SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): Wake County is making some adjustments to the collection of residents’ mattresses and box springs. “Our Mattress Disposal Program has offered tremendous benefits to Wake County residents and our landfill operations since its implementation,” said Wake County Solid Waste and Recycling Division Director John Roberson. “In order to extend the lifespan of our landfill and to ensure continued valuable service for customers, the county is adjusting how we accept these items at our convenience centers.”

Beginning Oct. 1, residents will only be able to dispose of mattresses at the following convenience centers:

•          Site 1, 10505 Old Stage Road, Raleigh
•          Site 2, 6120 Old Smithfield Road, Apex
•          Site 4, 3600 Yates Mill Pond Road, Raleigh
•          Site 7, 9024 Deponie Drive, Raleigh
•          Site 11, 5051 Wendell Blvd./Business 64, Wendell

Due to limited space and the impact on the equipment at other sites, these five locations will be where the county is focusing mattress and box spring collection from residents. Convenience center customers will be limited to bringing two mattresses/box springs per day for disposal. Additional mattresses and box springs can be dropped off at the South Wake Landfill shredder for a fee of $10 per mattress/box spring. The fee is necessary for the operation and maintenance of the shredding process. Only Wake County residents are permitted to use these services. Commercial customers will continue to take all mattresses and box springs to the South Wake Landfill.

Mattresses and box springs take up a lot of space in the landfill and create air pockets that cause trash to float to the top of the waste heap. Shredding is one of the most efficient and environmentally responsible methods for disposing of mattresses and box springs.

Over 2,000 mattresses and box springs are dropped off at Wake County’s convenience centers monthly. These mattresses are sent to mixed waste and end up being landfilled without shredding due to the collection process. A significant portion of these multiple mattress loads are brought from outside of Wake County, which is another issue the Solid Waste and Recycling Division hopes to minimize with the upcoming changes to the program. The Mattress Disposal Program has been operating since August 2023.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com