Updated MassDEP Waste Ban: Mattresses and Box Springs
As of Monday, September 12, 2022, mattresses and box springs are no longer being picked up under the Town's curbside trash collection program and do not qualify as a bulk item, due to the updated MassDEP waste ban, which requires mattresses to be recycled. The statewide ban goes into effect on November 1st, 2022.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has made amendments to its waste ban regulations which include the banning of mattresses from the trash stream and requiring them to be recycled. MassDEP’s 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan establishes goals to reduce trash disposal statewide by 30 percent (from 5.7 million tons in 2018 to 4 million tons in 2030) over the next decade. Among its strategies for reaching these objectives, MassDEP will expand its current waste disposal bans by adding mattresses to the list of materials banned from disposal or transport for disposal in Massachusetts.
After this deadline, when you purchase a new mattress, ask the retailer to collect your old one. If you do not have a mattress purchase or if the retailer does not provide this service, please visit utecinc.org/mattress-recycling and select 'Andover' to schedule a curbside pickup from our preferred vendor for mattress recycling, UTEC for curbside disposal. Residents can also drop off at their facility by appointment. Call UTEC at 978-856-3997 for more information. Residents are free to use other private disposal options if they so choose for either curbside or drop-off. Residents are responsible for all associated costs for mattress disposal. This change required amendments to the 310 CMR 19.000: Solid Waste Management Facility Regulations.
Additional changes to MA Solid Waste regulations having an effective date of November 1st, 2022:
- Lowering the threshold on commercial organic/food waste to facilities generating more than one-half ton of these materials per week; and
- Adding textiles to the list of materials banned from disposal or transport for disposal in Massachusetts
For more information on mattress disposal after this deadline, please visit andoverma.gov/mattress. To learn more about these changes and MassDEP’s Solid Waste Master Plan, please visit mass.gov/guides/massdep-waste-disposal-bans.
Related Documents
Mattress Flyer
Press Release - Mattress Changes
Information on UTEC's mattress recycling program
Waste Wizard - Mattresses (Solid Waste app)
What are Massachusetts Waste Bans? - Mass.gov
Textile Recovery Options