Join the City of Porterville and the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) to recycle unwanted mattresses and box springs this month on August 17, 2024, and every third Saturday of the month thereafter.
The City and MRC opened a permanent collection site this past July at the City’s Corporation Yard located at 555 N. Prospect St. The site is open to all Porterville and Tulare County residents and will be open on the third Saturday of each month from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
The Porterville City Council approved an agreement with the Mattress Recycling Council in March 2024 to include the Porterville location in the MRC California network.
“We are so excited to work with the Mattress Recycling Council to give residents of Porterville and Tulare County the opportunity to sustainably recycle their unwanted mattresses and box springs, all while reducing the amount of waste contributed to landfills, and discouraging the incidence of illegal dumping,” said Assistant City Manager, Mike Knight.
MRC is a nonprofit organization that operates recycling programs in states that have passed mattress recycling laws, including California, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The MRC uses a recycling fee, in California its $10.50, collected on each mattress and box spring sold to recycle mattresses and box springs, which has allowed for nearly 2 million mattresses each year to be recycled. The Bye Bye Mattress program was launched in 2016 to recycle unwanted mattresses and repurpose old materials into new products.
Up to 75% of a mattress can be recycled and used for the creation of other products such as carpet padding, insulation, rebar, and landscaping mulch. Recycling an unwanted mattress conserves valuable raw materials, resulting in energy savings, water conservation, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Other no-cost options are available for those unable to transport a mattress to a Bye Mattress facility.
There are three easy ways for Californians to recycle their mattresses:
- Retailer Take Back: The California law that created MRC’s Bye Bye Mattress program requires any retailer offering to deliver a purchased mattress or box spring to also offer to take away an old one at no additional cost. This applies to online purchases too. MRC encourages consumers to ask about takeback during their purchase or delivery arrangements.
- Drop-off Locations: There are more than 230 free-of-charge locations across California where residents can drop off an unwanted mattress or box spring. In addition to this new Porterville site, there are nine other Bye Bye Mattress collection sites in Tulare County. Visit ByeByeMattress.com to find the site nearest you.
- Curbside Collection: MRC’s Bye Bye Mattress program receives mattresses from solid waste collectors who pick up bulky items at the curb. Use the curbside directory on ByeByeMattress.com to see if the provider in your area participates, as well as non-participants who offer at least one free pickup each year.
Visit ByeByeMattress.com to learn more about mattress recycling in California.