Haverhill and Lawrence Receive State Grants to Help Begin Required Mattress Recycling

File photograph. (Image licensed by Ingram Image.)

Haverhill and Lawrence were awarded $10,000 each Wednesday for mattress recycling containers.

The cities were among 44 sharing $440,000 in grants from the state Department of Environmental Protection, helping communities to comply with a mattress waste disposal ban set to take effect Nov. 1. Old mattresses and box springs will be banned from disposal in landfills or combustion facilities. Officials said more than 75% of mattress components are recyclable. Recycling is a preferred management method since mattresses are bulky and costly to dispose of in landfills and incinerators.

“Massachusetts’ 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan sets strategic goals to significantly reduce waste disposal over the next decade, and mattress recycling serves as an important component as we work to reach these goals,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card.

Recycling containers hold from 40 to 80 mattresses depending on size. There are five mattress recycling vendors approved by the state.

The Commonwealth seeks to reduce disposal statewide by 30% over the next decade and a 90% reduction in disposal by 2050. Besides mattresses, clothing and other textiles are also banned from landfills and incinerators beginning Nov. 1.

“Recycling mattresses and box springs reduces the need for additional landfill and incinerator capacity, captures valuable materials for reuse and supports a growing business sector here in the Commonwealth,” said DEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg.

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