MINDEN, ON – Almost 100 per cent of materials in mattresses can be reused, but they are currently being dumped into the Scotch Line Waste Facility.
Director of public works for the Township of Minden, Travis Wilson, recommended council approve a recycling program idea at Thursday’s meeting.
The plan is to ship out mattresses and box springs brought to the landfill so they can be stripped down and any recyclable materials can be reused. According to the report, 95 per cent of beds are recyclable.
The parts salvaged from mattresses can help create thermal isolation, mulch, carpet underlay, metal products and other items.
Wilson said the town currently tosses the two to three trailer loads a year it gets into the landfill, which takes up valuable space.
The program will cost Minden to ship the mattresses to another location to be recycled. The town is looking at between $3,000 and $8,000 depending on how many loads need to be transported. The amount was calculated based on what Recyc-Mattress Inc. charges, which is $1,700 per load plus $12 per mattress and box spring.
Wilson suggested using the landfill reserved to fund the program in the absence of a departmental surplus. He added the program wasn’t in this year’s budget.
– It is recommended that council approve the trailer rental
– Travis says that his guess would be 2-3 trailer  loads a year
– Look at the report for the costs and what have you
– Use the landfill reserves to fund the program