The Mattress Recycling Council is on a mission to keep old mattresses out of the dump — or worse yet, from being dumped in public — and instead recycle them into useful materials. The organization offers Richmond residents three ways to recycle old mattresses.
Since 2017, the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) has collected about 46,000 from the Richmond area. About 22,400 of those were illegally dumped mattresses in Richmond’s alleys, back lots, and parks that the local government picked up.
Just over half the 46,000 mattresses have been recycled into the building blocks for new products like steel rebar, foam carpet padding, insulation and more. For each recycled mattress, 500 gallons of water are saved, enough energy is saved to power the average house for three days, and the greenhouse gas emission savings would be like driving 60 fewer miles.
The MRC operates a program for residents called Bye Bye Mattress that offers three ways to recycle an unwanted mattress:
Retailer take-back: The easiest way to recycle an old mattress is to have a retailer delivering a new mattress take the old one away. State law requires that any retailer who offers to deliver a purchased mattress or box spring must take away an old one, at no additional cost. This applies to online purchases, too! Shoppers should ask about this when buying a new mattress.
Free drop-off location: For Richmond residents, the West County Resource Recovery facility is at 101 Pittsburg Ave., between the Richmond Parkway and Fred Jackson Way. The limit is three mattresses per month. The center is open Wed.-Sat., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. but closed for lunch 12-12:30 p.m.
Since 2019, area residents have dropped off more than 16,000 mattresses at the site. People outside of Richmond can drop off mattresses and box springs at one of the 240 free-of-charge locations across California. Visit ByeByeMattress.com to find a site.
Curbside Collection: Richmond residents may use Republic Services’ curbside bulky item pick-up. Since this option was first offered to Richmond residents, more than 7,800 mattresses have been collected curbside for recycling.
Non-Richmond residents can use the curbside directory on ByeByeMattress.com to see if a provider in their area participates.
Despite these options, illegal dumping of mattresses has continued to be a problem in Richmond and elsewhere. In the city, more than 2,500 illegally dumped mattresses, on average, are collected every year by the local government and reported to Mattress Recycling Council.
While it may be convenient to dump an old mattress on the side of the road, this is incredibly harmful to the neighborhood and the environment. And it is illegal — those convicted of illegal dumping can face a fine of up to $1,000.
The Mattress Recycling Council has several programs in other California cities to help reduce illegal dumping. Cities can work with apartment managers to make tenants aware of how to dispose of old mattresses — especially on moving day. The council can share these successful strategies with interested Richmond residents and property managers.
“Recycling mattresses is a small action that makes a significant impact on reducing illegal dumping, protecting natural resources, and promoting a cleaner environment for future generations,” said Mark Patti, the California program manager. “It diverts thousands of pounds of materials from landfills each year.”
Richmond is just part of the Mattress Recycling Council’s efforts. Statewide, the council has recycled more than 11 million mattresses since 2016 and diverted 431 million pounds from the state’s landfills.
