Jan 11 - Mattress Trade Association Punts to Federal Policy
Resource Recycling highlights the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) attempts to divert attention from state-specific mattress recycling policy to a federal policy. 
The trade group represents mattress manufacturers, and was one of the main opponents to mattress recycling bill, SB 1118 (Hancock). In order to distract from statewide policies that will actually reduce the illegal dumping of mattresses and increase recycling, ISPA is claiming to support non-existent federal legislation.
"Our belief is that a federal solution is the best approach for the industry and customers as well," Christopher Hudgins, vice president for government relations for ISPA said. "Our worry is we'll have 50 different state laws, which is more costly than having a national law."
It is clear, however, that Hudgins doesn't expect a federal law to be passed any time soon, and ISPA has not released any "hard language" to the public.
Although, the CA Legislature was on the cusp of passing a mattress stewardship law last year, the final bill stalled in the state Senate. CAW plans to continue working with state Senator Loni Hancock (D-Oakland) to reintroduce legislation to require manufacturers to recycle 75 percent of their mattresses at the end-of-life.
CAW's Executive Director, Mark Murray told Resource Recycling, "while we would be supportive of a federal mattress recycling policy, the proposal by the International Sleep Products Association is far too weak and vague to address the multi-million dollar problem of mattress dumping. That said, there would appear to be zero chance that Congress will even introduce — let alone pass — a federal mattress recycling policy. In my 25 years of working on solid waste and recycling policy, the federal government has never enacted a recycling policy on any product or sector. Not on e-waste. Not on beverage containers. Not on anything."
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