Last week, Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) and the Bye Bye Mattress Program announced Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) as a recipient of the 2018 Environmental Stewardship Award for his outstanding commitment toward protecting California’s coastline from illegal development and advancing policies to strengthen clean water supplies. The Environmental Stewardship Award recognizes and commends California legislators who have made significant contributions toward protecting California’s environment and who best exemplify environmental stewardship.
“Assemblymember Stone is a forceful advocate and true environmental champion in the fight against illegal coastal development, and has been unwavering in his commitment toward reducing plastic pollution and ensuring clean water supplies. He has a proven track record of leadership on key environmental issues in California,” said MRC Managing Director Mike O’Donnell. “This award reflects Assemblymember Stone’s dedication toward reducing California’s environmental footprint.”
“I spend much of my time in the California legislature fighting to reduce landfill waste through public policy changes. There’s still so much work to be done, but California’s increased recycling of used mattresses is one area of success. I’m pleased to be honored by the Mattress Recycling Council and the Bye Bye Mattress Program, and I look forward to a day when we have a 100% landfill diversion rate of these and many other products,” said Assemblymember Stone.
Assemblymember Stone chairs the Select Committee on Coastal Protection and Access to Natural Resources, which oversees and protects California’s coastline. He has held numerous legislative hearings investigating oil spill prevention efforts, plastic garbage effects on the coastal environment, offshore fracking, beach erosion, and coastal access for all Californians.
The award was presented during an August 7 ceremony at the Assemblymember’s Sacramento District Office.
About Mattress Recycling Council and Bye Bye Mattress
The Mattress Recycling Council was formed by the mattress industry to operate recycling programs (known as Bye Bye Mattress) in states which have enacted mattress recycling laws – California, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Since its inception in 2016, the program has recycled more than 2 million mattresses in California through a network of partnerships with local governments, solid waste facilities, nonprofit organizations and small and minority-owned businesses throughout the state. During the past two years, recycled materials include more than 70 million pounds of steel, fiber, wood and foam diverted from statewide landfills which have been repurposed into a wide range of new products, including carpet padding, appliances, steel components, biomass fuel and mulch. For more information, go to www.ByeByeMattress.com.
