ISPA completes mattress recycling test program
Results will be evaluated, reported later
David Perry -- Furniture Today, August 26, 2010
 A former mattress, now a pile of shredded steel and foam, awaits further sorting at a recycling center. |
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The International Sleep Products Assn. has completed a pilot program with Rubber Recovery Inc., a South Carolina solid waste recycling business, to test options for recycling large volumes of used mattresses.
ISPA partnered with RRI last year to see whether the shredding technology it uses to recycle used tires and other materials could be used on mattresses.
Results of the tests will be reported later. Leggett & Platt will draft a report and recommendations, which ISPA will make available to all members, as well as companies interested in recycling used mattresses.
"Most mattress recycling today is performed exclusively using manual labor. An efficient mechanized approach is needed to process the volumes of used mattresses that large urban areas will generate," said ISPA President Ryan Trainer.
A number of ISPA members contributed resources to the testing program, including Simmons and Park Place, which provided hundreds of used mattresses and foundations.
Leggett & Platt sent four people from its quality assurance and engineering departments to document the tests. Several foam manufacturers will analyze whether the mixture of shredded foam, fiber and fabric generated from the shredding operation is suitable for making re-bond foam used for carpet padding.
Other mattress manufacturers, recyclers, component suppliers and retailers also observed the tests and provided insights into how the RRI process could be adapted to mattress recycling, ISPA officials said.
"Proper disposal of used mattresses has been a pressing industry problem for years and the need for a permanent solution is obvious," said Don Wright, ISPA chairman and chief marketing officer at Wright of Thomasville. "ISPA is committed to working with mattress manufacturers, industry suppliers, the retail community, government officials, and recycling centers to develop an economically feasible and sustainable solution to this problem. I look forward to seeing the results of this pilot program, and sincerely appreciate all the support we have received from our members."
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ISPA tests recycling mattresses
Sep 13, 2010
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