NYCHA Is Now Recycling Mattresses at Dozens of Developments
Since July 2021, NYCHA has collected and recycled more than 2,800 old mattresses (150 tons worth) from 27 developments in all five boroughs through its mattress recycling program. Instead of taking up to 90 years to decompose in landfills, 80 percent of the collected mattresses were recycled or repurposed, creating carpet padding and soundproofing materials. The program is part of the Authority’s larger sustainability goal to improve NYCHA’s recycling rate, and it’s the first initiative of its kind organized by a City agency in NYC.
“Starting in January 2022, the program will add 12 more developments to the recycling program, reaching 39 in total,” said Debora Lopes, Program Associate in NYCHA’s Energy & Sustainability Programs.
Mattresses are one of the biggest and most problematic waste items, given their size, weight, and sponge-like ability to absorb moisture and contaminants. The mattress recycling program began in 2018 when Renewable Recycling Inc. (RRI), a mattress recycling company, completed a four-month pilot at NYCHA, which resulted in cleaner grounds. The program is now full-time: RRI and another minority- and women-owned business, CTK Fastway, regularly pick up mattresses for recycling at participating developments.
“Mattresses and other furniture items make up approximately 10 percent of the 200,000 tons of waste generated at NYCHA every year,” noted Katy Burgio, Program Manager in NYCHA’s Energy & Sustainability Program. “NYCHA is pioneering NYC’s only mattress recycling program to divert that waste from landfills and showcase the importance and impact of recycling.”
The program has also created employment opportunities for NYCHA residents. Two residents were hired by RRI to work on video content creation and logistical coordination. Additional opportunities for residents are anticipated as the program expands.
Mattresses should never be left in hallways – doing so is a fire hazard. Instead, residents can either request assistance from development staff or place them in the designated bulk drop-off areas. At participating sites, NYCHA property management staff collect, wrap, transport, and load mattresses into special enclosed containers (keeping them dry for the recycling process). The recycling partners collect the mattresses every two to three weeks (and more often, if needed).
Here are the NYCHA developments participating in the mattress recycling program:
The Bronx: Forest, Marble Hill, Mitchel, Mott Haven, Morris I, Throggs Neck
Brooklyn: Albany II, Bay View, Borinquen Plaza I, Breukelen, Brevoort, Carey Gardens, Kingsborough, Marlboro, Roosevelt I, Taylor Street-Wythe Avenue, Whitman
Manhattan: Dyckman, Grant, Rangel, Wagner
Queens: Astoria, Queensbridge South, Ravenswood, Woodside, Baisley Park, Beach 41st Street – Beach Channel Drive, Hammel, Latimer Gardens, Pomonok Houses, Redfern, South Jamaica I
Staten Island: Stapleton, Todt Hill, Berry, Mariner’s Harbor, Richmond Terrace, South Beach, West Brighton I
