User:Lucasshifrin/sandbox

I. Introduction

One of the most significant contributors to the ever-growing landfills on Earth is mattresses and box springs. Mattresses are big, heavy, and full of non-biodegradable materials. In fact, according to literature from Lancaster University, it is estimated that about 5 million mattresses go to landfill every year. Mattress renovation, over the past 25 years, has gained notable traction in the US. The foundation of mattress renovation is mattress reuse, not mattress recycling. Though reuse and recycle are often used interchangeably or in conjunction with each other in colloquial English, the difference in the mattress industry is quite stark. When mattresses are reused, the product begins and ends in the same state — the mattress becomes another mattress. As a result, these post-consumer components (the materials in the mattress) carry significantly more value than they do in recycling. It takes a much greater amount of resources to recycle, and the value of those parts is diminished as the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. So, the recycling model takes more resources and generates less value, thus emphasizing the efficiency of the reuse model.

The industry at large is opposed to the idea of mattress renovation. Renovated mattresses negatively impact the sale of new mattresses. However, further emphasizing the difference between the recycling model and the reuse model, the industry promotes recycling, because the parts of the post-consumer mattress are redistributed and thus do not impact the sale of new mattresses. This creates tension between mattress renovators and mattress manufacturers.

II. Environmental Impact

Mattress renovation creates a notable impact on the environment. When a new mattress is purchased from a mattress retailer, the retailer may offer a removal service, in the retailer picks up the consumer’s bed and transports it to a recycling plant to be dismantled or the landfill. If the retailer does not offer a removal service, the mattresses tend to end up in an alley or on a curbside. These mattresses are then picked up by a garbage truck, which creates a new problem, because garbage trucks are not designed to crush mattresses and box springs. This process leads to mechanical issues in the garbage trucks, and once in the landfill, the components of the crushed mattress do not biodegrade.

Ultimately, the consumer purchasing a mattress pays for the removal of his/her/their old mattress. Often times, the removal price is built in to the price of the mattress. However, this can be avoided if the mattress is purchased from a more affordable furniture retailer; these retailers do not remove the old mattress and thus do not charge a fee. In Connecticut, Rhode Island, and California, a law was enacted that stated that each every bed purchased was subject to a $10 removal fee. This proved to be less than successful, because consumers would often purchase a mattress from a nearby state that likely has no such law in place.

The cost of repurposing mattress materials is relatively high compared to the price per pound. Post consumer bedding such as mattress foam, in order to be resold, needs to be of a certain quality. This means that different types of foam have to be separated, and oftentimes put into a baler, and is then processed to make it resellable. This operation, like most parts of mattress recycling, is labor and time intensive and can become very costly.

b. Reuse > Recycling

Post consumer bedding does not always have to be recycled however, in certain cases it is possible for mattress recycling operations to reuse some parts of a mattress, substituting new materials for old ones. This allows manufacturers to save significantly, and in turn means better prices for retailers and consumers. This is only available in situations when the post consumer bedding is in a good enough condition to the point where it can wholly replace a new component. Otherwise, these goods often are simply recycled, being broken down into their most basic parts, which still carry value, but is often notably less than had the original post consumer good been simply reused. The impact of the inability to reuse goods is not only felt by the company, it is also felt by the environment. From the fuel it takes to transport scrap metal and other recyclables to recycling centers, to the unrecyclable parts of some bedding that ends up in landfills, the environmental impact of recycling, while smaller than simply disposing of a material, is still larger than a reusing model.

The International Sleep Product Association (ISPA) and its larger members have recognized the potential savings that come with a reuse model, and have thus taken action to limit the percentage of the mattress market to which mattress renovators have access.

III. Value

Rebuilt mattresses can cost drastically less than new mattresses. Renovated bedding provides the greatest value in the mattress industry. The low cost and high quality of the post-consumer components allow mattress renovating companies to build a very high quality mattress, which will be more comfortable and last longer than a new mattress of lesser or equal cost.

IV. Sourcing

Mattress manufacturers generate raw materials through large retail stores, large mattress retailers, as well as the hospitality sector and dormitories.

V. Process

As a renovator, one often has an established relationship with either a retailer, a hotel, or a dormitory. These institutions transport their used mattresses to the recycling company, which then usually sorts these mattresses and materials by their quality and size. The beds are then processed for the needs of the recycling company. Commonly, beds are stripped and springs are resized, depending on how exactly the existing bed needs to be modified. Queen-sized mattresses can be made into a full-sized mattress, and king-sized mattresses can be made into two twin beds. Any post consumer cushioning layers which are still usable are dismantled, and then categorized by quality and size, and are then prepared for assembly. Any springs that are unusable can still be recycled, and the ones that are in a good enough condition are typically resized by cutting them down to the desired size.

VI. Transportation (In and Out)

Transportation is a very large part of most mattress recycling operations. The majority of post-consumer bedding is transported via tractor trailers, which are either managed by the manufacturer or outside carriers. Additionally, some mattress recycling operations may conduct their own pickup of post consumer bedding, although due to the costs this brings, it is primarily amongst local businesses with whom the recycling company has an established relationship.

VII. Labor

Like any post consumer business, labor is a large part of the overall cost of recycling mattresses. In a post consumer environment, there is always a need for highly trained, responsible labor. Due to the fact that the raw materials being recycled are so inconsistent, mattress recyclers need to have a certain level of artisanship, in order to successfully repurpose post consumer bedding.

VIII. Conclusion

Mattress renovation is an environmentally friendly, cost effective, and efficient means for the end of life of a mattress. Mattress recycling is an environmentally conscious avenue of disposing a mattress and is preferred to total disposal of a mattress, but mattress renovation has the potential to change the mattress industry as a whole.