Rhode Island has enacted a mattress recycling law.
State Gov. Lincoln Chaffee signed the legislation into law, calling for mattress manufacturers in Rhode Island to create an organization to collect and process discarded mattresses in the state, according to a news release.
Rhode Island becomes the second state in the United States to enact a mattress recycling law, following Connecticut in June. California’s legislature is considering similar legislation.
Rhode Island’s new law requires mattress makers to propose a detailed plan for mattress recycling in the state by July 1, 2015. The program will provide an opportunity for the recycling of all mattresses in the state and help discourage the illegal dumping of mattresses.
The Alexandria, Va.-based International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) worked with Dominick Ruggerio, Rhode Island Senate Majority Leader, and Rep. Arthur Handy, House Environment and Natural Resources Committee chairman, to develop the state’s mattress legislation.