CAAB-1478Enacted

Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act: mattress recycling charge: consumer education.

Jurisdiction:: California
Type:: EPR
Last action:: Jul 28, 2025

Mattresses

What this law has produced

13 million mattresses

mattresses recycled in California since 2016

California's AB-1478 (Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act) required the bedding industry to fund a statewide take-back program via a per-mattress recycling charge, which the Mattress Recycling Council operates as 'Bye Bye Mattress.' Since the program launched in 2016, MRC reports it has recycled more than 13 million used mattresses in California, and in 2024 alone recycled over 1.56 million mattresses—diverting roughly 65 million pounds of steel, foam, fiber and wood from landfills. The program filed its 2024 annual report with CalRecycle, and recycled 6.1% more mattresses than in 2023 even as mattress sales declined 3.5%.

Produced by a program the law funds or incentivizesAs of Jul 1, 2025Source: Mattress Recycling Council ↗

Next steps for producers

Join Mattress Recycling Council

Applies toEach manufacturer, renovator, retailer, or distributor that sells a mattress to a consumer or to the ultimate end user of the mattress in the state of California

Obligations under this law

·Add the state mattress recycling charge to the purchase price of each mattress sold to a consumer or ultimate end user in California
·Display the charge as a clearly visible separate line item on the invoice, receipt, or functionally equivalent document provided to the consumer (unless paying charge directly under written agreement with the mattress recycling organization)
·Remit collected charges to the mattress recycling organization in accordance with procedures established by the organization

Mattress Recycling Council →

AB-1478 establishes a mattress-specific EPR program requiring industry-funded recovery and recycling organization to manage end-of-life mattresses through a state-administered system with mandatory recycling charges and consumer education.

Covered Products

·mattresses (new mattresses sold to consumers or ultimate end users in California)

Producer Obligations

·Add the state mattress recycling charge to the purchase price of each mattress sold to a consumer or ultimate end user in California
·Display the charge as a clearly visible separate line item on the invoice, receipt, or functionally equivalent document provided to the consumer (unless paying charge directly under written agreement with the mattress recycling organization)
·Remit collected charges to the mattress recycling organization in accordance with procedures established by the organization
·Educate consumers or ultimate end users on the recycling of used mattresses and options available for free dropoff or collection of used mattresses (per Section 42987.1(n))
·If electing to pay the charge directly on behalf of the consumer: enter into a written agreement with the mattress recycling organization to remit the charge directly to the organization on behalf of the consumer

Key Deadlines

—compliance: Charge collection obligation commences 90 days after the department approves the budget pursuant to Section 42988.1 (date not fixed; triggered by departmental approval)

Producer Definition

Each manufacturer, renovator, retailer, or distributor that sells a mattress to a consumer or to the ultimate end user of the mattress in the state of California

Fee Structure

Per Unit: A state mattress recycling charge is added to the purchase price of each mattress sold. The charge amount is set by the mattress recycling organization at a level sufficient to fund the used mattress recycling program. The charge must be displayed as a separate line item on the invoice or receipt, unless the distributor, retailer, or seller pays the charge directly to the organization under a written agreement.

Enforcement

California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle):

Preemption Notes

This bill amends an existing California-specific program (Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act). No explicit preemption provisions noted in this amendment.

Compliance Dimensions

FeesFlat — Mattresses (up to two flat rates to accommodate size differentials)

“The mattress recycling organization shall set the charge as a flat rate and not as a percentage of the purchase price. The organization shall not set more than two different charges to accommodate mattress size differentials.”

PRO StructureSingle Pro · mattress recycling organization

“The mattress recycling organization shall set the amount of the mattress recycling charge that shall be added to the purchase price of a mattress at the point of sale and include the charge amount in the annual budget.”

Tracking dates like these across a whole portfolio of jurisdictions is what Upcoming Deadlines does.

View Source ↗

Full bill text

Assembly Bill No. 1478 CHAPTER 70 An act to amend Section 42989.1 of the Public Resources Code, relating to recycling. [ Approved by Governor July 28, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State July 28, 2025. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1478, Hoover. Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act: mattress recycling charge: consumer education. The Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act, administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, authorizes a mattress recycling organization to be established by a qualified industry association to develop, implement, and administer a used mattress recycling program in the state. The act requires the organization to develop and submit to the department for approval a plan, including an annual budget to implement the plan, for the recovery and recycling of used mattresses. The act requires the plan to include, among other things, providing outreach efforts and education to consumers, manufacturers, and retailers, for the purpose of promoting the recycling of used mattresses and options available to consumers for the free dropoff or collection of used mattresses. The act requires the organization to set the state mattress recycling charge, which is added to the purchase price of a mattress, at an amount sufficient to fund the program. The act requires the charge to be clearly visible on the invoice, receipt, or functionally equivalent document by the seller to the consumer as a separate line item. This bill would authorize the distributor, retailer, or seller to pay the applicable charge to the mattress recycling organization on behalf of the consumer or ultimate end user if the distributor, retailer, or seller enters into a written agreement with a mattress recycling organization to pay the charge directly to the mattress recycling organization, as provided. The bill would make a distributor, retailer, or seller responsible for educating the consumer or the ultimate end user of the mattress in the state on the recycling of used mattresses and options available to consumers for the free dropoff or collection of used mattresses. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 42989.1 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read: 42989.1. (a) Commencing 90 days after the date the department approves the budget pursuant to Section 42988.1, each manufacturer, renovator, retailer, or distributor that sells a mattress to a consumer or to the ultimate end user of the mattress in the state shall add the charge to the purchase price of the mattress. The charge shall be clearly visible on the invoice, receipt, or functionally equivalent document by the seller to the consumer as a separate line item. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a distributor, retailer, or seller may directly pay the applicable charge to the mattress recycling organization on behalf of the consumer or ultimate end user of the mattress if the distributor, retailer, or seller enters into a written agreement with a mattress recycling organization to remit the charge directly to the mattress recycling organization on behalf of the consumer. The distributor, retailer, or seller may, but is not required to, make the charge clearly visible on the invoice, receipt, or in a functionally equivalent document. (c) A distributor, retailer, or seller shall be responsible for educating the consumer or the ultimate end user of the mattress in the state as provided under subdivision (n) of Section 42987.1. (d) The charges collected pursuant to this section shall be remitted to the mattress recycling organization in accordance with procedures established by the mattress recycling organization. (e) For purposes of this section, “functionally equivalent document” means a document provided by a distributor, retailer, or seller to a consumer from the mattress recycling organization that includes information about the recycling charge and options available to consumers for the free dropoff or collection of used mattresses.

Full text as ingested · via legiscan. Verify against the official source above.