Dive summary:

• The Connecticut House of Representatives yesterday passed what may become the first mattress recycling legislation in the U.S.
• The vote passed with an overwhelming majority of 117-21 and would require customers to pay an extra $8-$12 at the time of purchase to cover end of life recycling.
• More than 350,000 mattresses are discarded in Connecticut every year, costing the state more than $1.3 million for disposal.

From the article:

"Mattresses can damage trash-to-energy plants," said Rep. Linda Gentile, an Ansonia Democrat who is co-chairwoman of the legislature's environment committee. "They're expensive because they have to be shipped to landfills. ... The materials that are recycled are foam, metal, cotton, and wood."

The mattress recycling program would be "much like we have a paint stewardship program and electronics"' recycling, Gentile said Thursday on the House floor.

Republicans raised questions about how the bill would affect institutions that purchase lots of mattresses, such as hospitals, nursing homes, universities and prisons. ...