The Thompson-Nicola Regional District is calling on the provincial government to follow through on its earlier commitment to include mattresses and box springs in British Columbia’s Recycling Regulation, citing mounting costs to taxpayers and environmental concerns.

At its most recent board meeting, the TNRD approved a recommendation to send a formal letter to BC’s Minister of Environment and Parks, Tamara Davidson, urging the Ministry to prioritize the addition of mattresses and foundations to the Province’s Extended Producer Responsibility program.

While the Province’s 2021–2026 EPR Action Plan originally proposed including mattresses in 2024, that plan has since been delayed indefinitely, with the Ministry citing ongoing economic pressures and affordability concerns. No new timeline has been announced.

“This delay has left local governments footing the bill for a problem that producers should be responsible for,” said Jamie Vieira, TNRD’s General Manager of Operations. “Mattresses are costly to landfill, and without a provincial EPR program in place, the burden continues to fall on taxpayers.”

According to the TNRD, the region—alongside the City of Kamloops—recycled more than 14,000 mattresses in 2024. Despite the implementation of tipping fees for commercial and some residential users, the combined funding gap exceeded $473,000, with most of that cost absorbed by the public.

The issue goes beyond finances. Mattresses are bulky, hard to compact, and consume a disproportionate amount of landfill space—about 0.9 cubic metres per unit. In 2024 alone, had these mattresses been landfilled rather than recycled, they would have taken up $2.43 million worth of landfill airspace, according to regional estimates.

To mitigate this, the TNRD added mattresses and foundations to its list of Mandatory Recyclables in early 2024, effectively banning them from local landfills. Residents can now drop off mattresses for free at various depots, while commercial users pay a nominal fee.

But officials say local action is not enough without support at the provincial level.

“Extended Producer Responsibility is designed to ensure those who make and sell products are also responsible for their end-of-life management,” said E. Branch, TNRD’s Environmental Services Coordinator. “We already have successful programs in place for electronics, packaging, and tires. It’s time for mattresses to be included.”

During the September 11th meeting, TNRD directors expressed strong support for pushing the Province to act, referencing both the environmental and financial consequences of inaction. “It’s a hot topic all over the province,” said Director Doug Houghton. “I look at all the mattresses that are collected at our local transfer station in Knutsford and then taken out to the Eco Depot in Pritchard, and how many more could end up over a bank or down a rural road. It’s a much-needed item to be put on the recycling agenda and let the people that purchase and sell them deal with it instead of us.”

Board Chair Barbara Roden echoed the concern: “It’s scary how much room they take up in a landfill—or how much room they take up dumped down a rural back road somewhere, which is where they often end up.”

The motion was carried unanimously.

The letter sent to Minister Davidson highlights successful mattress recycling programs in jurisdictions like California, Oregon, and Connecticut, where producers fund and operate robust take-back and recycling systems.

With no clear commitment from the Province, the TNRD says it will continue to press for change—not just on behalf of its residents, but in alignment with broader sustainability goals outlined in its Regional Solid Waste Management Plan, which targets a per capita disposal rate of 500 kg/person by 2028.

“The Province made a commitment. We’ve done our part,” said Vieira. “Now we’re asking them to do theirs.”