Politics & Government

Rep. Widlitz Mattress Bill Passes in House

HB 6437, a bill initiated by state Representative Pat Widlitz "which looks to reduce the cost of handling discarded mattresses" passed in the House Thursday, May 2.

In a recent press release, the CT General Assembly announced that HB 6437, an Act Concerning a Mattress Stewardship Program, passed in the House of Representatives on Thursday, May 2. The concept of the legislation was initiated by State Representative Pat Widlitz (D-Guilford, Branford).
According to the release, the act "looks to reduce the cost of handling discarded mattresses" and will save "municipalities money while addressing a real environmental concern."
Widlitz negotiated with manufacturers and developed the legislation. She has fought for years for mattress recycling legislation.
“This is a landmark bill that we have worked with the industry to develop,” said Widlitz in the release. “The industry has worked with us because they understand that this is a movement starting to catch on across the country. Rather than deal with many separate bills from various states they want a model bill and the Connecticut bill will be the model for all.” 

According to the release, under the bill, "Connecticut would develop a non-governmental program in conjunction with manufacturers for proper disposal of mattresses." Minimal recycling costs would be included in the purchase price of new mattresses.    

“There’s been a tremendous effort by the industry and the legislature to develop this bill, which will promote recycling, help grow Connecticut companies that do recycling and prevent mattresses from being trucked out of state and buried in landfills across the country,” Widlitz continueed in the press release.  “It’s a good jobs bill, a good recycling bill and landmark legislation for the country. With the cooperation of the industry, I think that’s a great accomplishment."

The release explains that between 90-95 percent of mattresses materials are recyclable:  "The mattresses are taken apart by hand and divided into 4 parts for recycling:  wood, metal, foam and cotton. Recycling discarded products creates ten jobs for every one job associated with incinerating waste."


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