Why did you join this program?
Last year, I served with Americorps in the Seattle area, performing stream habitat restoration. I had always enjoyed nature, but doing this work deepened that connection and awakened an unavoidable need to help fix all the problems we’ve caused in the quest for “progress.” I chose water resources engineering as my master’s to continue and improve upon this work. My advisor suggested looking at the CSIFs when I asked about scholarship and additional opportunities. The stormwater one was the natural choice. Green infrastructure and stream restoration are just different stages of stormwater management, which is what I’ve been working towards all along. Plus my undergraduate major was in biology, and I’m happy I found somewhere where I can use everything I learned there in addition to engineering.
How do you envision this course making you a better student and professional?
My main professional flaw is that I’m not good at speaking. This course will force me to present, participate, and interact with peers in a professional setting. It is my last chance to learn this skill before heading into the working world, so I aim to take advantage of it.
Also, because I am in my master’s course now, it is easy to ignore everything except the hard engineering sciences. All my other classes are math-based, and I’ve definitely noticed my softer skills like writing and analyzing things in a social context taking a hit since I’ve been out of undergrad. This course once again engages me in the rest of the world outside of engineering. I also look forward to learning about sustainability outside of my specific interests.
According to the Mattress Recycling Council, more than 50,000 mattresses a day are discarded in the U.S. Through recycling, more than 75% of the components from used mattresses can be remade into new products or uses, diverting valuable material from the waste stream, but in many states and localities, such recycling programs are either non-existent or difficult to find. What solution do you propose to address this problem?
I sought a solution specifically for my township. By the numbers presented here, 1 out of every 6000 people a day discards their mattress, or 1 in 16 people a year. So a constantly running local mattress recycling program wouldn’t be a very good use of resources. The best use of time and resources would probably be a mattress recycling drive, every 6 months or every year, a lot like shred events, electronics recycling drives, and Christmas tree disposal services. Peak mattress buying season seems to be either in May or around Labor Day, so those would be ideal times for the drive. Abington Township will already pick up your mattress for a $5-15 fee if you schedule it, but it goes to trash instead of recycling. This preexisting pickup program would be the best way to implement the drive for maximum participation. People could sign up online or by phone as they do now for bulky item pickup. It would likely have a high participation rate, as mattresses are annoying to get rid of, not all trash collection services will pick them up, and it would be convenient to have someone drive to your house and get rid of it for you.
Advertising is an important aspect for awareness. I have seen shred events advertised on paper at the library and other township facilities. Events like Christmas tree and leaf disposal are listed on the yearly calendar the township sends out to every household. Both of these options should be used when the program is first implemented to build awareness, then once the program is established, listings on the calendar and township website should be adequate.
The only additional infrastructure required on Abington’s part is a section of their facilities area reserved for mattress disassembly. Use of recycled materials already happens at a larger scale, as sorted plastic and paper recyclables are compressed and shipped off to other facilities that process them further. There is a nonprofit that handles materials in the three states with mattress recycling laws, the Mattress Recycling Council, so they would be a good resource for figuring out the logistical specifics of materials use.
For my township, with 100% participation, there would be a maximum of 3500 mattresses to recycle from one year. This number is a little overwhelming, but still manageable. Most likely, the township will need to hire people specifically to break down the mattresses. Assuming it takes 20 minutes for one person to break down one mattress, and paying them $15/hour, the amount of wages the township would spend on these temporary positions would be $17,500. The township’s budget for solid waste collection wages in 2021 is $1.6 million, so it would not add excessive financial strain to the budget, while also creating jobs. Rhode island has a small disposal fee attached to all new mattress purchases, which is a potential source of funding. In addition, the current bulky item pickup fee can be retained if people wish to dispose of their mattresses outside of the drive time. With the new mattress fee plus the help of pre-established nonprofits like the Mattress Recycling Council, it shouldn’t be too economically challenging to recycle something the township is already disposing of for us anyway.
To address the social aspect of sustainability, there should be a portion of the program dedicated to reusing mattresses. Mattresses are expensive, and people trying to get rid of gently used ones could be directed to a nonprofit that connects them with people who need them. Newlife thrift, a local thrift store, already accepts mattresses, and will even pick them up for you, but many people probably consider that as an option. This resource should be included with the recycling information on ads and the website. Including reuse will reduce recycling costs to the township, be environmentally beneficial, and provide an otherwise costly product to people who need it.
I specifically addressed Abington Township in my plan, but this can easily be configured for other townships. The initial pickup and disassembly, as well as reuse, should happen on a local level due to the environmental costs and impracticality of larger mattress moving operations. The role of larger than county and state level governments should be to provide resources, funding, and a place to send the recyclable materials if they can’t be used in the quantities gathered locally. A mattress recycling law like in Rhode Island and California may also be beneficial to jump start local programs. Mattresses are one of many large annoying things that can and should be recycled, so ideally it would be part of a larger recycling initiative, which might further reduce costs and encourage participation if several new recyclable things are given drives and people can choose which ones are useful to them.
Sources:
https://luxtex.co/blogs/news/the-hows-whys-of-mattress-recycling
https://www.abingtonpa.gov/home
http://www.newlifethriftinc.org
https://mattressrecyclingcouncil.org/
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/best-time-to-buy-mattress
