Rhode Island has become the second state to enact a mattress recycling program.
The state's governor, Lincoln Chafee, signed the bill into law this week. Neighboring Connecticut recently became the first state to adopt mattress recycling legislation.
Officials of the International Sleep Products Assn. said they worked with Rhode Island Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio and House Environment and Natural Resources Committee Chair Representative Arthur Handy to craft the legislation that will recycle used mattresses in Rhode Island.
The legislation charges mattress manufacturers in Rhode Island with creating an organization to responsibly collect and process discarded mattresses in the Ocean State, ISPA officials said.
"We were pleased to work with state officials to develop legislation that promotes the proper disposal of mattresses while keeping costs low and creating jobs," said Christopher Hudgins, ISPA's vice president of government relations and policy. "The Rhode Island law follows industry-supported legislation that recently passed in Connecticut and serves as a model for other states interested in tackling this important issue."The new law requires mattress manufacturers to propose a detailed plan for mattress recycling in Rhode Island by July 1, 2015. The program will create opportunities for all mattresses in Rhode Island to be recycled and will help combat the issue of illegally dumped mattresses, ISPA said. Similar mattress recycling legislation is working its way through the California Legislature. ISPA is actively involved in promoting that legislation.
