We offer other communities and social organizations the opportunity to successfully start and run a mattress recycling program that provides a simple low-tech solution to mattress recycling – a solution that enables communities in BC’s interior to deal with mattresses.
Benefits of this program to organization
Benefits to landfill sites
While conducting a survey of regional districts in the southern interior of BC for a different project, we discovered that many communities are not recycling the mattresses coming to their landfills; they are instead being landfilled. This is a significant issue for landfills as mattresses take up a lot of airspace.
Our program is simple, cost effective and low-tech. We give you all the tools and information you need to start and and sustain a mattress disassembly social enterprise in your community, that has positive social and environmental impacts.
Mattresses are one of the most problematic items in landfill due to the sheer amount of volume and airspace they take up. Low compaction rates and long decomposure time add to the problem, and they are very hard on landfill equipment. Some statistics about mattresses:
The good news is that up to 95% of mattress components can be recycled (wood, metal, fabric).
Depending on the mattress type, the materials that can be recycled include:
Our Rusty Springs Mattress Recycling Program provides a simple low-tech solution to mattress recycling – a solution that enables smaller or more remote communities in BC to create employment opportunities while keeping recyclable material out of the landfill.
Is your community a candidate?
Many communities in the lower mainland have a variety of mattress recycling options like sending mattresses to a shredding facility. However, these options may be prohibitive in the rest of BC, due to high transport costs and road closures/delays due to more frequent weather events. We provide a simple, cost-effective, and low-tech option to recycle onsite at local landfills.
The community benefits with new employment opportunities for the local labour market and makes a significant environmental impact.
For more information on how you can start your own mattress recycling program, contact Stacey Rexin at staceyrPACE@gmail.com.
“The Public should know that the PACE board is composed of people just like them who care a whole lot. And that’s how these things take off! Sky’s the limit with everyone’s ideas. Large boards have a high impact in the community; more ideas and more people to see it through.”
Cliff Fraser
Board Member
“PACE has changed in many ways in the 2 years I’ve been here. One thing I’ve noticed is that the business E-Waste Pickup event has gotten more attention. It is awesome to help these businesses out and get donations for the sales/retail side of PACE.”
Anonymous
E-Waste Crew Manager
“PACE has been a supportive partner to the ‘Piers for Peers’ program for over a year. We appreciate the flexibility, supportive and inclusive approach that PACE fosters as well as the opportunity to provide our peers with an introduction to employment.”
Vashti Sullivan
PIERs, Peer Employment Coordinator
“I am proud to be a part of PACE because PACE recognizes that conventional work isn’t for everybody and that it is OKAY! Great to see organizations that offer ‘non-conventional’ work and are flexible with their scheduling.”
Leanne O’Grady
PACE Board Member
“It is amazing to work with PACE, who employs people with barriers, to bring people back into the work force! Everyone takes such pride in their work!”
Wendy Bennett
RDOS, Solid Waste Facilities Coordinator
“Something that everyone should know about PACE is that every dollar spent at PACE goes to the people. There is no one person that benefits from PACE doing well. It truly is a team and one that’s devoted to helping and assisting its people as much as it can.”
Nicole B.
Bookkeeper
“As a tax payer you want your current landfill to last as long as possible! The cost alone to start a new landfill would cost taxpayers millions of dollars. PACE is doing some very important things to keep this place (Campbell Mountain Landfill) alive.”
Don Hamilton
RDOS, Solid Waste Facilities Supervisor
“I’ve received many compliments about the TV pallets that PACE does; ‘best stacked pallets that they pick up’; ‘they are balanced perfectly’; ‘never falls over’.”
Don Hamilton
RDOS, Solid Waste Facilities Supervisor
The company I work for (The Battery Doctors) besides picking up or recycling products, we also collect a number of dangerous hazardous waste products. Without companies like PACE to collect and sort the material, the hazardous products would most likely be deposited in our landfills where a large number of items are biodegradable.”
Gord Gardner
The Battery Doctors
“The Public probably doesn’t realize the reduction of mattresses per year that PACE has done. If PACE had not disassemble and recycled the mattresses & box springs, the air space the mattresses could have taken up could be compared to the size of a hockey arena!”
Wendy Bennett
RDOS, Solid Waste Facilities Coordinator
Thank you to our supporters, who help create positive social and environmental change! You are a big part of our village!
Please note, that our hours are subject to change! Check our Social Media Pages, Website Main Page or Call Us for the latest hours!