Dive Brief:

• A mattress and box spring recycling program in Madison, Wisconsin, has ended after a nine-month run, due to the abrupt closure of the contracted recycling company. 
• Midwest Mattress Recycling will immediately stop accepting used mattresses and springs. The company was not fiscally viable, prompting the sudden closure.
• The program diverted 111 tons of mattresses and springs since it began at the end of July 2013. The city will once again discard these items at the landfill.

Dive Insight:

The city is now searching for a company that can handle the recycling, but the mattress recycling program is currently suspended until further notice. The city is having trouble connecting with a company that is able to accept all of the pieces the city wants to have collected and recycled.

Mattress recycling is gaining popularity across the United States, with some laws requiring retailers to collect a fee from consumers at the point of purchase and some putting the responsibility on manufacturers. Efforts have increased in part to minimize the amount of mattresses that are discarded illegally.