MATTRESS RECYCLING
Will 2021 be the year we solve the mattress recycling problem?
L
BY ED DONOVAN
ike many other bulky waste streams, end-of-life mattresses notoriously prove to be a headache for the resource sector. Given their size, and because they contain multiple composite materials, they are tricky to store, handle and recycle. Some operators would even go so far as to say they are economically unshreddable. However, at the same time, mattresses represent a growing waste problem. In the U.K., for instance, The Furniture Recycling Group states that 167,000 tonnes of mattresses – or 7.5 million units – are sent to landfill, every year. In the USA, the figure is estimated to be closer to 20 million. Disposal costs are mounting, space on landfill sites is ever depleting and illegal dumping is on the rise. Furthermore, given the undeniable need to work toward a greener, more sustainable, closed loop society – and because a number of recyclable materials remain locked in unwanted mattresses – action is needed, and quickly. Even expertly manufactured mattresses with lengthy warranties are going to reach their end of life, so considering them as nothing more than waste is no longer an option. Thankfully, technological innovation is occurring at a similar quick pace. Carefully engineered recycling lines can now mechanically dismantle
a mattress in as little as 30 seconds, ‘unlocking’ the multifaceted materials that would otherwise remain trapped inside. Consequently, over 80 percent of a mattress can be recycled into new consumer and industrial products.
THE RESOURCES LOCKED INSIDE
Mattresses range in dimensions, from small, infant-sized products through to super-king size and above. The composition of mattresses is also extremely varied, not least because pocket sprung items – which represented only 10 percent of the market 15 years ago – are now exponentially common. Flexible, robust equipment, capable of handling multiple input materials is crucial. If we invest in the right shredding technology and downstream separation equipment, it is possible to extract metal for smelting and remanufacturing. The foam can be broken down and transformed into carpet underlay or animal bedding. The wood can be separated and shredded to produce landscape mulch or a biomass resource. The textiles/fibres can be salvaged for reuse in oil filters. For alternative fuel manufacturers with a strong environmental agenda, it is even possible to re-shred any residual material down to a 13/16-inch clean flock. With its high calorific value (30mj), this can be mixed to create a solid recovered fuel (SRF). This means the process achieves a 100 percent recovery and landfill diversion rate, while reducing the world’s reliance on ever-depleting fossil fuels. The million-dollar question is how to achieve all of this.
DESIGNING A REVENUE-GENERATING RECYCLING LINE FOR MATTRESSES
It is estimated that the recycling of one million mattresses will result in the recovery of approximately 20,000–25,000 tons of steel wire, which can be sold, recycled and remanufactured. 32 Recycling Product News November/December 2020
By investing in machinery engineered specifically to handle this application, mattress recycling can quickly become a revenue-generating operation. Following 18 months of research, design and development, for example, an automated mattress recycling line is now in full operation at Textek in the U.K. Using two UNTHA XR3000C shredders
