We are happy to report that ISPA succeeded in defeating costly mattress recycling legislation in Connecticut yesterday when the legislature adjourned late last night without the House passing the bill. This is a significant victory for the industry and follows on the heels of our defeat of similar legislation in Rhode Island last year. Both results were achieved through coordinated efforts within our industry and the persistent efforts of our lobbying team.

The Connecticut mattress recycling bill, as introduced earlier this year, would have required mattress manufacturers to establish and pay for a costly Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program to recycle used mattresses discarded in the state. Although ISPA supports the responsible recycling of used mattress materials, we opposed this legislation because it would have imposed unreasonable costs and burdens on mattress manufacturers, retailers and consumers.

To address these problems, ISPA led a coalition of Connecticut-based ISPA members, retailers and other business groups to lobby against the bill. ISPA succeeded in getting the most onerous provisions amended in the version of the bill that passed the state Senate last week, including the requirement that mattress manufacturers alone fund the recycling program. In the end, our efforts slowed legislative progress on the bill, made it less costly and burdensome for industry in the event that the bill was enacted, and ultimately led to its defeat.

ISPA would like to thank its members with facilities and personnel in Connecticut for all of their hard work in supporting our efforts. ISPA members met personally with state legislators to explain how this bill would hurt their businesses and jobs in the state, and others contacted their elected officials in writing and by phone to emphasize the same concerns. This process illustrates the value of grassroots advocacy and how support from an active membership can help ISPA defeat troubling legislation and regulations.

At this time, ISPA continues to fight mattress EPR bills in California and again in Rhode Island that are pending this year. The threat posed by EPR bills in these and other states demonstrates why federal mattress recycling legislation that preempts states from imposing different and perhaps conflicting programs is critical to this industry.

Thank you to all ISPA members for your hard work and support. We will continue to update you on these efforts in other states.