Bill > H988

This bill establishes a mattress recycling program in the Commonwealth. The key provisions include: 1. Requiring producers or their designees to join a Mattress Recycling Council and submit a plan to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create a statewide mattress stewardship program within 180 days of enactment. The program must provide free and convenient statewide collection of discarded mattresses and ensure mattress recycling is preferred over disposal. 2. Allowing the Mattress Recycling Council to set a mattress stewardship fee to be added to the purchase price of mattresses sold in the state to cover the costs of operating the program. The fee structure and any changes to it must be reviewed and approved by an auditor. 3. Requiring manufacturers, renovators, retailers, and distributors to add the mattress stewardship fee to mattress sales and remit the collected fees to the Council. 4. Mandating the Council to submit annual reports to the DEP on the program's performance, including tonnages collected, recycled, and disposed. 5. Requiring the Council to undergo audits of the program's accuracy every 2-3 years, or upon the DEP's request. 6. Prohibiting covered entities (e.g., transfer stations, retailers) from charging for receiving discarded mattresses, though they may charge for the collection service.