Being environmentally efficient and green is extremely important to Melissa and to her company Taylor’s Removals. We aim to be as economically circular as possible. Reuse, repurpose and recycle! That is our motto and we work everyday to find new ways to do just those things.
Today we are going to teach you all about mattress recycling! Old mattresses are annoying large and notoriously difficult to recycle. It is much easier to just take it to the dump but it is our responsibility to look after our environment and our home, even if it is a little bit inconvenient sometimes.
The TRC is trialling mattress processing in an attempt to reduce the number of mattresses in landfill by 3000. TRC Water and Waste portfolio leader Cr Nancy Sommerfield said Council was expanding its recycling opportunities at the Greater Toowoomba Waste Management Facility at O’Mara Road.
“Council is committed to diverting as much recyclable material as possible from landfill to reduce operating costs and promote further environmental benefits,” Cr Sommerfield said.
“Large bulky items like mattresses have posed challenges up to now as they do not compact easily, due to the springs, and take up significant landfill space.
The mattresses will be processed, the springs removed and turned into scrap metal to be repurposed and resold.
The trial will be run for 6 weeks and will gauge the level of recycling that may be attained which will potentially include being able to recycle the mattress foam and other components as well.
The council officers will test and experiment with the logistics of recycling and the mattresses will be processed at the facility’s residual waste transfer building.
There is a growing enthusiasm for recycling and people have been excited about opportunities to recycle e-waste (electrical and electronic items) across the region.
The cumulative effect of additional recycling will see a significant reduction in material ending up in our landfills. Apart from reducing our operating costs, it also helps Council reach the state government’s waste reduction targets.
For a full list of recyclable items and links to firms and organisations that offer recycling drop-off facilities, please visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/recycling
