WILL 2021 BE THE YEAR WE SOLVE THE MATTRESS RECYCLING PROBLEM?

MATTRESS RECYCLING

Will 2021 be the year we solve the mattress recycling problem?

Like many other bulky waste streams, a mattress in as little as 30 seconds, ‘unlocking’ end-of-life mattresses notori- the multifaceted materials that would otherwise ously prove to be a headache for the remain trapped inside. Consequently, over 80 resource sector. Given their size, percent of a mattress can be recycled into new and because they contain multiple consumer and industrial products. composite materials, they are tricky to store, handle and recycle. Some operators would THE RESOURCES LOCKED INSIDE even go so far as to say they are economically Mattresses range in dimensions, from small, unshreddable. infant-sized products through to super-king However, at the same time, mattresses rep- size and above. The composition of mattresses resent a growing waste problem. In the U.K., is also extremely varied, not least because for instance, The Furniture Recycling Group pocket sprung items – which represented only states that 167,000 tonnes of mattresses – or 10 percent of the market 15 years ago – are BY ED DONOVAN 7.5 million units – are sent to landfill, every now exponentially common. year. In the USA, the figure is estimated to be Flexible, robust equipment, capable of closer to 20 million. handling multiple input materials is crucial. Disposal costs are mounting, space on land- If we invest in the right shredding technolfill sites is ever depleting and illegal dumping ogy and downstream separation equipment, is on the rise. Furthermore, given the unde- it is possible to extract metal for smelting and niable need to work toward a greener, more remanufacturing. The foam can be broken sustainable, closed loop society – and because a down and transformed into carpet underlay or number of recyclable materials remain locked animal bedding. The wood can be separated in unwanted mattresses – action is needed, and and shredded to produce landscape mulch or quickly. Even expertly manufactured mattress- a biomass resource. The textiles/fibres can be es with lengthy warranties are going to reach salvaged for reuse in oil filters. their end of life, so considering them as noth- For alternative fuel manufacturers with a ing more than waste is no longer an option. strong environmental agenda, it is even posThankfully, technological innovation is occur- sible to re-shred any residual material down ring at a similar quick pace. Carefully engineered to a 13/16-inch clean flock. With its high recycling lines can now mechanically dismantle 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.

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.

DESIGNING A REVENUE-GENERATING RECYCLING LINE FOR MATTRESSES

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

at its heart, Textek’s aim is to divert one million mattresses per year from landfill.

The operation – pitched by the organization as the U.K.’s most advanced bulky waste processing plant – can mechanically dismantle a mattress in as little as 30 seconds, compared to the seven minutes it would take for a skilled worker to manually break down this complex product type.

UNTHA’s robust machines – with an almost 9-foot 8-inch-wide loading aperture, perfect for this bulky waste stream – will shred mattresses with ease down to a <2-inch particle size to liberate the steel from the flock. Sophisticated downstream technology then separates clean flock from contaminated material which is fed back for re-shredding to ensure a 100 percent recycling rate.

Commenting on their installation, Textek Director Allen Jackson said, “An estimated 7 million mattresses were disposed of in 2017, at a cost of at least £20m ($26.2m), before considering transport and handling. This, coupled with illegal dumping, not to mention the environmental and commercial cost of manufacturing new replacement products, means the impact of this waste stream is quickly spiralling.

“While government initiatives are gradually looking at improved strategies for bulky waste handling, we identified a need to move faster, so turned our attention to designing our own automated line.

“Following substantial investment, the facility is installed, tried and tested, and now stands to divert one million mattresses from landfill in the next 12 months alone. But we don’t want to stop there – already we’re thinking about the creation of additional dedicated bulky waste recycling lines in other parts of the country.”

The industry needed a step change, and what Textek has done is truly inspiring. They rigorously vetted several shredders as part of the technology selection process, and the XR was deployed to the site for a one-week trial, to prove it could handle the variety of foam and sprung mattresses currently being disposed of in the U.K. Impressed with the results, Textek then took the machine back for a second trial to ensure the equipment could achieve capacity targets.

THE INNOVATION CONTINUES

Worldwide, it has been a monumental year for the environmental sector. While virtually every nation has been rocked beyond belief due to COVID-19, waste management contractors have continued to work hard, throughout it all, to collect household trash, keep materials UNTHA’s XR3000C shredder is helping Textek in the U.K. move toward their goal of diverting one million mattresses per year.

moving, and recycle, recycle, recycle. The industry has shown just how crucial it is to the global economy.

When it became tougher to export and import resources, and a number of valuable recyclables were in short supply, many industry pioneers went back to the drawing board and innovated. As a result, other previously difficult waste streams – including tires, to give another example – are being re-evaluated for their resource potential.

So, the best thing about all of this, is that new-found mattress recycling methodologies are extremely exciting. But they’re not the only game-changers set to transform what this industry can do, in 2021 and beyond.

Ed Donovan is sales manager at UNTHA America.

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