Oakland, Calif. — The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County, Eugene, Ore., is the first organization to operate a full mattress recycling center, located in the metro Oakland area. The Polyurethanes Recycle and Recovery Council (PURRC) financially supports the center, which has diverted 93 percent of material from each mattress from landfills in the past year.

Since it opened its doors in December 2000, the facility has recovered components from more than 28,000 mattresses, including wood from box springs; 800 pounds of polyurethane foam, which has a high recycled value; 3,700 pounds of steel; and 1,800 pounds of cotton.

For more information on the pilot project, call Josiah McClellan at (212) 697-2600, ext. 280.