Free bed mattress recycling service now available in Orange County

SANTA ANA, Calif., September 29, 2020 – OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) and the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) today announced a new service at OC’s landfills: free commercial and residential mattress recycling through the Bye Bye Mattress program.

Beginning September 2020, OCWR will no longer bury the mattresses it receives from haulers’ curbside bulky item pick-ups and those dropped off at the Frank R. Bowerman (commercial only), Prima Deshecha (commercial and public) and Olinda Alpha landfills (commercial and public). The MRC’s Bye Bye Mattress program allows the County to curate mattresses on site for recycling, saving valuable landfill capacity, a critical resource in today’s local waste management system.

“We are pleased to collaborate with OC Waste & Recycling to include landfills in the resource recovery of mattresses from the waste stream,” said Tyler Douthitt, one of MRC’s Southern California program coordinators. “Our partnership helps preserve local resources and boosts convenience for residents and businesses.”

To participate in the program, residents may contact their local waste hauler for a free bulky item pick up, or take items directly to the Olinda Alpha or Prima Deshecha landfills. Most standard mattresses and box springs will be accepted and must be separated from trash. Regular landfill fees apply if bringing waste to the landfill with mattresses.

Non-accepted items include:

• Severely damaged, wet, or twisted mattresses or box springs
• Contaminated, soiled or infested items (bed bugs)
• Futon frames, bases or furniture (sofa beds)
• Waterbeds or camping air mattresses

The addition of local landfill sites is especially valuable at a time when some participating retail organizations may have altered their hours of operation or collection procedures and as some public collection events have altered their hours of operation or collection procedures and as some public collection events have been limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

OC landfills are among the largest in the state and receive more than five million tons of waste annually. Frank R. Bowerman will provide a free drop-off program for commercial volume, while Prima Deshecha and Olinda Alpha will be available to residents. OCWR estimates the program will divert approximately 15,000 mattresses each year from the landfill.

For additional details and participating landfill operating hours and locations, residents can check the Frequently Asked Questions and information page at OCLandfills.com/mattress and follow @OCWaste social media for updates. To learn more about MRC’s Bye Bye Mattress program visit ByeByeMattress.com.

About Mattress Recycling Council & Bye Bye Mattress

The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) is a nonprofit organization that operates recycling programs in states that have passed mattress recycling laws: California, Connecticut and Rhode Island. MRC was founded by the bedding industry and recycles more than 1.5 million mattresses each year. For more information about MRC, go to MattressRecyclingCouncil.org. To learn how to recycle your mattress or to find a collection location or event near you, visit ByeByeMattress.com.

About OC Waste & Recycling

OCWR serves the County’s solid waste disposal needs by providing waste management services,

operating public landfills, protecting the local environment, investing in renewable energy enterprises

and promoting recycling in order to ensure a safe and healthy community for current and future

generations. The department manages one of the nation’s premier solid waste disposal systems, serving

residents and businesses in the County’s 34 cities and unincorporated areas. OCWR’s three active

landfills reflect environmental engineering at its best. Learn more by visiting the OCWR website oclandfills.com.