New Jersey Advances Mattress and Vape Producer Responsibility Bills
Separate bills would require mattress and e-cigarette producers to help fund and manage end-of-life collection, recycling and disposal systems as extended producer responsibility continues expanding across the U.S.
MONTREAL (RecyclingMonster): A New Jersey Senate committee has advanced separate bills that would require mattress and e-cigarette producers to take greater financial and operational responsibility for collecting, recycling and disposing of their products after use.
The Senate Environment and Energy Committee advanced the measures on October 8. Both bills have since been referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
The proposals are part of a broader expansion of extended producer responsibility, or EPR, policies across the U.S. Under EPR systems, producers assume greater responsibility for managing products after consumers are finished with them rather than leaving the full cost to municipalities, waste operators and taxpayers.
Mattress Bill Would Establish Statewide Stewardship Program
Senate Bill 2359, known as the Mattress Stewardship Act, would require mattress producers to participate in a stewardship organization responsible for developing and operating a statewide mattress recovery program.
The proposal calls for permanent drop-off locations, collection opportunities in underserved areas, recycling performance goals and a stewardship assessment designed to cover the cost of operating the program.
Standard collection of eligible mattresses would be offered without an additional disposal charge under the program, although premium services such as home pickup could carry a fee.
Sen. John McKeon, a sponsor of the legislation, said during the committee hearing that only about 2% of mattresses in New Jersey are currently recycled and pointed to recoverable materials such as steel and wood that can otherwise be lost to disposal.
Separate Bill Targets E-Cigarette and Vape Waste
Senate Bill 681, the Electronic Cigarette Extended Producer Responsibility Act, would require e-cigarette producers to establish a producer responsibility organization and develop a state-approved system for collecting and managing discarded vape products.
The proposal addresses a waste stream that combines electronics, plastics, metals, nicotine-containing material and lithium-ion batteries, creating handling challenges that differ substantially from conventional household recyclables.
Producer fees under the proposed system would help fund collection and processing. The bill also includes provisions intended to encourage products with lower environmental impacts, including reusable designs and products containing recycled material.
New Jersey Is Applying EPR to Two Very Different Waste Problems
The takeaway: Mattress recycling already has a functioning producer-funded model in several states. Vape EPR is much newer, making New Jersey's two proposals a useful snapshot of how producer responsibility is expanding from established bulky-waste programs into more complicated electronic and battery-containing products.
Mattress EPR already has a track recordCalifornia, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Oregon already operate mattress recycling programs funded through state stewardship laws. The Mattress Recycling Council says its programs have recycled more than 15 million mattresses across those states.
The reason mattresses attract EPR attention is straightforward: they are bulky, expensive to handle and contain recoverable materials. The Product Stewardship Institute estimates that up to 90% of mattress components can be recycled.
Vapes create a different recycling challengeDisposable and rechargeable vape products combine lithium-ion batteries, plastics, metals, electronic components and nicotine-containing material in a small device. That mixture complicates collection and processing and can introduce battery-fire and hazardous-material concerns when the products enter ordinary waste streams.
Vape-specific EPR is still emerging. PSI says Maine enacted the first U.S. EPR law dedicated specifically to vapes and e-cigarettes in 2026, while other states and communities are exploring collection programs and policy options.
The broader trend is acceleratingPSI's current national EPR map now counts 150 laws across 34 states and Washington, D.C., covering 22 product categories. That means EPR is increasingly moving beyond familiar products such as paint and electronics into packaging, textiles, batteries, mattresses and newer waste streams such as vapes.
Both Bills Move to Budget Committee
The two measures are not yet law. After clearing the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, both were referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
If enacted, the bills would add New Jersey to a growing group of states using producer-funded systems to address products that are costly, difficult or potentially hazardous to manage at end of life.
Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com
New Jersey Mattress and Vape EPR Bills: What to Know
What is New Jersey's Mattress Stewardship Act?
Senate Bill 2359 would require mattress producers to participate in a producer-funded stewardship program for collection and recycling of discarded mattresses.
Would consumers pay a mattress recycling assessment?
The bill provides for a stewardship assessment associated with mattress sales to fund collection, transportation, processing and program administration.
What would the e-cigarette EPR bill do?
Senate Bill 681 would require e-cigarette producers to establish a producer responsibility organization and implement a system for collecting and managing discarded vape products.
Why are e-cigarettes difficult to dispose of?
Vape products can contain lithium-ion batteries, electronic components, plastics, metals and nicotine-containing material, requiring specialized handling.
Are the New Jersey EPR bills now law?
No. Both measures have advanced from the Senate Environment and Energy Committee and are currently before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
