PLAINVILLE — Town Administrator Brian Noble and Health Director Deb Revelle announce that the Town of Plainville is offering a new mattress recycling program following the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) recent changes to their waste ban regulations.
MassDEP’s 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan established an objective to reduce disposal statewide by 30 percent over the next decade. In an effort to reach this goal, MassDEP has established new rules requiring that mattresses and textiles be kept out of the trash so they can be recycled or donated for reuse, effective Tuesday, Nov. 1.
In light of MassDEP’s announcement, the Town of Plainville announces a new recycling plan effective immediately as mattresses and box springs will no longer be picked up by the town’s trash hauler E.L. Harvey & Sons.
Instead, the Town of Plainville is collaborating with HandUp to offer Town residents
a convenient and cost-effective way to recycle unwanted mattresses and box springs responsibly.
“As a result of the upcoming mattress and textile ban, the town has selected a Massachusetts company by the name of HandUp™, a social impact business, located in New Bedford that recycles and upcycles mattresses in an environmentally sustainable way, as its preferred vendor for mattress recycling as well as box springs,” said Health Director Revelle.
As of Oct. 24, Plainville residents can contact HandUp to make an appointment for curbside pickup of a mattress or box spring by going to handupmattress.com/curbside-pickup or by calling 774-271-8744.
The cost for each mattress or each box spring is $50 each. Community members should note that curbside pickup will occur one time per month.
Erik Dyson, Co-Founder and CEO of HandUp, states, “We are pleased to partner with the Town of Plainville to offer its residents a convenient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible way to dispose of their unwanted mattresses. As a company, we are committed to making a positive environmental impact and returning the majority of our net profits back to the local community by supporting non-profit organizations that provide services to our immigrant and refugee neighbors.”
For more information, please contact HandUp at (774) 271-8744, visit handupmattress.com, or email info@handupus.org.
According to MassDEP, approximately 300,000 mattresses and box springs are disposed of each year in the state. About 85% of this mattress material can be recycled. Approximately 23,000 tons of textiles are disposed of each year. About 95% of this material can be reused or repurposed.
MassDEP has also lowered the threshold on commercial organic and food waste in facilities that generate more than one-half ton of these materials per week.
