Past Initiatives
Friends and Family,
We are excited to share the completion of our 10-Year Mattress Recycling Initiative. On August 11th, 2023, our mattress recycling initiative will come to a close. We will be utilizing the facility to store bulk items and products for our families in need to support our focus to end student homelessness.
Together, we have achieved a remarkable milestone - recycling over 650,000 mattresses and diverting over 33,000 tons (66,000,000 lbs) from the landfill! Our Director, Andre Jones, invested in the lives of dozens of previously incarcerated individuals through employment at the Business Training Center, allowing each of them to have new opportunities and a fresh beginning. The mattress initiative received multiple awards in our region and state. These accomplishments would not have been possible without the unwavering support and dedication of all our partners.
We want to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of our partners for believing in our initiative and collaborating with us to make a positive impact on the environment. Your contributions have been instrumental in driving the success of this program, and we are immensely proud of what we have achieved together.
We would also like to extend our sincerest thanks to all the individuals who participated in our mattress recycling program. Your choice to recycle with us has made a tangible difference, and we are grateful for your commitment to sustainability.
Though the mattress recycling program will be coming to a close, our dedication to using the Collective Impact method to help improve our community remains steadfast. We are committed to exploring new avenues and initiatives that will further our mission to break the cycle of poverty through community development.
Once again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of our mattress recycling initiative. It has been an incredible journey, and we are honored to have had such fantastic partners and participants.
Mattress Recycling Initiative 2013-2023
Our collective impact approach to solving problems has led to some interesting conversations with our community partners. It was one of those conversations that lead to our mattress recycling initiative.
We were approached with a problem. Mattresses were starting to cause issues in Kansas City landfills. So in 2013 we partnered with the MARC Solid Waste Management District to start recycling used mattress and box springs, diverting this waste from city landfills. Over 80% of a mattress can be recycled. Once broken down, the components of the recycled mattresses are sold to be repurposed into new items.
This program also allows us to create jobs in our community for individuals with barriers to employment. Since the beginning of this program we’ve recycled more than 560,000 mattresses. We continue to connect with community leaders and organizations in the Kansas City region and learn about further areas we can assist our cities, regions, and states in meeting recycling goals.
