Self storage owners frequently report that tenants leave a mattress behind whenever they vacate. Additionally, some operators report that mattresses pictured in an online auction advertisement may discourage bidding because potential bidders do not want the mattress. Despite the mattress, maybe the unit sells, but the winning bidder cleans out the contents of the unit except for that mattress. All these examples result in the same ending—the mattress left with the storage owner to dispose of at their expense. What if there was a better way to deal with these situations?
The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) is a nonprofit organization under the International Sleep Products Association. MRC recycles mattresses at no cost to the disposing party, in this case, a storage operator. The recycling fee is paid up front by the consumer when they initially buy the mattress. The program currently operates in California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, and soon in Oregon. The MRC recycles nearly 2 million mattresses each year.
If an operator elects to participate in the program, it could prove beneficial in several ways. First, operators could offer their existing tenants the ability to dispose of mattresses at a designated area at the facility. This helps reduce unauthorized dumping at the facility or nearby. Further, it may become a selling point for prospective tenants—you can leave that mattress with us whenever you vacate.
Additionally, owners could state on their auction advertisements that the winning bidder is free to leave the mattress with the operator. This may generate greater interest and a higher selling price.
There is also a cost savings element. Currently, when a mattress is left at the facility, the owner must pay the dumping fees to dispose of that item. The MRC provides the option for free disposal in the states where it operates. Over the course of a year, this could result in significant cost savings for an operator.
Finally, according to the MRC, more than 50,000 mattresses are discarded in the U.S. every day. Participating operators could advertise that their facility is making efforts to stop mattresses from going to a landfill and instead having them recycled and repurposed into another mattress. The MRC has several studies and claims on their website regarding greenhouse gas emission reductions associated with recycling mattresses. More information about the program can be found at mattressrecyclingcouncil.org.