[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6187420,"mediaKeyId","5070567-4679186530377072dcec20233ddc4634","parentId",5070567,"title","Commission hears Mattress Recycling Council presentation; members debate curbside, equity and statewide EPR design","audioSeconds",1757,"startMs",1379000,"endMs",3136000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5070567-4679186530377072dcec20233ddc4634&start=1379&end=3136","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5070567-4679186530377072dcec20233ddc4634/thumbnail_1379000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6187420/Massachusetts/Commission-hears-Mattress-Recycling-Council-presentation-members-debate-curbside-equity-and-statewide-EPR-design","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6187420-39dfff4c0286a32f2369d2174c14c3dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775815814&Signature=cL53R3kYcDRN9hW6Zb7HIQW33FLxdc4dYAomPsiQCfOM~XtkxNfQajbr9agbHnHwgiZnIyJ1B-aIbq2iyfOt~575xf8fO7HNfDQCctcD4olGE-mnI8tTAimHyWAM6dTHnYrwuA2Ridg8-Mi9~~ZaXxSJIPEZf9tjlBTyqEBKDePkMer4mQXlho70x7dFGHZ~XFFFeQC7KQyD~Ly8LYQExHm0zmVTAdaYpCsF8jupqhqK9E3rAkEsM4Wh72QVDc5SK70ccxnmuyiHkKjyy4orOZCQTmpYI8Php07iFAe4sKhxx4e8sZx91ka2v7OQrlgGrwBk72RlHEIzc2bJsaNBlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","MassDEP","date","2025-06-24T17:33:24Z","article","Commissioners at the Extended Producer Responsibility Commission meeting on June 18 heard a presentation from Dan McGowan, northeast program manager for the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), on mattress EPR programs operating in other states and discussed whether Massachusetts should adopt a similar stewardship model.

Dan McGowan described the MRC's nonprofit stewardship structure and its consumer-facing brand, BuyBuyMattress, which provides a statewide locator and education materials. \"Our role is to administer the program that the law passes ... to make sure that it runs as smoothly, efficiently, and as transparently as possible,\" McGowan said, describing MRC's work procuring recyclers, transporters and collection sites and the point-of-sale fee that finances the programs in other states.

MassDEP staff summarized Massachusetts' experience under the mattress landfill-disposal ban (effective Nov. 2022). John Fisher said MassDEP has awarded about $2.7 million in municipal grants to 128 municipalities (with shared access for another 34), funded recycler grants of about $1.35 million, and equipment grants of roughly $400,000 to expand municipal collection. Fisher reported roughly 400,000 mattresses are captured for recycling in Massachusetts on an annual basis, based on reporting from known permitted processors.

MRC and DEP presenters outlined operations and costs. McGowan said recycling operations represent the large majority of program expenses (in Connecticut about 88% of fee revenues go to operations) and that many states achieve roughly a 75% recycling rate for processed material; MRC's model focuses on creating statewide, consistent access so consumers do not pay at disposal.

Municipal and advocacy participants emphasized local impacts and equity. Juanita Trabert (City of Newton) and other municipal officials said municipal programs vary widely and many cities now carry a material administrative burden to comply with the landfill ban; some cities provide free curbside pickup (Boston, Chelsea) while others charge residents $35'$75 or more. \"Taxpayers are paying that or taxpayers are paying for the recycling of these mattresses,\" Juanita said, arguing that a point-of-sale fee would shift costs off general tax revenues to mattress purchasers.

Several speakers raised concerns about curbside service. McGowan and others noted curbside collection is expensive and raises program costs; MRC's model typically covers free drop-off at transfer stations and leaves optional curbside pickup as a local service paid separately because embedding curbside pickup into the statewide fee would raise the per-unit fee.

Commissioners asked staff to prepare a background memo and a draft recommendation for the Legislature that would mirror the approach taken for paint: recommend EPR legislation aligned with neighboring states and provide time for commission members and agencies to review the draft before a formal vote. No final vote to adopt a mattress EPR recommendation was taken at this meeting.

Key quantitative points discussed in the meeting: MassDEP grants totaling approximately $2.7 million to municipalities; grants to recyclers about $1.35 million; equipment/collection expansion grants about $400,000; MassDEP reported ~400,000 mattresses captured for recycling annually in Massachusetts; MRC cited more than 2,000,000 mattresses recycled in Connecticut and Rhode Island combined over ten years.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Extended Producer Responsibility, Meeting 3","oneSentenceSummary","The commission heard a presentation from the Mattress Recycling Council on existing EPR mattress programs and discussed whether Massachusetts should adopt a statewide EPR model. Commissioners and municipal officials highlighted curbside-collection equity concerns and asked staff for a draft recommendation similar to neighboring states.","taxTitle","Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Executive , Massachusetts","taxId",24971,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6187426,"EPR commission approves sending paint extended-producer-responsibility recommendation to Legislature",649,671000,1320000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5070567-4679186530377072dcec20233ddc4634&start=671&end=1320","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5070567-4679186530377072dcec20233ddc4634/thumbnail_671000.jpg","/articles/6187426/Massachusetts/EPR-commission-approves-sending-paint-extended-producer-responsibility-recommendation-to-Legislature","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6187426-057fd7a782002b3203f1aea85cdc2e20/orig.mp4?Expires=1775815814&Signature=KCN6af0XPAB~sDHC3x37~OOeZKOWaksd1T5SWkO6q0gV29KmnH-HgpCQIBbPUp0ICujZ38nWyYRrl9eL~xrHoD~apIqOlpaScwb7Cdyla58jw2VqoqEUkLL~rtfbOZfs5mmmbwKZva8hV10Q7oOVlfhas62kPnuVAC~JajcOUV7Z0FpMQWPWAU9nvMm6BWf1Jeg-YBC6rNMl9RWJAHKqi6~4BEFe7PzVCO0aLLoU7dYojlQWQXsuLptWrGy6JOfLVaEv5onhbQ5ijTcQ3phRiCy9zgTzmdzJzVom0A-ZgDn3qNgoSepzL-UuUh56zubVL7WDTfTIyXxKlQOnw0X2Bg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Extended Producer Responsibility Commission voted June 18 to send a recommendation to the Legislature urging enactment of an extended-producer-responsibility (EPR) program for architectural paint.

The commission's draft asks the Legislature to enact paint EPR that \"follows and tracks\" programs operating in Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont and New York, and notes that draft bills are currently pending at the Statehouse (house 886 and senate 647), but it does not direct the Legislature to adopt any single pending bill.

John Bieling, deputy commissioner for policy and planning at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and chair of the commission, led the discussion and presented the text the commission considered. \"We are recommending that the Legislature enact paint EPR legislation, which follows and tracks the programs already in place such in Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and that Vermont and New York to provide consistency across the region,\" he said.

Tracy Triplett, representing the Attorney General's Office, asked the commission to make explicit that acknowledging pending bills does not constitute an endorsement by her office. \"Our office does endorse different legislation and and does not. And so wanted to make clear that this group itself ... acknowledges but does not endorse,\" Triplett said. Several commission members and staff agreed to amend the draft language to clarify the distinction.

Commissioners then took a formal vote to transmit the recommendation to the Legislature. After a motion and second, the chair called for the ayes; the motion carried with a single opposed vote recorded during the roll call vote.

The commission also agreed to circulate the final recommendation text to members before transmission so departments and agencies can run the language through internal review channels. Several members asked for additional lead time for internal review on future recommendations.

The vote concludes the commission's work on the paint product category; commissioners next planned to turn to mattresses on the same agenda day.

Details: the commission debated whether to include explicit wording about pending bills; the Attorney General's Office requested language that the commission \"acknowledges but does not endorse\" the bills under consideration. The commission adopted that approach and approved sending the recommendation to the Legislature.

The commission recorded the motion and carried it by affirmative vote with one recorded opposing vote.","The Massachusetts Extended Producer Responsibility Commission voted to send a draft recommendation asking the Legislature to enact paint EPR legislation aligned with neighboring states. The Attorney General's office and several commission members sought language clarifying the commission does not formally endorse specific pending bills.","actionData","errors"]

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Commission hears Mattress Recycling Council presentation; members debate curbside, equity and statewide EPR design

EPR commission approves sending paint extended-producer-responsibility recommendation to Legislature