used mattresses ... recycled or refurbished
TRANSCRIPT
WIRMCFebruary 2016
Brian Tippetts Part-owner 7
Rivers Recycling
Business Manager Hilltopper Refuse and Recycling
Immediate Past President and officer of SWANA
What happens to a used mattress
Landfill
Relative
Thrift store
Waste–to-energy
Renovator/refurbisher
Recycled
What is Mattress Recycling?Recycled or Recycling: includes collection, sorting, marketing, processing, andtransforming or remanufacturing Recyclable Materials into Recycled Materials and Recycled Products,…
…“refurbishing”, which is less extensive, including renovating, repairing,restoring, or generally improving the appearance, performance, quality, functionality, or value ofthe used product for reuse or resale.
Source: www.swan.org T-0 definitions
Mattress LawWis. Stat. § 100.2095(1) In this section, "bedding" means any mattress, upholstered spring, comforter, pad, cushion or pillow designed and manufactured for the purpose of sleeping or reclining.
(4) No person in the business of selling bedding may sell, offer for sale, consign for sale or possess with intent to sell, offer for sale or consign for sale any article of bedding if the article of bedding contains any material that has been used in any hospital or has been used by or about any person having an infectious or contagious disease.
(5) No person in the business of distributing or selling bedding, with intent to distribute, sell, offer for sale or consign for sale any article of bedding, may represent that any article of bedding, which contains material that has been previously used in other bedding, is manufactured of material that has not been previously used in other bedding.
Wis. Stat. § 100.2095(2)Mattresses must be labeled
NEW MATTRESS OLD MATTRESS
What’s the big deal with the resale or refurbishing of mattresses?
Bed Bugs
MRSA (Super Bug)
Needles/paraphernalia
Who Are the refurbishers?The Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection began investigating mattress refurbishers and stores that sell refurbished bedding after many consumers complained that recently purchased mattresses were infested with bedbugs.
The Department cited these businesses (below) for misrepresenting thebedding they manufactured or sold.Over 7 pages.
Thrift Store MattressesBuying a refurbished mattress can be risky if the item hasn't been carefully inspected and thoroughly disinfected.
Bed bugs, urine and feces stains, bodily fluids, food particles, roaches, fleas and bacteria could all be present in a used mattress.
Weigh the risks against the benefits when deciding to purchase a refurbished mattress; if you have small children or elderly people in your home you might decide to go ahead and spend the extra money on a new mattress.
Mattress Recycling Standards
What are they?
Used Mattress Ethics1. Is it legal?
2. Is the consumer informed?
3. Is the consumer educated?
4. To the extent possible, avoid arrangements with unethical parties.
What mattress recyclers fail?
Recycling mattresses for less than 1 year
Are not making a reasonable profit
Loss of subsidized labor or financial donors
Loss of key leadership
How to identify a legit recycler with staying power?
Years in business as a business
Years recycling mattresses
Registered/listed mattress recycler
Active, not just a member, in relevant associations
Detail of relationship with refurbishers
Pricing
Website
Phone
Landfills used and detail of usage
Agency references
What does it cost to “recycle” a mattress?
On 5/23/15 every Mattress Recycling Council “Registered”/ “Listed” mattress recycler with a website was searched for pricing w/o transportation .
Average price: $15.39/unit
Mean price: $15/unit
More Mattress Math
37 Million mattresses sold in the US every year
20 Million mattresses discarded in the US every year
If $10 is collected for every mattress sold in the US, that would make $18.50 available to recycle every mattress discarded.
Mattress recycling wages
Living wage 2015 - $12.62
The bidder agrees to pay a base wage of not less than the City minimum hourly wage
Contractor agrees to offer and provide benefits to employees with domestic partners
Mattress Costs
Payroll
Building/office/ utilities
Equipment
Taxes/Insurance
Marketing per SBA 7-8 %
ROI/expansion (S&P 500) >10%
43%
14%
12%
16%7%7%
Payroll Building/utlities/ops Equipment
Taxes/insurance Marketing ROI
Transportation costs
http://www.thetruckersreport.com/infographics/cost-of-trucking/
http://www.dat.com/resources/trendlines/van/national-rates
Transportation costs per internet and full semi
Madison to La Crosse 140 miles $4.80/unit
How to kill mattress recycling in Wisconsin
How to expand mattress recycling
1. Stop landfill subsidies
Uncover the hidden costs of landfilling
Airspace waste Equipment downtime Workers comp Mattress placement costs Larger fires
The 2 minute mattress
