What to know about the ban on trashing mattresses, textiles in Massachusetts
BOSTON - Tossing that old mattress or unwanted T-shirt in the trash is now illegal in Massachusetts.
The state is expanding its waste disposal bans to include two materials that should be recycled instead of tossed: Mattresses and textiles.
Here's what to know about the new rules taking effect Tuesday:
What's changing on Nov. 1?
Mattresses and textiles will be banned from disposal in Massachusetts. That means you can't just throw them away in the trash anymore.
Why is this happening?
Mattresses are "expensive to transport, hard to compact, take up lots of landfill space, and can damage incinerator processing equipment," the Department of Environmental Protection says. "Yet mattresses are made up mostly of recyclable materials."
More than 600,000 mattresses and box springs are thrown away every year in Massachusetts, but 75% of a mattress is recyclable and can be turned into anything from mulch to animal bed padding.
For textiles, the department says 85% of materials being thrown away right now could be "donated, reused or recycled instead."
What should Mass. residents do with their old mattresses?
The state recommends using the Beyond the Bin Recycling Directory to find a charity that accepts mattresses. Many cities and towns are also enrolled in a state Mattress Recycling Incentive grant program - an alphabetical list of communities can be found here.
Mattress sellers may offer to take back a customer's old mattress and recycle it. There are also private companies that will take mattresses and recycle them for a fee.
What counts as a "textile" under the ban?
The textile ban includes "clothing, footwear, bedding, towels, curtains, fabric, and similar products, except for textiles that are contaminated with mold, bodily fluids, insects, oil, or hazardous substances."
What should you do with textiles you were going to throw away?
Experts recommend turning old clothes into wiping cloths or donating them to an organization that will find uses for them.
Click here for more frequently asked questions on the waste disposal ban, answered by the state.