Comments
warlocc_ t1_iunpa32 wrote
Massachusetts only passes laws with unintended consequences. I'm pretty sure it's a law, too.
h_to_tha_o_v t1_iuokep3 wrote
Like the cage free egg law. Great job at tripling the cost of a staple, geniuses.
NoMoLerking t1_iums8kj wrote
Spray it with some cooking spray first, got it.
Quirky_Butterfly_946 t1_iumupb3 wrote
One reason to get a pet
Quirky_Butterfly_946 t1_iumun2p wrote
So is this another cart before the horse idiocy? Is this going to be another revenue generating mandate where people are going to have to pay to get rid of this stuff? Is there going to be curbside pickup, or are people who are not equipped to drive these to some facility going to be SOL?
Another short sighted, ball massaging program that has no infrastructure to support it working? When are people going to learn, when are people going to demand that half baked ideas need to planned with the means to carry it out. When are MA residents going to see that they are getting charged or will be charged for everything they do.
The fun part is, stupid things like this are just going to get worse
NoMoLerking t1_iunhkyg wrote
Just post it for free on Craigslist and never EVER buy a mattress from Craigslist.
diplodonculus t1_iunj670 wrote
What city or town do you live in? Do they offer a pickup or disposal program?
PuddleCrank t1_iunf5bp wrote
This will have zero effect on households. No one looks through your bin for a stray 2x4 now no one will look through your trash for a clean shirt either. This is strictly for businesses.
Quirky_Butterfly_946 t1_iunibt7 wrote
That's interesting as my recyclables have been rejected before for having something in the bin that they don't recycle.
You can't hide a mattress in a garbage bag, and clothes/textiles may get by if only a few, but throwing away anything that will fill a garbage bag may get caught.
If people want to have these picked up, they "must contact a trucking company" meaning $$$$$$
So under the guise of green/recyclables MA residents have just incurred another payment. When will people wake up and see the state has their hands in your wallets every single thing you do
PuddleCrank t1_iunkit7 wrote
I was gonna say something about how having tainted recycling is not the same as throwing away a shirt, but you seem to think you're entitled to trash magically disappearing for a fixed rate forever, so good luck with that.
bostondotcom OP t1_iumoanq wrote
If you’re thinking of getting rid of your old mattress or throwing out some ripped or stained clothing, starting Tuesday, you can no longer put them in the trash.
Beginning Nov. 1, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is expanding its waste bans to include mattresses, clothing, towels, bedding, and other textiles. This means they will need to be repurposed, reused, or recycled.
Banned items will now include bedding, clothing, curtains, fabric, footwear, towels, and similar items. Textiles containing mold, bodily fluids, insects, oil, or hazardous substances are exempt from the ban.
All sizes of mattresses are included in the ban, but notably, the mattress ban does not include mattress pads and toppers, sleeping bags, pillows, car beds, strollers, playpens, infant carriers, waterbeds, air mattresses, and mattresses from futons and sofa beds.
Why the ban is in place
According to MassDEP, Massachusetts residents and businesses dispose of approximately 230,000 tons of textiles each year. These materials account for about 5% of the waste that makes it to incinerators and landfills.
Mattresses pose a similar problem. More than 600,000 mattresses and box springs are thrown away each year in Massachusetts. And according to MassDEP, they are expensive to transport, hard to compact, take up lots of landfill space, and can damage incinerator processing equipment.
This need not be the case. MassDEP said about 85% of disposed textiles could be donated, reused, or recycled, while more than 75% of mattress components can be reused or recycled.
There are both environmental and economic benefits to recycling or donating mattresses and textiles, MassDEP said.
Massachusetts has many businesses that sort, reuse, upcycle, or convert used textiles into new products. It also has many charities and businesses that resell clothes, mattresses, and other textiles. So, MassDEP said, donating helps keep these local businesses afloat.
Keeping used textiles out of the trash is also beneficial for municipalities, businesses, and residents who can then spend less on waste disposal, MassDEP said.
Recycling fibers also saves natural resources and reduces carbon emissions by using existing materials instead of creating more, according to the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART) Association.
bph12 t1_iun2hyp wrote
Boston will continue to pick up mattresses in the trash until 1/1/23. After that, you just have to schedule the pickup, so no big deal in Boston anyhow.
https://content.boston.gov/departments/public-works/mattress-recycling
Quirky_Butterfly_946 t1_iunaf0u wrote
That really does not help the other citizens who do not have that ability
bph12 t1_iunfmab wrote
Right. I only looked up the plans for Boston.
GrimmRetails t1_iun5y5i wrote
Bedwetting now has a practical purpose.
RevengencerAlf t1_iuoj87j wrote
This law serves no practical purpose.
A shockingly large amount of donated clothing and textiles just go overseas to fuck up developing world economies anyway. At best we make that problem worse. At worst, illegal dumping is just going to go up and create a more acute environmental problem.
lucky_chalms t1_iunsuiu wrote
This bill is a waste.
RedRose_Belmont t1_iunf5m7 wrote
Here's where 'Dead white man's clothes end up.
Max_Demian t1_iuo1j4y wrote
Inconveniently, Got Junk came to my dad's apartment today to clean out a mattress and sleeper sofa. Cost a fortune! Be careful folks, get quotes.
UncleCustard t1_iuo1l6y wrote
Looks like I'm gonna start an insect selling business.
[deleted] t1_iundpt3 wrote
[deleted]
seanwalter123 t1_iuojw7v wrote
Imma just start burning all my trash, heard it’s better for the environment
zerovian t1_iuolie4 wrote
a lot if the baled "recycled" clothing ends up in landfills in other countries. this is soo much b s.
MikeD123999 t1_iup54wc wrote
There should be a recycling store. Bring them any item to recycle and they will take it for a fee. Its too hard to recycle things now since each place takes only certain items. If there was one place i could go to then i probably wouldnt mind a fee I also thought there should be a mass saves store, they could sell energy efficiency items and maybe also preach about upgrading heating equipment and doing house insulation
bigredthesnorer t1_iuqp591 wrote
Charities like St Vincent De Paul already spend millions to get rid of donations that they cant use (unwearable clothing, household items). This is going to increase costs for these charities. I doubt the do gooders at MassDEP consulted any of them while drafting this.
MASKcrusader1 t1_iur4da4 wrote
So are my destroyed corduroy’s supposed to just get donated to Goodwill anyway and they’ll recycle them?
Successful_Score_920 t1_ix9lz1h wrote
Just paid 75.00 for a twin mattress disposal. The guy that worked there was ranting about how there going to be mattress dumped all over the place
individual_328 t1_iun4t6a wrote
Really looking forward to even more mattresses being dumped in vacant lots and on the side of the road.