Residential Mattresses and Foundations are accepted 7 days a week at the Hawthorne Street Transfer Station at no charge.
Participating in the mattress recycling program is estimated to divert over 4,000 mattresses and foundations in Humboldt County from being landfilled each year. Mattresses and foundations collected by HWMA staff are sorted, then baled on site. The baling process is what makes this program so exceptional. Unlike other drop off locations, HWMA utilizes our in house baler. This machine takes mattresses and foundations, smashes them up, and produces large cubes of material. This process enables HWMA to maximize the amount of material that can be shipped, which results in a significant reduction in the associated carbon footprint. These bales are then taken to Blue Marble Materials, located in San Leandro, Ca. Mattresses and foundations are then broken up into four primary components – steel, foam, wood and fibers. After separation, these components are then used to make new products such as carpet padding, steel products, filters, and automotive insulation
The “Bye Bye Mattress” program is funded through an $11 recycling fee that is collected from consumers when a mattress and/or box spring is sold in California. Consumers will notice this fee as a separate line item on their purchase receipt. The fee is then used to cover costs associated with collecting, transporting and recycling discarded mattresses, and also establishes a fund that helps municipalities battle illegal mattress dumping.
HWMA Board of Director Chairwoman Sofia Pereira enthusiastically encourages Humboldt County residents to take advantage of this program, stating “This Partnership between HWMA and the Mattress Recycling Council’s “Bye Bye Mattress” provides residents of Humboldt County yet another option to reduce trash from landfills and increase recycling and recovery opportunities.”
