Williamson County, TN Expands Mattress Recycling Program to Preserve Local Landfill

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Mattresses and box springs will no longer be accepted for free at Williamson County Solid Waste facilities. “Mattresses are a problem,” said Mac Nolen, Williamson County’s director of Solid Waste Management. “They’re hard to compact, they’re hard to do anything with.” It’s part of an ongoing effort to extend the lifespan of the area landfill. Williamson County is doing so through a partnership with Spring Back Recycling, a nonprofit that picks up and hauls off unwanted mattresses and sustainably pulls them apart.

They’ll salvage parts like steel, foam and wood to be reused in other capacities. The county started with one recycling drop-off center in September 2023 and has since expanded to three. “There’s a lot of reusable material in a single mattress, so we’re trying to process that material to be cycled back into a retail environment as opposed to just being tossed in a big hole in the ground,” said Ryan Tiano, chief operations officer for Spring Back Recycling.

Spring Back Recycling’s mission is “Breaking down mattresses and building up lives.” The organization provides paid job opportunities to those struggling with challenges such as homelessness and addiction. “We’re doing something great for the environment, but more importantly, with every mattress and box spring that we can recycle, we’re having an impact on a person’s life,” Tiano said.

 Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com