San Benito County recently received grant funds to create a local program aimed at reducing the frequency of illegal mattress dumping.
The $52,000 grant is from the Mattress Recycling Council, says a press release from San Benito County. Specifically, the grant will help fund the sending of quarterly bilingual postcard mailings advertising free recycling events and programs, the installation of 50 bilingual signs about increased fines imposed for illegal dumping, in-person outreach at community events and workshops, and collaboration with Recology, the county’s franchised waste hauler, for bilingual outreach promoting mattress and bulky item recycling.
“We are very excited for the opportunity to work with the Mattress Recycling Council to increase awareness and opportunities for our community members to responsibly recycle their mattresses and bulky items, such as tires and couches, which are all common items we see dumped on the side of the road,” said Integrated Waste Manager Celina Stotler.
“The San Benito County Board of Supervisors has taken an aggressive approach to curb illegal dumping in our community, including recently increasing fines for illegal dumping up to $10,000. These funds from MRC will further bolster our efforts currently in progress.”
Starting in 2021, MRC encouraged communities harmed by illegal mattress dumping to propose pilot projects to address the problem, says the press release. So far, MRC has funded projects in Berkeley, San Jose, Palmdale and San Rafael to support their innovative efforts to combat illegal dumping.
The illegal dumping prevention project in the County of San Benito will use a multifaceted approach to combat illegal mattress dumping. The identified strategies aim to increase recycling event attendance, raise awareness and educate residents, according to the county and MRC.
The funds awarded will help to make mattress and bulky item recycling more accessible to all San Benito County residents, and help the area address illegal dumping which has been particularly acute in rural areas.
“We appreciate San Benito County’s efforts to curb the incidence of illegal dumping in their community and are pleased to help them implement this program,” said Taylor Grimes, Illegally Dumped Mattress Collection Initiative Coordinator at the Mattress Recycling Council.
