ByeByeMattress.com will find a searchable locator that identifies hundreds of free drop-off sites, recyclers and collection events throughout California, as well as tips for preventing illegal dumping including:
Ask your retailer. If you’re about to purchase a mattress and have it delivered, ask your retailer about taking back your old one for free. It’s part of the law. The Program works with many retailers to recycle old mattresses they collect from their customers.
Ask your residential waste collector about curbside pick-up. Every community is different, but many may have no-cost bulky item curbside pick-up as part of their residential solid waste service. Contact your solid waste provider for details.
Bring it to Bye Bye Mattress. Any mattress – no matter when it was purchased – can be recycled through the Program. There are hundreds of no-cost drop off locations across California. Find a recycler, collection site or event near you on ByeByeMattress.com.
Choose junk haulers wisely. When you work with a junk hauler to remove unwanted items, ask for a receipt and make sure they are disposing of your items legally.
Report illegal dumping. If you witness illegal dumping in progress, write down the license plate and vehicle information and immediately call your local authorities to file a report.
Volunteer in local clean-ups. Reach out to local environmental or civic groups that host community clean-up events. MRC’s Bye Bye Mattress can assist with mattress recycling at these events.
The Program’s Illegally Dumped Mattress Collection Initiative complements this effort by working with local communities. This initiative has helped remove more than 63,000 dumped mattresses from alleys, sidewalks and other public spaces throughout California since 2016. MRC also partners with local governments, lawmakers and nonprofits to host collection events that also provide an alternative to tossing unwanted mattresses.
More details about the campaign can be found at ByeByeMattress.com/stopillegaldumping.