INFORMATION #2 10-01-2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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INFORMATION ver MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Nicola Blake-Bradley, Environmental Technician DATE: September 24, 2007 SUBJECT: Pilot Mattress Recycling Event Mattresses have long been considered to be a problem material for landfills to accept. This is due to a poor compaction rate and a tendency for the mattress springs to get caught up in the compaction machines. The average compaction rate of garbage without mattresses is 1,600 pounds per cubic yard. The compaction rate of mattresses only is 360 pounds per cubic yard. This huge disparity means that landfills will fill up much faster with the presence of mattresses, thus increasing the need fox new and larger landfills. Goodwill Industries of Duluth began a mattress recycling project in June 2004 which has grown annually and has akeady diverted more than 24,000 mattresses from Iblinnesota landfills to be recycled. The following end markets fox mattress materials have been identified: • Mattress covers ox toppers (foam sewn to cover) ape used to make low-end carpet pads; • b4attxess foam ar polyurethane foam is used to manufacture high end carpet pads; • Cotton stuffing is used as filler fox packaging, shipping pads, wall insulation and road noise abatement material in vehicles; • Steel is used to manufacture new steel products; and • Wood is shredded to provide mulch ox composted Goodwill Industries will charge $6.00 per mattress ar box spring (regardless of size) that is delivered to them for processing. This is consistent with the rate that the City charges during clean up events for disposal of mattresses and box springs. Thus, the only charge that may be incurred by the City for recycling (rather than landfilling) mattresses from our residents is through hauling to the facility in Duluth. During the Fall Clean Up Event, a mattress recycling pilot project will be held to determine how many mattresses may be diverted during such events. Shexbupne County has allowed the City of Elk River to utilize funds which were allocated far the Spring Clean Up event