There is new life on the horizon for Bedford’s used mattresses and box springs.
The Department of Public Works last week announced that the town is finalizing a partnership with UTEC of Lowell to provide a recycling opportunity for these items. The roadside pickups will be free to residents until at least June.
Elizabeth Antanavica, refuse and recycling administrator at the DPW, said the collections are expected to begin during the week of January 24, most likely on Mondays. A detailed announcement is being prepared for direct mail to households.
Residents should be able to register online for a pickup at https://utec-mattress.org/schedule/.
When the mattress and box spring program begins, “There will be a hard stop from Republic Services. They will no longer collect them as waste,” said Antanavica, referring to the town’s refuse contractor. She added that the new recycling package does not cover infant sleeping pads, air mattresses, water beds, or futons.
By participating in this program, she said, most of the components will be diverted from the waste stream. She also pointed out that there’s a statewide mattress recycling mandate that is going into effect on Nov. 1.
UTEC, formerly the United Teen Equality Center, is a youth services organization founded more than 20 years ago. Mattress recycling is one of the organization’s nonprofit social enterprises, with the goal of workforce development.
The program has been chosen by the state Department of Environmental Protection as a qualified vendor for this service.
Young adults who are part of the UTEC program help collect and deconstruct mattresses, which takes place at a Lawrence facility. According to the program website, “UTEC youth hand cut the mattresses and recycle the steel, foam, wood, some of the toppers, and cotton.
The service picks up mattresses from several cities and towns, including Chelmsford and Cambridge, as well as from hotels, schools, universities, assisted living facilities, and hospitals.
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
Loading ...
