City of New Bedford partners with new business to offer mattress recycling

The City of New Bedford and ABC Disposal are partnering with HandUp, a new New Bedford business, to offer mattress and box spring recycling as a pilot program.

Starting March 28, ABC Disposal will collect mattresses and box springs in a separate truck, rather than with other bulky items. These mattresses and box springs will be brought to HandUp for recycling. To make an appointment for mattress and/or box spring pickup, New Bedford residents can call ABC Disposal at (508) 999-2619.

“We are pleased to be partnering with an environmentally and socially conscious local business that reduces waste by recycling unusable mattresses, reduces the need for more mattresses to be created by sanitizing and upcycling usable mattresses, and contributes to the local economy,” said Jennifer Vieira, Acting Director, Department of Facilities and Fleet Management, City of New Bedford.

HandUp is a social impact business in New Bedford that recycles and upcycles mattresses in an environmentally sustainable way. The mattresses collected by HandUp will be separated into their components – foam, cloth, wood, and metal – and recycled. No futon mattresses. HandUp also has a mattress shop where they sell gently used, high-quality “upcycled” mattresses and box springs for a fraction of the retail price. They sanitize all upcycled mattresses and box springs to exceed state requirements for health and safety.

Erik Dyson, Co-Founder and CEO of HandUp, states, “We have committed to return the majority of our net profits, our goal is 80%, back to the local community by supporting non-profit organizations that provide services and support to our immigrant and refugee neighbors.”

For more information, please contact ABC Disposal at (508) 999-2619 or HandUp at (774) 271-8744, visit handupus.org, or email info@handupus.org.

City of New Bedford photo.