Ohio Mattress Recovery and Recycling through the efforts of Made Rite Bedding help Depaul University recycle more that 700 mattresses this year helping to divert more than 15,000 pounds of mattresses from Illinois landfills. this year Ohio Mattress Recovery and recycling will help colleges across the country recycle more than 1,000,000 pounds of mattresses.

Benefits to Society by recycling mattresses

While brain storming can be a lot of fun, it also has great value when pursued through to an action plan where the group or others can take these thoughts and turn them into implementation tasks. How do you do that? When the brainstorming is over, you prioritize your list. Delete trivial items. Then you create your action plan by assigning a date or range of dates when the item identified in the brain storming (task) will be completed and who is responsible for getting it done. By actually following this action plan and checking to make sure tasks get accomplished and done on time – you can achieve mattress recycling in your community.

Give it a go. See what society benefits you can add to the below list, then turn your list into your action plan. The environment thanks you in advance.

1. Save landfill space.
2. No more landfill equipment problems from mattress springs.
3. Create new jobs.
4. Cleaner roadsides.
5. No illegal mattress dumps.
6. Recycled steel for construction.
7. Know you did the right thing.
8. Cotton for linen papers.
9. Cotton for oil spill cleanup containment.
10. Foam for many uses.
11. Felt for mattress pads.
12. Felt for carpet pads.
13. Dimensional lumber.
14. Pelletized wood for fuel.
15. Chipped wood for mulch.
16. Less supply of old mattresses increasing value of good used mattresses.
17. Less supply of old mattresses creating higher demand for new mattresses.
18. Save cities tax money via elimination of their handling discarded mattresses with no fee.
19. Occupies one more empty warehouse or factory.
20. Can generate income for cities/trash haulers with curbside pickup fees using vouchers/tags.
21. Can be a source for rebuilt mattresses.
22. Ticking and foam for pet bedding.
23. Wood crates.
24. That which gets rewarded gets done.
25. Cardboard - corrugated - recycling.
26. More space in your house/garage.
27. No need to delay purchase of new as you can get rid of the old.
28. No need for storage rental.
29. Keeps mama happy.
30. Why foam only in prisons?
31. Cleaner environment.
32. Stop wasting valuable resources.
33. etc.

If you see something on the list you want to delete - go ahead. If you know a benefit that is
missing from the list - add it. If you want to clarify an entry - do it. When you are done, you
have your own list of society's benefits of mattress recycling in your community.

New AASHE Business Member

Ohio Mattress Recovery and Recycling Deepens Commitment to Sustainability

Ohio Mattress Recovery has recently become a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, an association of colleges and universities working to create a sustainable world. Through its membership in AASHE, Ohio Mattress will be able to better understand and assist higher education institutions in advancing their sustainability initiatives.

AASHE enables colleges and universities to meet their sustainability goals by providing specialized resources, professional development, and a network for sharing information about sustainability products and services. Membership covers the entire business or campus, so everyone can take advantage of event discounts, access to member-only resources, and other benefits.

“We are delighted to have Ohio Mattress on board and participating in the campus sustainability community,” said Paul Rowland, executive director of AASHE. “Their involvement in AASHE demonstrates a commitment to working with higher education to create a just and sustainable future for all.”

Among AASHE’s major programs is the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), which provides higher education with a standardized, comprehensive self-assessment instrument. STARS metrics cover every sector of campus, from planning and administration to operations, to education and research. With STARS as a roadmap or guide, institutions can select meaningful and appropriate pathways to sustainability while conserving valuable resources, mitigating global warming, and building healthier communities.

Another major program that AASHE supports is the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. Over 650 presidents and chancellors to date have signed this commitment and are leading their institutions to climate neutrality as soon as possible. AASHE hosts the climate action reporting tool for the ACUPCC.

AASHE provides many of its resources free to the public, including a weekly newsletter, AASHE Bulletin, and a set of Campus Sustainability Discussion Forums on nearly 20 different topics. These can all be found in AASHE’s online Resource Center.

About AASHE

AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. Its mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. It does this by providing resources, professional development, and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research.

AASHE defines sustainability in an inclusive way, encompassing human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods, and a better world for all generations. AASHE is a member-driven, independent 501(c)(3).

Posted: August 5, 2009

Sustainability Initiative recycles 700 mattresses


	Old mattresses from residence halls are being recycled.

Coastal Carolina University's Sustainability Initiative has teamed up with the Office of Residence Life for a Zero Waste Project to save hundreds of mattresses and plastic packaging from entering the landfill.

Old mattresses were removed from Waccamaw and Santee residence halls earlier this week and picked up by Ohio Mattress Recovery, a company that will then recycle about 94 percent of each mattress. The plastic packaging on the mattresses was picked up by Recyclogic of Murrells Inlet and sent to a plant in Hemingway where the plastic will be recycled.

An estimated 700 new mattresses were delivered to the two residence halls on campus Aug. 5 and 6.

“This is an example of how Coastal Carolina University can do its part to reduce its ecological footprint and set an example for our community,” said Marissa Mitzner, sustainability coordinator.

Mitzner anticipates working with these companies in the future to make the Zero Waste Project an ongoing program at Coastal Carolina University.

“This project is one of many that we can do to show the community that Coastal Carolina University does care about the environment and that sustainability is a priority on campus,” said Mitzner.

Area native springs into mattress recycling

Published: Friday, February 6, 2009

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By John Benson
Correspondent@News-Herald.com

When it comes to being green, think globally, act locally has been the mantra for decades.

Willoughby native Chuck Brickman, a former Cleveland Heights-University Heights teacher, is doing both with his new company, Ohio Mattress Recovery, which started up in June.

"Basically, we are a green company that is working with colleges, universities, hotels, motels, resorts and the municipalities to help them recycle mattresses and box springs rather than sending them to landfills," said Brickman, a 1993 South High School graduate.

"Since last year, we've done about 13,000 mattresses from deconstruction companies, properties and facilitation management companies, all Ohio state parks, hotels and mattress companies. And we've sent out proposals to potentially recycle between 8,000 to 25,000 mattresses this summer just from colleges and universities."

Brickman said the mattresses and box springs are manually deconstructed, with the wood used as biomass fuel or for recycled furniture. The steel is scrapped, while the cotton cover material is baled and sent to North Carolina and South Carolina for textile recycling.

Brickman said there was a growing need for a company like his.

"Each mattress cumulatively takes up 23 cubic feet of landfill space," he said. "With our recycling efforts, we can get that down to about one or two feet. And there's no service out there that's provided to companies, colleges, universities, hospitals, hotels and resorts to help them be more sustainable.

"It really doesn't make any sense to be sending these materials to landfills that can ultimately be recycled, like paper, plastic, aluminum cans and steel."

There are various costs for Ohio Mattress Recovery to recycle a mattress. Brickman said if the material is brought to his location, which recently moved from Willoughby to Lakewood, the cost is $5.50 per mattress.

If his company has to travel to pick up the mattresses, the price increases to $7 to $8.50 per unit.

"We're just like a waste-removal company," Brickman said. "Obviously they have to pay for our service to come get their waste. The difference between us and waste management is we recycle material rather than landfill it."

Brickman is now focusing his energy on getting the word out about Ohio Mattress Recovery. He believes having a booth at the 66th annual Bank Home & Garden Show's Green Pavilion is a perfect opportunity to educate the public.

"I don't think a lot of people are aware that there is an alternative source for the mattresses and box springs," Brickman said. "We just want to make the public, as well as some of the bigger municipalities, hotels, motels and mattress manufacturers and retail stores, aware of the fact that there is a green alternative to the waste they're producing.

"There are some companies in Northeast Ohio that are sending between 20,000 to 60,000 mattresses a year to landfills. That can be completely prevented with a near or cheaper cost than they're paying the landfills."

For more information, visit www.ohiomattressrecovery.com.

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Thinking of sending a mattress to a landfill? Sleep on it

Here's something to sleep on tonight: In just one day at a local landfill, more than 300 old mattresses and box springs arrive for burial...

By Tom Watson

Special to The Seattle Times

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Kristopher Lee / The Seattle Times

Here's something to sleep on tonight: In just one day at a local landfill, more than 300 old mattresses and box springs arrive for burial. If you laid them out end-to-end, they would stretch more than a third of a mile. And that's just from one day.

Why should you care? Because, as sleepers, we all contribute to this disposal problem.

Old mattresses don't go away easily. Mattresses are bulky, generally not reusable, and difficult to recycle. Even putting them in a landfill doesn't work well.

But there are solutions, and that's where you come in.

The final resting place

Since most retailers will take your old mattress when you buy a new one, retailers haul truckloads of mattresses directly to King County's Cedar Hills Landfill in Maple Valley. The mattresses also come to the landfill from King County's solid waste transfer stations, brought in by residents and businesses.

Landfill equipment operators hate mattresses. Driving giant bulldozer-type machines, their goal is to pack the garbage down tightly before it is covered. But mattresses don't compact well. Even worse, the mattress springs pop out and get tangled in the equipment, often damaging it. Cedar Hills Landfill operations supervisor Dean Voelker calls this "a huge problem."

Because mattresses are so difficult to handle, landfills around the nation have increased the fees they charge to accept mattresses, especially in large quantities. King County will soon begin classifying bulk loads of mattresses as "special waste," which is charged a higher fee.

U.K. Prison Experiments With Mattress Recycling

by Amanda Wills

Last week, The Guardian reported that the U.K. government is stepping up its recycling efforts and coming up with innovative ideas for discarded prison mattresses. Prisons throughout England and Wales throw out 50,000 mattresses each year and order 60,000 new mattresses due to prison population growth, costing taxpayers 2 million pounds, or 2.8 million U.S. dollars.

Discarded mattresses take up to 23 cubic feet of space in landfills. Photo: Flickr/hateme20

County jails will be signing contracts with companies to convert these mattresses into new products. The goal is to reduce the wasted mattresses from 50,000 to zero.

Two companies are conducting trials to convert stained and lumpy mattresses into carpet underlay, roof tiles and fence panels.

The new idea is a part of the Whitehall plan to recycle waste and save taxpayer cash. The mattress recycling proposal is highlighted in a report surveying Whitehall’s innovation, which says that Whitehall has allotted 5.5 billion pounds, or 7.8 billion U.S. dollars, for experimentation.

Discarded mattresses are a huge problem in landfills—literally. A single mattress can take up to 23 cubic feet of space, driving U.S. legislation for mattress recycling such as holding manufacturers to higher environmental standards.

Some retailers and charities still sell and donate used mattresses to lower income families. Phoenix-based Sleep America has been very supportive of alternative methods of disposing of mattresses.

Amanda Wills

Amanda Wills is the Assistant Editor of Earth911.com

Ohio Mattress Recovery and Recycling prevented 1,500,000 pounds of mattresses from entering the landfill this year.

Ohio Matttress Recovery and Recycling to present at PROP convention July 28th in Scranton Pennsylvania.

Check out the link at:

http://www.proprecycles.org/2009%20PROP%20Conference.html

What's In A Mattress?

This article is intended to answer your question about "What is in a mattress to be recycled?"

What's In A Mattress - Understanding What Your Mattress Is Made Of
By Marc Ilgen

There are many important components within a mattress which make it supportive, comfortable and most importantly durable. There are several types of mattresses available today and of course each one is built slightly differently but generally the basic components are the same. It is a good idea to understand what's inside a mattress so you know exactly what you're getting when you buy a new one.

The innerspring mattress is the most popular and most common type of mattress. It is built with both simple and intricate inner workings to create the comfort and durability this type of mattress possesses. You will find that the innerspring mattresses are created with coils but there are many different types of coils available for mattress use and each one creates a different feel. Whether you are looking for a firm or a soft mattress, companies and manufacturers today have utilized the proper coils to ensure that they have created mattresses that fit each and every preference.

The Bonnell coils are quite literally the oldest type of coils that exist today and they are generally not used on the new mattresses. Marshall Coils are used by Simmons Beauty Rest and they are very successful when used within their innerspring creations. The coils are measured in increments and the lower the number the thicker the coils. Generally, the higher quality innerspring mattresses use coils of a 1.63 mm diameter. The connections between the coils are what help the mattress to keep its shape through the years and the many nights of tossing and turning.

Foam mattresses are the next popular and becoming more and more common in the world of mattresses. These foam mattresses use latex or memory foam instead of coils to create the comfort and support. It is important to take note that foam can run from low to high qualities and this means that there can be a large difference in price when you are searching for a memory foam bed. You can find a memory foam bed with absolutely any name brand manufacturer today.

Not only is it important to know how your mattress is made and what materials are used during its creation but it is important to pay attention to the foundation and base for your mattress as well. Although many people tend to neglect this detail, it is a detail which can determine how well the mattress feels when you lie on it. There are three different types of foundations and of course the most popular and common is the box-spring. This is a rigid frame which contains heavy duty springs to contribute to the support of the mattress and maintain a longer durability. When you are using a memory foam mattress it is a necessity to have a strong foundation or you will find that your foam mattress does not feel as comfortable as it did in the store.

The core of the mattress is the most important part of the mattress. This is where the comfort and support layers are and they are required to blend together in order to feel the overall comfort this mattress is prepared to provide. The core holds the coils, foam or latex as well as all the comfort layers and if the core is not well constructed and strong than the mattress itself will not be comfortable and it will certainly not be durable.

How a mattress is made may not seem at first to be something the average consumer needs to worry about, but in fact it does make a difference in how well you are able to choose a good mattress. Of course each manufacturer creates their mattresses in a unique way but the general process is one that does not vary that much. Each mattress requires a strong and flexible core of comfort levels and without this you will find your mattress becoming uncomfortable sooner than you had hoped.

Marc Ilgen is an internet entrepreneur and article writer. He runs a website called http://www.Best-Mattress-Buying-Guide.com to help people find information about buying a mattress. He also has an online store for mattresses and bedding supplies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Ilgen
http://EzineArticles.com/?Whats-In-A-Mattress---Understanding-What-Your-Mattress-Is-Made-Of&id=744554

Boom in tiny bedbugs is causing big trouble

Residents complain about bed bug infestation Play Video KVUE-TV Austin –Residents complain about bed bug infestation By Barbara Barrett, McClatchy Newspapers Barbara Barrett, Mcclatchy Newspapers – FriMay15, 5:50pmET

WASHINGTON — The biggest bedbug outbreak since World War II has sent a collective shudder among apartment dwellers, college students and business travelers across the nation.

The bugs — reddish brown, flat and about the size of a grain of rice — suck human blood. They resist many pesticides and spread quickly in certain mattress-heavy buildings, such as hotels, dormitories and apartment complexes.

Two shelters have closed temporarily in Charlotte, N.C. , because of bedbugs, a Yahoo chat group dedicates itself to sufferers and countless bedbug blogs provide forums for news, tips and commiseration. State inspectors say that more emphasis may be needed to tackle the creatures.

Federal officials have taken notice of the resurgence. Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency held its first-ever bedbug summit, and now a North Carolina congressman wants to take on the insect.

Democratic Rep. G.K. Butterfield just introduced legislation that would authorize $50 million that's already in the Department of Commerce budget to train health inspectors how to recognize signs of the insects.

The Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009 also would require public housing agencies to submit bedbug inspection plans to the federal government. It would add bedbugs to a rodent and cockroach program in the Department of Health and Human Services . It also would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research bedbugs' impact on public mental health.

Butterfield's letter to congressional colleagues about the legislation attracted lots of attention: It was topped with a full-color picture of the insect sitting on human skin.

"Unfortunately, in recent years, the United States has seen a resurgence in bedbugs," the letter reads. "That's right — they're back in the sack — and biting."

Bedbugs have hit hotels and homes in every state. The creatures are amazing hitchhikers, experts say, and easily travel in suitcases, boxes or packages. They can live for up to a year without food.

Apparently no state has a central reporting system for bedbugs, according to Butterfield's office, and since the bug carries no known diseases, many health departments don't consider it a public health threat.

That leaves the critters falling through the cracks among regulators, said Michael Potter , an entomologist at the University of Kentucky and one of the country's bedbug experts.

"Most health departments say, 'Hey, we don't deal with bedbugs,' " Potter said.

Those who've suffered outbreaks say that the anxiety it induces can be debilitating. Potter said many sufferers tossed out furniture and could spend thousands of dollars on repeated treatments from pesticide companies. They call him about anxiety, insomnia, shame and the incessant annoyance of itchy red welts on their skin.

"They're, like, ready to blow their brains out," Potter said. "It's emotionally distressing. Anyone that has never had a bedbug problem is not one to judge whether we're dealing with a medical, emotional public health issue."

In Congress , Butterfield first introduced his bill a year ago after hearing from a constituent who'd brought bedbugs into her home from a hotel trip. The bill died in committee last year, but Butterfield aides say they hope that higher attention will help the measure this year.

The co-sponsors include Reps. Don Young , R- Alaska , Ben Chandler , D- Ky. , Bobby L. Rush , D- Ill. , Betty McCollum , D- Minn. , Corrine Brown , D- Fla. , Steve Cohen , D- Tenn. , Brad Miller , D- N.C. , and Eddie Bernice Johnson , D- Texas .

Butterfield also has received support from the National Pest Management Association , which says that bedbug calls to pest control companies are up 70 percent in the past five years.

Greg Baumann , a Raleigh, N.C. , pest control expert and the vice president of technical services for the National Pest Management Association , said that a decade ago few pest control companies dealt routinely with bedbugs.

"Now it's everyone today," he said.

Baumann said companies could use pesticides on the bugs but that they also tried such alternatives as extreme heat, freezing and isolating the insects through mattress covers.

Since the EPA restricted the use of several effective pesticides in the 1980s, bedbugs have built resistance to the chemicals that now are on the market, said Potter, the University of Kentucky entomologist. Public education is important, he said, but the industry also needs a good insecticide.

"Whether that bill is going to solve the problem — certainly it's a start," he said.

News- Herald Coverage of Ohio mattress Recovery and Recycling

http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2009/02/05/news/nh417261.txt

New Company Works to Keep Mattresses Out of Landfill

Each year 300,000 mattresses are sent to Cleveland area landfills. Since 94 percent of all mattresses and box springs are recyclable, something has to be done to encourage the recycling of these products. Fortunately, Chuck Brickman, a native Northeast Ohioan, is taking on this feat and has started a business, Ohio Mattress Recovery and Recycling, to develop a plan to recycle mattresses in Ohio. Read more from EarthWatchOhio

Sagging Mattress Recycling

One of the bigger things we throw away are old mattresses. Landfills are stuffed full of them. Julie Grant reports that new companies are springing up to recycle the steel and cushioning from old mattresses. They say the government could help, but it's lying down on the job: Read more and Listen at EnvironmentReport

Thinking of sending a mattress to a landfill? Sleep on it

Here's something to sleep on tonight: In just one day at a local landfill, more than 300 old mattresses and box springs arrive for burial...

By Tom Watson

Special to The Seattle Times

Kristopher Lee / The Seattle Times

Why should you care? Because, as sleepers, we all contribute to this disposal problem.

Old mattresses don't go away easily. Mattresses are bulky, generally not reusable, and difficult to recycle. Even putting them in a landfill doesn't work well.

But there are solutions, and that's where you come in.

The final resting place

Dreams of recycling

Even the adage "Reduce, reuse, recycle" doesn't really apply to mattresses. It's hard to reduce the quantities of mattresses being used and disposed of, although if more people coupled up, I guess that would help.

And most people have no interest in buying a used mattress. Retailers do donate some lightly-used mattresses to charities, but most charities do not accept old mattresses from the public.

That leaves recycling. Manufacturers construct mattresses very tightly so they won't come apart easily, which is great, until you try to recycle them. To separate the components for recycling, mattresses can be "filleted" (an actual industry term) manually with a box-cutter, which takes a fair amount of time and energy. Or they can be shredded, which requires expensive equipment.

A standard mattress and box spring consist primarily of steel, polyurethane foam, cotton and other fabric, and wood. Good recycling markets usually exist for the steel, and markets could also likely be found for the foam. Because of the condition of the fabric and wood that comes out of old mattresses and box springs, those materials currently have few reliable markets.

The value of the recycled materials alone will not cover the costs of mattress recycling. However, mattress recycling may make sense financially as an alternative to landfills, if you take into account the true costs of landfilling, according to a report by the International Sleep Products Association's Mattress Disposal Task Force.

A few mattress recycling operations have started up in recent years in Massachusetts, Minnesota and the San Francisco Bay Area. But the task force report and other industry-supported research suggest that mattress recycling will not flourish until a funding mechanism is developed.

What you can do

When local governments have to spend more money to deal with mattresses than other types of garbage, we all pay for those extra costs. So what can we, as consumers, do to help solve the mattress disposal problem, and to reduce the environmental impacts of mattresses?

• Support industry and government actions to address the disposal issue. If these efforts someday result in a small "advance recycling fee" when you buy a mattress — a system used for other problem items such as tires and car batteries — think of it as money well spent.

In the meantime, when you buy a new mattress, consider mattresses made with fewer petroleum products and toxic chemicals. It's always good to use less of those, and keep them out of the landfill. Search online for "green mattresses" or "organic mattresses."

• Extend the life of your mattress by maintaining it well. Many manufacturers and retailers recommend that you rotate and flip a new mattress every two weeks for the first six months, then every three months after that. Don't bend a new mattress or jump on it, and never allow a mattress to get wet.

You'll sleep better knowing that you're taking care of your mattress, and the planet.

Tom Watson writes the EcoConsumer column for digs on Saturdays. He is project manager for King County's Recycling and Environmental Services. Reach him at tom.watson@metrokc.gov or 206-296-4481. Watch for more EcoConsumer resources from King County at www.KCecoconsumer.com.

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