INFORMATION #2 10-01-2007INFORMATION
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Nicola Blake-Bradley, Environmental Technician
DATE: September 24, 2007
SUBJECT: Pilot Mattress Recycling Event
Mattresses have long been considered to be a problem material for landfills to accept. This
is due to a poor compaction rate and a tendency for the mattress springs to get caught up in
the compaction machines. The average compaction rate of garbage without mattresses is
1,600 pounds per cubic yard. The compaction rate of mattresses only is 360 pounds per
cubic yard. This huge disparity means that landfills will fill up much faster with the presence
of mattresses, thus increasing the need fox new and larger landfills.
Goodwill Industries of Duluth began a mattress recycling project in June 2004 which has
grown annually and has akeady diverted more than 24,000 mattresses from Iblinnesota
landfills to be recycled. The following end markets fox mattress materials have been
identified:
• Mattress covers ox toppers (foam sewn to cover) ape used to make low-end carpet
pads;
• b4attxess foam ar polyurethane foam is used to manufacture high end carpet pads;
• Cotton stuffing is used as filler fox packaging, shipping pads, wall insulation and road
noise abatement material in vehicles;
• Steel is used to manufacture new steel products; and
• Wood is shredded to provide mulch ox composted
Goodwill Industries will charge $6.00 per mattress ar box spring (regardless of size) that is
delivered to them for processing. This is consistent with the rate that the City charges
during clean up events for disposal of mattresses and box springs. Thus, the only charge
that may be incurred by the City for recycling (rather than landfilling) mattresses from our
residents is through hauling to the facility in Duluth.
During the Fall Clean Up Event, a mattress recycling pilot project will be held to determine
how many mattresses may be diverted during such events. Shexbupne County has allowed
the City of Elk River to utilize funds which were allocated far the Spring Clean Up event
(but not used) for hauling mattresses from the Elk River Landfill to Duluth. This amount is
$2,286.22 which could pay far approximately four semi trailer loads of mattresses.
The amount of mattresses that may be contained in a trailer load varies. However, fora 48
foot trailer, approximately 80 - 120 mattresses may be loaded. In order to maxnxnze the
number of mattresses that can be loaded into the trailers, the Sentenced-To-Serve (STS)
crew from the Sherburne County Jail has been scheduled to assist with stacking the
mattresses in the trailers.
Three local hauling companies and one hauler outside the Elk River area were contacted fox
quotes to deliver the mattresses. For this event, 53 ft. van trailers with swing doors have
been ordered from a local hauling company. Novco, Inc. will be used as the hauler fox our
pilot project. They will charge $500 per trailer to deliver to the Elk River Landfill, store the
trailers there during the event, and haul the trailers to Duluth.
Staff has requested that the Elk River Landfill assist with delivery charges to Duluth if the
mattress recycling event exceeds expectations. This is due to the fact that the Elk River
Landfill directly benefits from mattress diversion from the landfill. While the manager of the
Elk River Landfill has not been available to confirm their assistance with shipping charges,
staff anticipates that landfill management will continue to maintain the good working
relationship that they have established with the City of Elk River by helping where necessary.
>iy recycling mattresses, the City of Elk River takes one more step toward being the State's
Energy City. Recycling saves huge amounts of energy, and hundreds ox thousands of gallons
of water and fuel (as well as other "virgin" materials). Other "win-win" situations that occur
include: recycling "reclaimable" materials, removing a problem material from the landfill,
putting disadvantaged people to work, and extending the life of the landfill (as well as
increasing the time before the need for expansion).