Canada Bay Council: Mattress levy to be advocated to federal government at Local Government Conference

A Sydney council will call on the federal government to introduce a mattress recycling levy, placing the cost of recycling the nation’s unwanted beds on those who made them.

An inner city Sydney council will call on the federal government to introduce a mattress levy, placing the cost of recycling the nation’s unwanted beds on those who made them, as opposed to local governments footing the bill.

The rising costs of collecting and recycling discarded mattresses from outside homes has prompted a push by the City of Canada Bay Council for manufacturers and importers to chip in to cover the clean up bill.

Canada Bay collects and recycles all mattresses left kerbside, around 3500 a year at about $35 a pop – an approximate total cost to the council and ratepayers of $122,500 a year.

A recently passed motion committed council to lobby the federal government at the upcoming Local Government Conference later this month for a levy, which would be charged to manufacturers to cover the cost themselves.

“The City of Canada Bay currently recycles all mattresses presented for bulk household collection, however, a stewardship scheme would provide funding to support the infrastructure necessary to ensure all mattresses are able to be recycled – not only in metropolitan but also regional areas,” a council spokeswoman said.

Abandoned mattresses are one of the nation’s most dumped household items.

The motion coincides with a new product stewardship scheme, set to come into force in January, which will impose a voluntary fee of $10 charged to manufacturers or importers of mattresses to improve mattress recovery rates.

However, the council would like to see this taken a step further.

“Voluntary stewardship schemes are a positive step forward,” the council spokeswoman said.

The City of Canada Bay Council is proposing a levy placed on the producers. Picture: John Grainger

“But co-regulatory or mandatory schemes provide a more comprehensive approach and give more weight to addressing the challenge of recycling mattresses, which is difficult and costly.”

Canada Bay Deputy Mayor Stephanie Di Pasqua said the move, which was unanimously endorsed, was in response both to the significant costs and the environment.

“As our communities grow and become more dense, this is something that will become more of a problem and it is something that we’re going to have to tackle,” Cr Di Pasqua said.

“In my view, let’s do it – let’s start the advocacy on this and form a unified position across NSW councils, because I don’t think this (dumped mattress and the cost of recycling) would be a unique issue to just one area.”

Cr Di Pasqua said a levy would not only promote recycling – mattresses are one of the country’s most dumped items – but also take the cost burden off councils.

“It (collection and recycling) is a tremendous cost for us,” she said.

“What this motion is saying is that the onus and cost should go back on the producer.”