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Segarra's Mattress Bill Fails

Goal was to help cities save on disposal costs

By Jeff Cohen

June 06, 2012

Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra wants mattress makers to play a bigger role in what happens when those mattresses are thrown out. But as WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports, legislation to that end failed in the general assembly.

Segarra pushed a bill that would have established a mattress stewardship program. Paid for by manufacturers, the program would have funded both collection and recycling of used mattress. Jared Kupiec is Segarra's chief of staff.

"Ultimately, we would have had a standard, uniform practice for the disposal and reuse of mattresses in Connecticut. It would have made us the first state in the nation to do this."

Kupiec says the city spends about $200,000 a year to get rid of old mattresses at $45 a piece. Other towns experience similar costs.

But while the bill passed the senate, it never got a vote in the house. Kupiec says the bill was a victim of timing.

"We will be back at it again next year, and the mayor will be pushing it forward once again."

The legislation did not have the support of mattress manufacturers and their suppliers. They have said they are pushing for a national -- not a state -- solution.

For WNPR, I'm Jeff Cohen.