The recycling fee doesn’t mean your old mattress will be removed, but rather, it is treated like a tax required by your state. New laws in California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island now require retailers to collect a small fee at checkout for each mattress and base sold.
The fees are then transferred to the state to fund their recycling efforts. The collection of fees is mandated by these new laws. Even if you aren't getting rid of a mattress and base now, you will eventually, and the collection of fees now help to cover those costs down the road.
The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), a non-profit organization established by the mattress industry, created and manages the program. The MRC utilizes a network of organizations to effectively pick up, transport, and recycle old mattresses and bases within the new government regulations. To learn more about the initiative, visit mattressrecyclingcouncil.org.