| Today, with the rise of public consciousness, good | | | | concern has made recycling a common practice for |
| people like you are looking for effective alternatives | | | | items which when recycled can be manufactured into |
| to conserve energy, to protect the environment and | | | | new products ranging from paper bags to park |
| to create jobs here in the United States. The | | | | benches and even constructing homes from scrap |
| people's need for environmental protection and | | | | metals and equipments. However, the demand for |
| sustainable development forced the U.S. government | | | | recycled goods varies depending on the market |
| to invest heavily in the recycling and reuse industries | | | | scenario as recycling only makes money when there |
| to mitigate the effects of environmental degradation | | | | is a demand for the materials being recycled. |
| to the air, land and water as well as divert wastes | | | | Mattresses have many components, the main |
| from our limited resource - the landfill. | | | | recycling money makers being cotton, foam, felt and |
| There is an almost endless variety of recyclable | | | | steel from mattresses with coil springs. When the |
| materials currently in the consumer discarded | | | | cotton, foam, felt and steel markets have demand |
| materials going to our landfills. Mattresses, box springs | | | | levels that not only cover the cost of sorting and |
| and stuffed furniture are large items frequently | | | | shipping these commodities - but have a little extra |
| discarded by consumers and these items take up a | | | | for profit - then mattress recycling is indeed a viable |
| great deal of landfill space and have the additional | | | | alternative to landfill disposal. |
| downside of their steel coil springs damaging landfill | | | | Thus, to answer the question this article poses, |
| equipment via entanglement in the machinery. | | | | today's mattress disposal habit of dumping |
| The United States is fighting an uphill battle trying to | | | | mattresses illegally along the roadsides or hauling |
| alter its peoples' "Out of site - out of mind" culture | | | | them to landfills is dead wrong as it is no longer |
| by constantly trying to promote the recycling | | | | necessary. Taking mattresses to mattress recycling |
| process. Recycling is a costly procedure and | | | | facilities where they are diverted from landfills and |
| manufacturing finished goods using raw materials is | | | | illegal dumping has a social value and when the |
| also a costly procedure. When the cost of | | | | Recycler has a bountiful market gobbling up the |
| manufacturing finished goods using recycled materials | | | | cotton, foam, felt and steel components of the |
| is less expensive than manufacturing the same quality | | | | mattress recycling process - then the environment is |
| of finished goods using raw materials only - then | | | | blessed with a win-win alternative to mattress |
| recycling makes sense. | | | | disposal dumping. |
| Additionally, when we take a broader look at the | | | | During good economic times, recycling mattresses |
| cost-benefit analysis of recycling, we see that the | | | | has already proven to be an effective alternative to |
| social, economic and environmental benefits | | | | sending unwanted mattresses to landfills. However, |
| generated by recycling process have value that | | | | skeptics yet believe that mattresses can not be |
| weigh heavily into the analysis. For mattress recycling, | | | | recycled due to the coil springs. Now that the Spring |
| the current illegal mattress dumping done most | | | | Compactor Patent Pending Invention exists - coil |
| everywhere is an eyesore, a rodent breeding ground, | | | | springs can be compacted and the steel, cotton, |
| and a property devaluing act that downgrades the | | | | foam and felt components of mattresses sold to |
| quality of life in areas where mattresses are just | | | | recycling markets. |
| dumped. The local tax payer then foots the bill to | | | | The social benefits generated by mattress recycling |
| pick up these discarded mattresses and transport | | | | are much more than the material benefits from this |
| them to a legal disposal site - today that is usually | | | | process. The mattress recycling industry has to grow |
| the landfill. | | | | more in order to minimize if not eliminate mattress |
| Is Mattress Recycling a Viable Alternative To Landfill | | | | dumping. We need to promote mattress recycling |
| Disposal? | | | | and increase awareness that mattress recycling |
| Everyone knows that the growing environmental | | | | works today. |