Mattress Recycling:: Did you know?

image courtesy of Ecolect

It all started with reading an article for mattress recycling…this information, that is.

On Ecolect blog, I found an article on mattress recycling.  Yes, that is actually possible, thanks to Conigliaro Industries.  They developed a shredder that breaks the mattress down and then other instruments separate the materials for recycling.  AMAZING!

I figured I should learn more about Conigliaro…from what I read, I am quite impressed.  Here are some interesting facts about CI:

• Family-owned Conigliaro Engineering began in 1990 as a recycling services firm, dedicated to the removal of office paper waste. This led to entry into the brand new field of “Total Recycling”.
• Later they became Conigliaro Industries and have recycled over 50,000,000 pounds of material since their inception.
• Their “Total Recycling Approach” allows customers to deal with one recycling company, rather than several, reducing administrative costs and decreasing dependency on rubbish haulers – dealing with less people…most of us LOVE that!
• CI strives to be the most innovative recycler in New England with a corporate goal of zero-customer-waste.
• Their list of acceptable recyclables has expanded to 150 different plastic, metal, glass, rubber, wood, corrugated, paper, and textile materials.
• They even manufacture products with content from the products that come in for recycling!
• Recycling rates for prodcuts are about 90% for many customers.
• There are recycling help sections for biz, schools, hospitals, biotech, food service – known businesses for high waste generation.

The only issue…they are in New England, and the closest type plant to us could be San Fran!  So I looked up “mattress recycling, Seattle” and found this document from the Seattle Times, as written by Tom Watson, their Eco-consumer columnist.  Here is an excerpt from Tom’s article…

“The task force report and other industry-supported research suggest that mattress recycling will not flourish until a funding mechanism is developed.
What you can do now…
When local governments have to spend more money to deal with mattresses than other types of garbage, we all pay for those extra costs. So what can we, as consumers, do to help solve the mattress disposal problem, and to reduce the environmental impacts of mattresses?

• Support industry and government actions to address the disposal issue. If these efforts someday result in a small “advance recycling fee” when you buy a mattress — a system used for other problem items such as tires and car batteries — think of it as money well spent.
• In the meantime, when you buy a new mattress, consider mattresses made with fewer petroleum products and toxic chemicals. It’s always good to use less of those, and keep them out of the landfill.
• Search online for “green mattresses” or “organic mattresses.”
• Extend the life of your mattress by maintaining it well. Many manufacturers and retailers recommend that you rotate and flip a new mattress every two weeks for the first six months, then every three months after that. Don’t bend a new mattress or jump on it, and never allow a mattress to get wet.

You’ll sleep better knowing that you’re taking care of your mattress, and the planet.”

Thank you to Ecolect, for pointing me to the mattress recycling article, to Conigliaro Industries for being innovative in the field and to EcoConsumer Columnist Tom Watson for the wonderful local information on how we can support such efforts on a local level!