SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): The Bye Bye Mattress program in the state of California has hit a new milestone. More than 10 million mattresses have been recycled in the state since the launch of the program by the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC). This has prevented more than 380 million pounds of steel, foam, fiber and wood from ending up in landfills, thus making them available for use in manufacturing new products.

The program collaborates with solid waste providers and nonprofit organizations to offer a wide network of collection sites and events to collect mattresses from urban and rural communities across the state. Also, a large number of waste haulers who run curbside pickup programs recycle mattresses through the program. The mattresses collected at the collection centres and events are transported to regional recyclers, where they are dismantled into different useful components.

Mike O'Donnell, MRC's Chief Operating Officer stated that MRC is proud of what it has accomplished in California. There are opportunities for the program to innovate and evolve. MRC will continue to support the industry's broader efforts to encourage circular design and sustainability initiatives, he added.