Rhode Island has become the third state in the nation with a free recycling program for mattresses and box springs. The program, known as Bye Bye Mattress, has established free collection points in cities and towns across the state. Rhode Island residents can find their nearest participating collection site or recycling facility at www.byebyemattress.com.

The Warwick drop off is at the city composting station behind Mickey Stevens Sports Complex and consists of a trailer truck container where people should place mattresses. A visit to the site Monday morning found the truck already more than half full. 

Bye Bye Mattress is administered by the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), a non-profit organization created by the mattress industry to develop and manage the recycling program mandated by law in 2013. The program is funded through a $10 recycling fee that is collected when a mattress or box spring is sold to Rhode Island consumers. Consumers will notice this fee as a separate line item on their receipt. The fee is used to pay for transporting and recycling the discarded mattresses.

 “Combating Illegal dumping and reducing the impact on landfills have always been concerns for the mattress industry,” Ryan Trainer, president of MRC and the International Sleep Products Association said in a statement. “We have found that recycling can be a realistic option for these products and help us address these issues when, like in Rhode Island, a program has the support of state and local governments, consumers and businesses.” 

In addition to establishing these free collection points, the Program also provides a $2 consumer incentive when an individual chooses to drop off a mattress or box spring at Ace Mattress Recycling in West Warwick. No more than eight mattresses per household per year are eligible for the incentive and individuals may not deliver more than four mattresses at a time.  

“We currently handle approximately 32,000 mattresses a year at the Central Landfill,” said Sarah Reeves, Director of Public Policy Programs & Planning for Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC). “With recycling now a more convenient and free option for all state residents, we hope to see that number decrease significantly.”