West Coast Recycling Center Processed 28,000 Mattresses Since December 2002

Furniture World Magazine

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County, headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, is operating the first-of-its-kind full mattress recycling center in the metro Oakland area in Alameda County, Calif. The Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry Polyurethanes Recycle and Recovery Council (PURRC) supports the recycling center financially. Don Schomer, PURRC's Chairman, states, "We are excited about this opportunity to demonstrate another way of recycling polyurethanes at a minimal cost." Since opening its doors in December 2000, the center has recovered components from more than 28,000 mattresses. The daily-reclaimed mattress material count includes approximately 800 lbs. of polyurethane foam, 3700 lbs. of steel, 1800 lbs. of cotton plus wood from the foundations and box springs "This is a pilot program for recycling mattresses, which we'd like to spread across the country. Mattresses contain from six to eight pounds of polyurethane, which has a high material recycle value," said Lyle Harris, Business Development Director for Recycling, St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County. "The impact on landfills is incredible. Each mattress takes up 23 cubic feet of landfill space. Over the past year, we have been able to divert 93% of the material from each mattress from going into landfills." Harris received start-up technical assistance from the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA). ISPA President Russ Abolt explains, "ISPA is extremely supportive of this effort which recycles mattress components in an environmentally responsible manner, and also provides employment for the disadvantaged. We view it as a win-win situation for the St. Vincent de Paul Society, its clients, the industry, and society." The Society works with job placement and social service agencies in Alameda County in hiring the workforce for the facility. The key to the center's success is identifying steady markets for all the recycled mattress materials. Saleable materials include the foam, steel and cotton fibers. Although Harris is working on an outlet and quilted topper material, he reports that the reclaimed foam is in demand for carpet underlay use. Annually, approximately 900 million lbs. of flexible polyurethane foam scrap (from both process and post-consumer scrap) are recycled into bonded carpet cushion and other products according to the Alliance for the Polyurethane Industry. The 10,000 square foot facility, DR3, for divert, reduce, reuse, recycle, receives sixty percent of its throughput from the Oakland/San Leandro area. On average, the facility recycles 100 mattresses each day. Harris is also exploring the possible component reclamation of sofas, hideaway beds and other furniture. Aside from their solid waste county contracts, the operation also works with mattress manufacturers, which have a product take-back policy. "Engaging retailers and manufacturers in direct product take-back is a more active avenue of recycling," explains Harris. "In San Francisco, we're working with McRoskey Airflex Mattress Company which drops off two truckloads of old mattresses on a weekly basis." McRoskey's President Robin Azevedo states, "We're pleased to participate in the Society's recycling program because our firm is interested in saving landfill space. Even our production excess trim and other manufacturing component waste is trucked to DR3. It's a transfer cost to a better end." The Society is also working with another mattress manufacturer, Simmons, on this project. "St. Vincent de Paul has provided San Francisco an opportunity to deal with a mattress waste stream, which is rather large in our city. This is a collaborative effort and we're pleased to be working with the organization to make it a successful project," states Lisa Schiller, San Francisco Recycling Program Residential and Special Projects Associate. "Mattress recycling has never been adequately addressed," adds Steve Lautze with the Recycling Market Development Zone of the City of Oakland. "Mattresses are designed not to come apart. If most of it can be recycled, that's a major accomplishment. Although DR3 is a 'work in progress', it's an innovative approach, which could have national impact." The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international charitable organization. The Lane County organization was founded in 1952. The activities of the Society have expanded to include several manufacturing and recycling ventures including a recycled glass foundry; a wood shop which utilizes wood byproducts from other companies; an aluminum casting foundry that makes new products from old home fire extinguishers and air conditioner radiators; and numerous staffed collection centers, emergency services, housing programs, and job training. The Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry Polyurethanes Recycle and Recovery Council (PURRC) seeks to identify, demonstrate and promote commercially viable technologies for recycling and/or recovering polyurethane process and post-consumer scrap, and to communicate the fact that polyurethane products are recyclable. For more information, photographs, or to schedule an interview with any of the individuals quoted, please contact Josiah McClellan at (212) 697-2600 x280.