Image via Bye Bye Mattress Facebook page

The City of Porterville celebrated its first year of partnership with the Mattress Recycling Council, topping 1,700 units in its first year of operation in a major step towards beautifying the local community.

The partnership, which began last year, collected a total of 1,742 mattresses and box springs for recycling, providing a clear route towards combating illegal dumping in the area, according to a news release.

“This program has had a real impact,” said Mayor Greg Meister. “It has reduced the number of mattresses illegally dumped in our neighborhoods, helped clean up our streets, and contributed to a stronger sense of community pride. Porterville residents deserve credit for stepping up and doing their part.”

The program offers free mattress and box spring disposal to all Tulare County residents. Collections take place on the third Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. to noon at the City Corporation Yard at 555 N. Prospect St. Residents are invited to bring up to five units per visit.

More than 1,525 mattresses have been dropped off by residents and an additional 217 have been collected from illegal dumping cleanups.

The program is funded through California’s Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act. The service is supported by a small fee assessed at the time of mattress purchase. Mattresses collected by the program are dismantled and all components are repurposed for new products.

To learn more, visit the Bye Bye Mattress website, or City of Porterville.