According to American Demographics, in the next
20 years
recycling is going to become
one the most important issues
for consumers,
the population boom in the
United States will put a strain
on our natural resources,
Many communities are no longer accepting
used mattresses in landfills,
or are charging large fees for disposal.
Mattresses disposal programs
are starting up in California,
Michigan, and
New Jersey evident
that the bedding community
is on the recycling trend.
1)
Lost Revenue ? every time a mattress or boxspring is sent to a
rebuilder/refurbisher, it hurts mattress manufacturers and
retailers. While many rebuilders/refurbishers claim to export
their final product, in reality most are sold locally at a reduced
price. As such, the rebuilt mattresses and boxsprings compete
directly against the lower end units manufactured by most
mattress manufacturing companies and sold by retailers in the
United States.
2) Sanitation and Quality Concerns ? while some
rebuilders/refurbishers operate their business according to local
and state public health regulations, many more do not. In fact,
unless properly dismantled, sanitized and rebuilt with new felt, foam
and fabric, rebuilt mattresses are considered unsafe. In many
cases, ?rebuilders/refurbishers? simply cover a used mattress or
boxspring with a new fabric layer, without replacing or
sanitizing any of the metal, felt, foam and fabric layers. Often times
the original labeling is removed from the covered layer and
restitched on the new cover to make the unit appear new and from
the original manufacturer or retailer.
3) Product Stewardship
Regulations ? many states, including South Carolina, have enacted
new Product Stewardship Regulations as part of their solid waste
and recycling master plans.
A key tenet of
Product Stewardship is that manufacturers in particular should
take greater responsibility for reducing product impacts. By
placing greater responsibility for the end costs of products on
manufacturers, product stewardship gives manufacturers strong
economic incentives to change how they design and manufacture
products, making them less toxic and more recyclable, and giving
consumers more choice by internalizing the costs of consumer products.
Product
Stewardship also addresses the question of who should pay the cost of
waste management, including recycling, disposal, and removing
toxics from the waste stream. Currently, these costs are being
borne almost entirely by local governments, who have looked to
state agencies for financial assistance. State agencies are now
looking to product manufacturers to become part of the solution by
helping to pay the costs created by the proliferation of waste
that local governments must manage. In addition, EOEA and the
University of Massachusetts are jointly supporting the creation
of a new national Product Stewardship Institute based at the University
of
Massachusetts at Lowell. This national Institute will assist
South Carolina and other states across the country in promoting
environmentally sound product management and design, and support
negotiations with industry to reach cooperative agreements to
reduce the health and environmental impacts from consumer product
manufacture, use, storage, and disposal. At times when
legislation is required to foster the goals of product
stewardship, the Institute will assist state agencies and legislative
bodies on developing legislation.
4) Liability ? Similar
to Original Equipment Manufacturers, ?OEM?s?, in the electronics
industry, with the advent of Product Stewardship regulations, mattress
manufacturers and retailers face the possibility of future
liability. This future liability is possible due to the misuse or
misrepresentation of rebuilt mattresses and boxsprings as new or
only slightly used and as effective as new items. Most rebuilt units
are still labeled 1 Solid Waste Policy Report, Minnesota Office
of Environmental Assistance, January 2000, p. 45. with
original tags. In fact, OEM liability does not end at the point of
sale, but may continue for years. While the rebuilder/refurbisher
market for usedbedding and furniture is attractive economically
in the short run, the possibility of future liability more than
eliminates the short term economic advantage of manufacturers and
retailers using rebuilders/refurbishers to dispose of used
bedding. While this potential future liability may be mitigated
when rebuilt/refurbished mattresses and boxsprings are exported,
it is in no way eliminated. 5) Industry Support ? As the pitfalls
associated with rebuilding/refurbishing of used bedding and
furniture become apparent, manufacturers, retailers and industry
trade groups are taking notice. Their willingness to continue in
the same old fashion, using unreliable and circumspect
rebuilders/refurbishers is waning. The move is on to send used
bedding to a facility where complete and total destruction and
recycling can be assured. CONCLUSION:
Nine
Lives Mattress Recycling offers manufacturers and retailers of
mattresses and boxsprings a permanent solution to the issues discussed
in this publication.
We guarantee complete destruction of each unit and the recycling of the
constituent parts.
The
mattress shown above and below indicates it is an example of the
Sanititaion and Quality concerns as stated in the case by Conigliaro
and Careau. This mattress has post consumer, unsanitized,
recycled components. The mattress was not labeled as being
rebuilt from used, recycled componets. The metal components had
rust indicating the rebuilder did not sanitze or treat the metal before
rebuilding.