Since the Mattress Stewardship Act went into effect in 2025, the Mattress Recycling Council has teamed up with partners like St. Vincent De Paul to recycle 130,000 mattresses in Oregon.
The Mattress Recycling Council’s Chief Operating Officer, Mike O’Donnell, said it's amazing to think about that many mattresses.
“Stretched end-to-end, they would go from Eugene all the way to Medford, and if you stack them on top of each other, it would be like 10 Mount Hoods,” O’Donnell said.
By taking apart the mattresses, up to 75 percent of its components can be recycled. Steel springs, wood frames, foam and fabric can all be recycled or made into new products.
The facility also donates clean or unused mattresses to people in need through St. Vincent De Paul.
Mattresses can be dropped off at any St. Vincent De Paul’s location for free, or for a $50 fee, they offer a pick-up service. The facility also receives mattresses dropped off at the Glenwood Transfer Station.
Bethany Cartledge, the Executive Director of the St. Vincent De Paul Society of Lane County,, spoke at a press conference at the recycling facility on Thursday.
She said she wanted to reassure the community that any mattress can be recycled.
“Sometimes we hear, ‘Well, my bed is too dirty.’ Trust us, it is not too dirty. We take torn, we take soiled, we take all kinds of beds,” said Cartledge.
While O’Donnell said they are pleased with their first year, he predicts they will recycle 200,000 mattresses in the program’s second year.
