Park City Green –A Mattress Recycling Company
A collaborative business venture between the City of Bridgeport, Greater Bridgeport Community Enterprises,
Family ReEntry Fresh Start, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County, with help from the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation.
Who We Are:
The City of Bridgeport, with the full support of Mayor Bill Finch, has helped spearhead this business under the
auspices of the B Green 2020 Initiative. This public-private partnership was created to enhance the city’s
livability in many ways including creating jobs in the “Green Economy” and increasing recycling rates.
The mission of Greater Bridgeport Community Enterprises (GBCE) is to create jobs, expand businesses and
provide training in the growing green economy so families throughout the region can achieve self-sufficiency
and financial stability while working to create more sustainable communities.
Family Re-Entry Fresh Start seeks to comprehensively and effectively address the enormous social problems
related to crime, violence, abuse, and the unprecedented rates of costly incarceration.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County (SVdP), based in Eugene, Oregon is an internationally
recognized leader in developing economic opportunities from waste stream diversion. They operate mattress
recycling facilities in Eugene and Oakland, California deconstructing 150,000 mattresses and box-springs per
year, and employing 30 people.
Why Mattress Recycling?
Approximately 85 percent of the millions of mattresses thrown in landfills and incinerators nationwide every
year are recyclable. These mattresses are a dangerous nuisance in the waste stream. The costs for disposing
are expensive to tax payers and rising rapidly. On the other hand, deconstructing and recycling the materials
that make up the mattresses (such as polyurethane foam, wood, cotton, and metal) creates entry level jobs
that are appropriate for people with barriers to employment. As the only non profit mattress recycler in the
entire North East, the Bridgeport facility aims to keep 100,000 mattresses per year out of the incinerators and
landfills and provide jobs with benefits for at least 15-20 workers.
How Does it Work?
The process is simple. Used mattresses and box-springs are collected from municipal transfer stations,
institutions such as hospitals and universities, and local manufacturers and brought to our facility at Iranistan
Avenue. Workers separate the mattresses into their component parts and prepare them for recycling. The
resulting commodities are then sold on the market to manufacturers such as carpet pad makers (who buy the
polyurethane foam), steel recyclers (who purchase metal springs), and textile companies (for the cotton).
Workers learn valuable warehouse skills such as forklift driving, baling, and materials handling.
Project Status:
The project recently received its DEEP permit and is awaiting the release of a $100,000 CDBG grant for facility
renovation. Once the money released (end of August), Park City Green will begin renovation of a 14,000 sq. ft.
warehouse in the City’s South End. As renovation is taking place, staff will be hired and trained, and mattresses
will begin to be collected for deconstruction. The official opening of the facility is expected in the fall.
Summary:
The goal of this business is to become a self-sustaining addition to the business community of Bridgeport
within the first year. The operation will integrate with GBCE and Family Re-Entry, enhancing their missions of
job creation and environment al stewardship, while also fulfilling the goals of B-Green 2020, SVdP, and the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.