Dive Brief:

• A mattress recycling plan created by the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) was approved by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). 
• The Connecticut Mattress Stewardship Plan requires a $9 recycling fee added to every new and refurbished mattress and box spring sold in Connecticut.
• The fee will be added as a separate charge onto customers' receipts beginning on May 1, 2015.

Dive Insight:

It is up to mattress retailers to charge the fee during transactions as consumers purchase goods.  Retailers will then transfer the fees to the MRC. The funds collected will go toward paying contractors to collect and recycle the mattresses. 

The program was designed to keep recycling costs low for consumers. Mattresses will be stripped for valuable materials that can be reused, including foam, cotton, and steel.