Mandatory Mattress and Textile Recycling

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has added Mattresses and Textiles to the list of items banned for disposal in municipal trash as part of a goal to reduce disposal tonnages statewide by 30% over the next 10 years.  In Massachusetts, over 600,000 mattresses are disposed of in the municipal trash stream annually and textiles make up over 5% of the trash disposed of annually.

To help comply with the new regulations, the Town of Wilmington offers the following programs for the recycling of both clean mattresses and textiles:

Mattresses and Box Springs:  Mattresses and box springs will continue to be collected curbside for residents as part of the municipal collection program, however starting November 1, 2022 there will be a $10 cost per mattress or box spring (similar to the current white goods program). Stickers are available at the Collector's Office at Town Hall (121 Glen Road).  You will be placed on a list and the mattress or box spring will then be picked up and hauled to a mattress recycling plant for proper recycling of the useable materials inside. 

Textiles: Textiles include uncontaminated articles of clothing, footwear, bedding, towels, curtains, fabric, stuffed animals, and similar products that can be recycled for their materials.  To dispose of these items, please utilize the free TEXTILE DROP-OFF BINS located at each of the Wilmington Public Schools' parking lots.  These bins are collected by the textile recycling company when full.  The program returns approximately $100 per ton of textiles back the Wilmington Public Schools.  More information on Wilmington's textile collection program can be round by clicking here.