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Survey for Used Mattress Management in Connecticut

Survey for Used Mattress Management in Connecticut. Preliminary Results & Findings. Katie Dagon and Diane Lambert CT DEP Recycling Office. Survey Responses. Target audience – municipal officials/employees How does your community manage disposal of used mattresses?

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Survey for Used Mattress Management in Connecticut

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  1. Survey for Used Mattress Management in Connecticut Preliminary Results & Findings Katie Dagon and Diane Lambert CT DEP Recycling Office

  2. Survey Responses • Target audience – municipal officials/employees • How does your community manage disposal of used mattresses? • Preliminary data compiled from responses submitted March 23, 2011 to April 6, 2011 • 90 CT municipalities responded so far • 53% of the state • Good cross-section of small towns, suburban communities and larger cities

  3. Destination of Used Mattresses Very little, if any, residential recycling of mattresses (those that come through municipal facilities).

  4. Source of Funding for Municipalities

  5. Total Mattresses Managed by CT Municipalities • Survey Question: Give an estimate, or known number, of mattresses disposed every year at: a) Transfer Station b) Curbside • Analyzed by matching yearly totals with town population to generate per capita collection rates. • Preliminary data indicates the following:

  6. How Many Mattresses are Actually Generated? • Approx. 10% of the population buys a new mattress every year. • Assumption is that this is equal to the number of mattresses that are to be disposed. • However, need to factor in that about 50% of those mattresses are given as hand-me-downs, donated to a non-profit shelter or illegally dumped, therefore never making it into the disposal stream. Photo: Ohio Mattress Recovery and Recycling Population of CT = 3,518,288 (July 2009) 3,518,288 x 10% = est. 352,000 mattresses 352,000 mattresses x 50% = est. 176,000 mattresses Est. 176,000 mattresses available for recycling, every year

  7. Illegal Dumping Comments • “Cost of time & equipment to pick up illegally dumped materials and dispose of properly, not to mention lost dumping fees.” • “It causes blight, once residents see a mattress lying on the side of the road they start dumping other bulky items there.” • “It requires staff from public works to collect them and then transfer them to our transfer station. This time erodes into other projects.” • “As the economy flounders and disposal costs to individuals rise I fully expect that illegal dumping will escalate.” Photo: The Macarthur Chronicle

  8. Additional Comments • Product Stewardship • “It would be nice if the manufacturers had a system of recycling the old ones.” • “Our town would like to see a mattress take back program in place by all appropriate retailers/ manufacturers, without undue expense placed upon the resident.” • Other Concerns • “[Mattresses] are problematic when processing them with landfill equipment, so we would prefer there to be alternative options.” • “During evictions in our city, workers do not want to unload mattresses for health concerns and recent bed bug infestations.” • “Residents are not happy about paying a separate fee for the disposal of mattresses & box springs.”

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