On February 24, Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko testified before the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in support of SB 603 – Mattress Stewardship Program – Establishment with amendments.
This bill would establish the Mattress Stewardship Program within the state of Maryland. The program is designed to shift mattress disposal and recycling responsibility to manufacturers.
By creating a producer-funded system designed to divert mattresses from landfills and incinerators, the bill promotes waste reduction, recycling innovation, and job creation within Maryland. Counties welcome this forward-thinking approach, which could free up taxpayer-supported solid waste resources for other essential services.
However, MACo urges targeted amendments to ensure that if the new system is not fully operational when landfill disposal is banned, counties retain a temporary, practical backstop to manage discarded mattresses and protect public health and environmental standards.
By shifting the disposal responsibility from taxpayer-funded
operations to producer-run facilities, local resources could be freed up and reinvested into other essential services. Counties support the direction proposed by the bill, but have concerns regarding effects of uncertain element implementation – any pieces of the envisioned disposal system being missing at the time of a ban on landfill disposal could create major complications.
On February 26, Dominic Butchko testified before the Environment and Transportation Committee in support with amendments on a similar mattress stewardship bill, HB 984.
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