Important Recycling Numbers To Know 💡
765: The number of units recycled by the City of Newton since the Massachusetts landfill ban was enacted in November 2022.
41: The number of residential curbside pickups the City of Newton has completed with Tough Stuff Recycling.
Mattress Recycling Fun Facts ♻️
75% – 80%: the total amount of a mattress that is recyclable, when all is said and done. When you recycle your mattress, you’re taking up less space in landfills – and more materials can be transformed into new products!
50%: The amount of metal in the mattress recycling process, equivalent to roughly 25 to 40 pounds of steel!
The foam and fabric from your mattress find a new purpose as carpet padding. Next time you can, peek beneath your carpet to see a patchwork of hundreds of thousands of recycled mattresses!
At Tough Stuff Recycling, we believe in the power of recycling and waste diversion. But it’s just as important to hear what our customers think. That’s why we’re speaking with our Municipal customers to hear what they think of Tough Stuff Recycling and how our partnership has helped them learn more about overcoming the challenges of the statewide mattress landfill ban.
“We’ve loved working with the TSR staff—they are conscientious, responsive, and a pleasure to work with!”
An Interview With the City of Newton
Q: How and when did you learn about the mattress landfill ban?
A: “I’m tuned into MassDEP announcements and found out about it when they proposed the mattress disposal ban about one year before it went into effect.”
Q: What was the most immediate challenge you faced when you heard your hauler was going to no longer accept mattresses?
A: “We needed a vendor to help us create a protocol for getting mattresses picked up curbside.”
Q: How did you learn about Tough Stuff Recycling?
A: “I learned about TSR through my work on product stewardship. I reached out to Rodney initially because he has experience working in California with their mattress EPR program.”
Q: What led you to start working with us to recycle your mattresses?
A: “Tough Stuff Recycling put together a competitive proposal that met the needs of our large city.”
Q: What are the benefits of mattress recycling in or for your municipality?
A: “Newton is dedicated to providing extensive recycling options for our residents, so we were excited to be able to add convenient options to recycle mattresses/box springs.”
Q: How did the Massachusetts Mattress landfill ban affect your community in relation to curbside service and mattress disposal and now mattress recycling?
A: “At first it was difficult to navigate what was required under the new regulations. Now, the operation runs very smoothly, but it does take additional staff time to administer these additional banned materials.”
Q: If you can take anything positive out of the Massachusetts Mattress Landfill ban, what would that be?
A: “It is great that this regulation will help the State of Massachusetts meet its goal of reducing waste by 30% by 2030.”
Q: How can your residents get rid of mattresses in your Municipality – is curbside service available? Do you have drop-off locations in your municipality?
A: “We offer both curbside pick-up and drop-off services.”
Kind Words
“We’ve loved working with the TSR staff—they are conscientious, responsive, and a pleasure to work with.”
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To learn more about how we work together with local municipalities, contact us today!
