Four Boston councilors say the state’s mattress disposal ban has put a “tremendous strain” on city resources, and has left beds on densely-packed streets for weeks as employees struggle to keep up with the backlog of mandated recycling requests.
City Councilors Gabriela Coletta, Ed Flynn, Sharon Durkan and Liz Breadon of Districts 1, 2, 8 and 9, are petitioning the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for more resources to help the city comply with the state’s November 2022 ban, which required that municipalities implement and manage a mattress recycling program.
In a letter to MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple, the councilors assert that Boston spent roughly $3.5 million last year to comply with the expanded waste disposal ban, which included three contractor hires, and is also considering a pricey expansion of the Public Works department to keep up with a “notably high” demand for mattress recycling.
“This policy is well-intentioned and better for our environment as it promotes sustainability and reuse of recycled textile materials,” the councilors wrote. “However, the reality is that this program has had disastrous impacts on Boston’s public works department operating budget without significant financial resources from the commonwealth.”
“This has led the city to shift vital resources and staff capacity away from day-to-day services while mattresses litter streets for weeks,” the letter states.
The councilors, who represent the “most densely populated areas in Boston,” said the demand for mattress recycling “remained notably high during major transition seasons for renters” in 2023, exacerbating the “tremendous strain” the ban has placed on city resources.
The city has hired three full-time contractors to service mattresses by appointment. The waitlist for appointments still includes delays that stretch as long as two weeks, however, which has prompted the Department of Public Works to request a budgetary increase, the councilors wrote.
Boston has collected roughly 52,000 mattresses over the course of the ban, the councilors wrote, a number that they say does not include “illegally dumped mattresses” picked up public works employees.
The city does not issue fines for dumped mattresses, a city spokesperson said,
The DPW is requesting that the city expand its street operations team by 33%, and add at least five new sanitation employees, two supervisors and three to four inspectors, the letter states.
A Herald analysis of the 2022 city payroll, the latest data available, shows that the two sanitation supervisors were paid $81,538 on average that year, but the average gross pay for that position spiked to $99,496 when accounting for overtime, retroactive and “other” pay.
The city payroll that year lists seven sanitation inspectors, who were paid an average salary of $50,239, but their average gross pay increased to roughly $65,028, when accounting for OT, retroactive and other pay.
Based on those amounts, an additional two supervisors could cost the city — and by extension taxpayers — on average $163,076 to $198,992, and three more inspectors could cost on average $150,717 to $195,084.
“The addition of five full-time employees and initiative to build, or contract to build, a management software program requires significant investment on behalf of the city in order to comply with MassDEP’s mandate,” the councilors wrote, while urging the agency to provide the “resources necessary” to ensure successful compliance.
The city is “working on a new software to make scheduling appointments for mattress pickup easier for residents,” a city spokesperson said, while directing residents to call 311 for their disposal needs.
A MassDEP spokesperson deferred comment to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, due to a conflict of interest with his daughter, Gabriela Coletta, being the lead city councilor on the letter.
EEA spokesperson Danielle Burney said in an emailed statement, “MassDEP is reviewing the letter and will meet with the City of Boston soon to discuss their concerns.”
“We are working towards net zero waste, which will require building capacity to support recycling initiatives that help preserve landfill space and save taxpayer money,” Burney said. “MassDEP is committed to working with all municipalities to help alleviate burdens while also helping reduce waste.”
For now, “Boston Public Works is working diligently to help residents comply with the state’s mattress recycling policy, and will continue to partner with MassDEP on best practices and the challenges associated with this policy,” a city spokesperson said.
