You may be charged for contributing to a greener mattress industry.

• When purchasing a new mattress or box spring, four states impose an additional fee ranging from $16 to $22.50 to support mattress recycling initiatives.
• In 2025, California and Connecticut increased their fees, while Oregon launched its program on January 1st.
• "Extended producer responsibility" laws are being considered by other states as a way to promote a circular economy.

A few states' consumers are paying to make the mattress industry more eco-friendly, and other states may follow suit?

Now, four states - California, Connecticut, Oregon, and Rhode Island - impose a flat fee on any mattress or box spring purchased online or in-store.

State recycling programs that divert used mattresses from landfills are financed by retail fees ranging from $16 to $23, as part of a growing policy initiative to promote the circular economy for common household items such as plastic packaging, paper products, and electronics.

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Every day, approximately 50,000 mattresses are discarded by Americans, resulting in 15 to 20 million mattresses being thrown away annually, as stated by the Mattress Recycling Council, a nonprofit organization established by the bedding industry to manage state recycling programs.

According to MRC, over 75% of a mattress can be recycled; its components, including wood, steel, foams, and fibers, can be separated, sold, and repurposed.

On January 1, Oregon introduced a recycling fee, requiring consumers to pay an additional $22.50 per unit for new mattresses and box springs, which is reflected as a "stewardship assessment" on receipts.

In 2025, California and Connecticut increased their retail fees to $16 per unit, from $10.50 and $11.75, respectively. Rhode Island raised its per-unit fee to $20.50 the previous year.

MRC spokesperson Amanda Wall stated that the industry is collaborating with lawmakers in Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, and Virginia to establish similar programs.

Recycling options are few but expanding

Few options exist for Americans looking to recycle used mattresses or box springs.

The Mattress Recycling Council has compiled a directory of only 58 companies nationwide that recycle mattresses. In states without recycling laws, consumers are often charged fees for drop-off and home pickup services, such as the $95 I paid in New York City.

Officials in Oregon claim their recycling program will simplify the process for consumers to dispose of unwanted mattresses and decrease illegal dumping.

The state's Department of Environmental Quality aims to create new convenient locations in every county for residents to drop off their mattresses and also create jobs in the recycling sector, according to its website.

"Extended producer responsibility" laws are gaining traction in the U.S. through state recycling efforts.

According to Reid Lifset, a resident fellow in industrial ecology at Yale University and editor of the Journal of Industrial Ecology, EPR programs provide a new source of funding to make the recycling system sustainable by making producers of products or packages responsible for managing them when they become waste.

The Mattress Recycling Council receives funding from retailers for state mattress programs by passing along consumer fees.

In 2025, more than half of the $22.50 retail fee in Oregon will go towards program operational costs, with the remaining funds used for start-up costs, administration, and public education and advertising.

According to MRC, there are over 300 mattress collection sites in states with recycling programs that accept discarded mattresses at no cost. However, some sites may charge for home pickup.