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IL Memorandum To Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager From: Gayle Wilson, Solid Waste Management Director Subject: Options for the Disposal /Recycling of Mattresses Date: May 27, 2016 The Solid Waste Management Department has received a request to explore alternative means of mattress and box spring disposal and /or recycling for Orange County residents. There is a perception that disposing of mattresses in inconvenient and that county government should consider other means for handling them. History In 1993, Orange County converted from non - staffed Waste and Recycling Centers (W &R) to staffed Centers. Materials, other than household "trash" were placed on the ground for collection, including mattresses. The materials were then collected either by hand or by use of a skid steer loader and loaded into dump trucks for hauling to the county landfill. This method of collection resulted in both collection and labor inefficiencies as well as high injury risks to employees. During FY 2001 -02, roll -off containers were installed at the High 57 Center for materials other than household "trash" (bulky items) with the installation of containers at the remaining Centers to follow soon thereafter. The roll -off containers where hauled to the county landfill for disposal. Waste and Recycling Centers stopped accepting mattresses and box springs on June 30, 2013 with the closure of the Orange County Landfill. On July 1, 2013, Orange County began a recycling program for such at the Eubanks Road facility location, hauling those mattresses unfit for recycling to the Durham transfer station for disposal. A charge of $10 per mattress /box springs was instituted to help fund the recycling and /or hauling for disposal. The Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough have declined to participate in the county mattress recycling program and haul the mattresses that they collect directly to the waste transfer station. UNC -CH delivers about 60 mattresses to the county program annually, but for mass dorm replacements makes special alternative arrangements. UNC Healthcare indicated that they dispose of mattresses very infrequently and do not recycle them. They will further examine the ultimate disposition of discarded mattresses and advise the SWAG of their conclusions. Recently, the N. C. Department of Transportation — Highway Maintenance Division in Hillsborough was contacted regarding mattresses /box springs illegally dumped along Orange County right -of -ways since July 2013. According to John Howell, Highway Maintenance Engineer, there has been no noticeable increase or decrease in recent years and he estimates that his crews collect about 1 -2 mattresses per month from right -of -ways throughout the county. The Solid Waste Management Department receives 2 -5 calls per week asking how to dispose of mattresses. Current Quantity Managed /Budget