The Wyoming Waste System is no longer accepting mattresses as part of trash hauls.
During a report from Wyoming Waste Systems at Tuesday's City Council meeting, it was announced that this change has been in effect as of the second week of September. Per Solid Waste District No. 1, it was no longer cost effective for the transfer station to collect and transport mattresses as part of regular household trash disposal at the local transfer station.
Michelle Foote of Wyoming Waste Systems said, "We are asking all customers that have mattresses to transport them themselves to the Sweetwater County Solid Waste District No. 1 in Rock Springs."
Foote went on to explain that once Solid Waste District No. 1 collects enough mattresses, they will be shipped to a recycling facility in Denver, Colorado. She said apartment complexes and hotels that use the large dumpsters were the first to be informed, while patrons bringing household garbage to the transfer station were given flyers noting the changes.
Foote also noted that recycling the mattresses did not equal a rebate.
"Solid Waste District No. 1 is in fact paying the recycler for transportation and paying per mattress for them to take these mattresses," she explained.
Councilmember Ron Williams questioned whether that was a breach of contract.
"This looks to me that there is a change to the contract," he said. "Where residents were able to dispose of their mattresses at the transfer station, and now you're saying 'Sorry Green River residents, we no longer do this,' and you have to take them to Rock Springs and pay $35 to do so."
Both Councilmember Williams and Mayor Pete Rust also had concerns about the safety of residents transporting their mattresses to Rock Springs, as well as potential illegal dumping issues.
Councilmember Williams commented, "You're going to have a lot of people say 'I ain't gonna pay $35 and I'm going take it up South Hill and throw it in the sagebrush.'"
Mayor Rust noted that this is not a Wyoming Waste System issue, rather an issue with Sweetwater Solid Waste No. 1.
"I do think that it's instructive that it's not Waste Management that did this, it is Solid Waste District One that is the one that's putting this on us," he said.
Mayor Rust concluded by expressing the desire to work with Solid Waste District No. 1 to find a path forward that makes mattress disposal more accessible for Green River residents.
Foote also discussed the planned rate increase of 2.4% that residents will see on their January 2025 bill during the council meeting.
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