Going Green
Did you know that up to 75% of the materials used to make mattresses and box springs can be recycled? Through Oregon’s new Mattress Stewardship Act, the foam, wood, and metal can be separated out and spared a dead-end trip to the landfill.
“Solid waste facilities don’t love mattresses,” said Mike O’Donnell, chief operating officer for the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC). “For us to remove them from their solid waste stream removes a problem.”
The Act was passed in 2022 and took effect Jan. 1 this year. Oregon is the fourth state to launch this MRC-run program. Connecticut, Rhode Island, and California adopted similar programs about 10 years ago.
To help pay for the program, a $22.50 fee is assessed when buying a new mattress.
When getting rid of a mattress, please don’t just set it on the curb hoping for a taker, especially in the winter! Through the new program, you can drop off any mattress that is intact, regardless of its age or condition, at dedicated locations throughout the state. Because mattresses can be dropped off at no cost, this new program should reduce illegal dumping.
In Portland, drop sites include the Community Warehouse at 3961 NE MLK Jr. Blvd. and Environmentally Conscious Recycling at 12409 NE San Rafael St. More drop-off locations will be added over time.
Learn more at byebyemattress.com. The website also offers tips for prolonging the life of your mattress, such as rotating it regularly and using a mattress cover. Also, the site recommends not ripping that big tag off, even after you bring it home.
Liz Erickson has lived in the neighborhood with her husband and two children since 2009. Growing up in Beaverton, she remembers visiting grandparents on NE 42nd and walking to Rose’s Ice Cream for a scoop of butter brickle. Liz is a Master Recycler volunteer with Metro and served in the Peace Corps in Morocco.