CVWMA Partners with van der Linde Recycling to Keep Mattresses out of Landfills
October 22, 2024 |
Member localities now have an option to recycle mattresses through CVWMA’s contract with specialty recycling company.
A worker cuts metal coils from an old mattress at van der Linde Recycling in Troy, Virginia.
Throughout its 34-year history, CVWMA has developed programs to help residents recycle more than just the traditional cans, bottles and paper.
Recycling programs for electronics, tires, household hazardous waste, batteries and more provide a circular solution for much of the region’s waste.
Now, mattresses are on that list.
In the summer of 2024, CVWMA signed a contract with van der Linde Recycling to haul and process for recycling old mattresses and box springs from any of the authority’s 13 member jurisdictions.
“We heard from our local partners that residential mattresses were becoming hard and expensive to manage at local convenience centers,” said CVWMA Executive Director Kim Hynes. “Some localities reported difficulties hauling mattresses from the convenience centers to the landfill. So, we decided to put out a request for proposals to find a contractor that could help us find a circular solution, rather than landfilling.”
van der Linde primarily recycles construction and demolition debris at its facility in Troy, Virginia, about 2 miles south of the Zion Crossroads exit on Interstate 64.
Since opening in 2008, the company has sought innovative ways to help people recycle “hard to recycle” materials.
“It is important to keep these bulky, highly recyclable items out of landfills,” said Andrea Johnson, CEO of van der Linde Recycling. “People underestimate the financial and environmental consequences of landfills. When our current landfills are full, we will have to destroy new land and impact new communities to continue to meet our waste and sanitation needs. This program can potentially conserve thousands of cubic yards of space, extending the life of our current landfills, for items that are not recyclable.”
Through the CVWMA contract, localities can host collection events for mattresses or permanent drop-off containers at their convenience centers. van der Linde would periodically haul the mattresses to their facility for processing.
Mattresses must be clean or lightly soiled to be recycled. They cannot contain bedbugs.
“We have been so impressed with CVWMA’s initiative to pull these bulky nuisance items out of the waste stream,” Johnson said. “It shows that their vision — to be the recognized leader in regionally sustainable waste management practices that protect the environment — is not just talk, but the authority is taking active steps to achieve it.”
What’s in a mattress?
Ninety percent of the materials in a mattress can be recycled into new products. There is demand right here on the East Coast for the wood frames, metal coils and foam that support our nightly slumber.
Foam collected from old mattresses is baled and ready to deliver to the end user.
Programs for mattress recycling aren’t common, and it’s easy to understand why. The process to break them down and recover the usable parts is labor intensive. Also, mattresses are heavy and bulky, making handling and transportation difficult (the average queen-sized mattress weighs as much as 160 pounds!).
But the real problems arise when mattresses enter the landfill.
Mattresses may take 100 years to decompose, and, as they do, they release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Reducing methane emissions is a key goal for climate resiliency and curbing the impacts of a warming climate.
Mattresses are also a headache for landfills. They do not compact, which runs counter to landfill operations, where waste is continually shredded, shifted and compacted to maximize space. In a landfill, mattresses occupy 400% more space than anything else around them.
Richmond first to try it out
In September, the City of Richmond became the first CVWMA member locality to participate in the new mattress recycling program. Residents were allowed to bring old mattresses and box springs to a special recycling event, where electronics, personal documents and household hazardous waste were also being collected for recycling.
The event diverted 53 mattresses (or 4,200 pounds) from the landfill.
A graphic promoting the City of Richmond’s Sept. 21 recycling event and the addition of old mattresses to the list of accepted items.
Many city officials were pleased with the first-time results, said Katrina Entzminger, a Senior Management Analyst in the Richmond Department of Public Works. DPW coordinated the recycling event, along with the city’s Department of Public Utilities and Clean City Commission.
“We want to create a circular system for our waste so that items can be repurposed and reused as much as possible,” Entzminger said. “Mattress recycling draws attention to the fact that even a large item can be repurposed and recycled. If people can understand that, then they can connect the concepts of reuse and recycling to even more things.”
Mattress recycling aligns with the City of Richmond’s RVAgreen2050 Climate Equity Action Plan, which was adopted in early 2023. The plan outlines strategies to increase recycling participation, expand access to composting and transition to a circular economy.
“These initiatives not only reduce the amount of solid waste generated by the City of Richmond and help to extend the lifespan of our nearby landfills, but they also reduce the amount of heat-trapping methane caused by organic decomposition and help advance RVAgreen2050’s CO2e emissions reduction targets,” said Laura Thomas, Director of the Office of Sustainability.
“Initiatives such as mattress recycling help city residents do their part to divert waste and reuse materials, both reducing waste and preventing methane emissions. It’s a solid waste win-win.”
Tags: circular economy, cvwma, mattress recycling, mattresses, recycling, sustainability, van der linde recycling, waste diversionCategory: Ashland, Charles City, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Hopewell, New Kent, News, Petersburg, Powhatan, Prince George, Richmond