RICHMOND, Va. -- The City of Richmond is launching a pilot program where you can recycle your old mattress and other hard-to-throw-out items.
The Richmond Department of Public Works, alongside Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA), is hosting a Richmond E-cycle Day at their recycling facility on Robin Hood Road this weekend.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Richmonders with proof of residency can bring paper, hazardous waste items, electronics, oil-based paint, and mattresses to help keep landfills and waterways clean.
CVWMA public relations coordinator Julie Buchanan estimated about 70,000 mattresses are thrown out per year in the Richmond Metro area.
The authority is working with Van der Linde Recycling who will take apart the mattress and reuse what’s inside including the wood and springs.
“The foam in your mattress can still be used for all kinds of things like carpet underlay, and new cushions for furniture. We want to make that material available for manufacturers,” Buchanan described.
Only clean or lightly soiled mattresses and box springs will be accepted and they cannot be wet.
The facility is located at 1710 Robin Hood Road across from Wawa and Arthur Ashe Athletic Center.
Buchanan stressed that no mattresses will be accepted after 2 p.m. on Saturday.
"When the mattresses enter the landfill, they cause a lot of problems for the landfill equipment. They don't go anywhere. They are just going to sit there forever once they're in that landfill environment. The sad thing is that there's actually a lot of usable material still in even an old mattress," she explained.
Paper Document Shredding
- Up to five (5) boxes of documents
- Be sure to remove all binders, staples, and clips
Electronics (various fees apply)
- Computer systems (hard drive or CPU) and accessories (cables, wires, keyboards, mice, speakers, etc.) VCRs, camcorders, stereos, and all phones
- Televisions, computer monitors and printers
- Other used electronic equipment (almost anything with a plug - see the online list for clarification, use the link below)
- Get the list of fees and the full list of electronics to recycle
- Go to www.rva.gov/public-works/clean-city-commission
Household Hazardous Waste Items (HHW)
- Oil-based Paint
- Bug spray, pesticides, rodent poison, and herbicides (Roundup, Weed B Gon, etc.)
- Latex and water-based paints will not be collected. These items can be left in open paint cans until they have dried out and then put in with regular curbside trash pick-up.
Biodegradable Lawn and Leaf Bag Give-Away (while supplies last)
For more information on recycling or the event, visit www.rva.gov/public-works/clean-city-commission or email AskPublicWorks@rva.gov.
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