Prevent Mattress Waste Overflowing Our Landfills

  • by: Larry Allen
  • recipient: U.S. Mattress Industry and Mattress Consumers

The $35B+ U.S. mattress industry has done a great job informing us of how often we need to replace our mattresses. What they are not telling us is where all the old mattresses are going and what the consequences of their disposal are.

At least 15-20M mattresses and foundations a year are discarded annually in the U.S. Over 10M are going into our landfills creating a hazardous waste situation. (Rowe, 2010)

To give a picture in size, that is the equivalent of over 70,000 tractor trailer loads each year. And they can take over 50 years to decompose.

The mattress industry is active in trying to help initiate more recycling programs, but only 3 states (California, Rhode Island & Connecticut) have adopted formal policies for recycling, so far. (ISPA, Mattress Recycling Council)

But, recycling is not the total answer. We believe that more needs to be done to increase the lifespan of mattresses, to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the industry, and to reduce the number of mattresses needing to be recycled in the first place.

Please join us in this fight to change the industry and to better inform consumers about the magnitude of this threat to our environment.                                           

Update #29 years ago
Many thanks to all of you who have signed this petition. As you can see we are still a long, long way from reaching my goal of 10,000 signers, so your continued support is greatly appreciated. The mattress industry would love to maintain the status quo and for people to blindly go on buying "disposable" mattresses, but with your help, I'm hoping to change that! Thanks again and Happy Labor Day!
Update #19 years ago
Thank you all for signing my petition! I'm still a long way from my goal, though, so please help me spread the word.

The mattress industry is "keeping a lid" on the "modular mattress" design. So most people don't even know it's an option. And most people don't even think about what happens to their old mattress when they buy a new one, so it's not something they realize is such a huge problem.

Whenever I share the real truth, they are shocked!

Together we can make a difference. Thanks!
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