Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question about the new Oregon mattress recycling program, take a look. The MRC explains everything you need to know.

In March, the Oregon governor signed into law Senate Bill 1576, which establishes a statewide mattress recycling program that is administered by the mattress industry. 

The International Sleep Products Association created the Mattress Recycling Council for this purpose. MRC has successfully recycled more than 10 million mattresses from similar state programs in California, Connecticut and Rhode Island. One of the first steps in beginning the Oregon program is to register all mattress distributors and retailers — brick-and-mortar and online sellers — that are operating in Oregon or offering mattress and foundation products for sale to Oregon consumers. The new law requires mattress retailers to register with MRC by Dec. 31.

Sleep Savvy asked Jennifer DeFreece, MRC’s revenue and customer relations manager, and Paris Gholston, customer relations specialist, to answer questions some retailers have already posed concerning the program.

1. How do I register my company?

Registration is now open at MRC-Reporting.org and resources are available that explain what to expect at each step of the process. Assistance is also available by calling 888-646-6815 or emailing support@mrc-us.org.

2. What will the recycling fee be for Oregon?

The recycling fee has not been set. MRC will submit its plan with the proposed fee for review to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in October 2023. Once DEQ approves the plan, MRC will announce the approved fee and potential start date for fee collection.

3. When will the Oregon program start?

An exact start date has not been set. It is anticipated that the program will begin in early 2024. The fee on each mattress and foundation sold will not be charged until the program begins.

4. We are already registered with MRC because we operate in an existing program state. How do we register our Oregon operations?

It is simple. You can update your existing profile in MRCReporting.org by logging in and navigating to “My Account.” From there you can update the sections of your profile. At the “My States” section you can add Oregon. 

You will be asked to accept the terms of the MRC Participant Agreement and your Oregon registration will be pending until it is reviewed for approval. An MRC customer support representative at support@mrc-us.org or 888-646-6815 can help if needed.

5. Is there some information I should look up and have handy before I start the registration process?

First, it is up to you whether to register your multiple Oregon locations separately or under one consolidated registration. However, all locations will need to be included in your registration. 

Here is a checklist of documents to have at your fingertips as you begin:

• Legal entity name
• DBA name(s)
• Primary mailing address
• Street addresses of all retail locations included with the registration. If you also manufacture mattresses or foundations, you’ll also need:
• Brand names or Uniform Registry Numbers of products sold in Oregon

6. Why do I need brand names or Uniform Registry Numbers?

Retailers who also manufacture will have to register under both categories and register brand names and URNs. If you have questions, please contact support@mrc-us.org.

7. Our company already operates in California, but our Oregon stores use a different trade name. How do we register our Oregon stores? 

As mentioned earlier, companies with an existing account in MRCReporting .org can update their profile. In this case, assuming the same legal entity that is reporting California store sales is also reporting Oregon store sales, the retailer would add the Oregon trade name as a DBA in the “Company Info” area of its account information and select Oregon as a state in the “My States” section. 

8. What does Oregon consider to be a retailer?

A person or entity that sells or offers for sale mattresses and foundations to an end user through any means, including but not limited to: through a physical store, by remote offering including sales outlets or catalogs, electronically through the internet, by telephone, via a television sales channel, or through the mail. 

This definition applies to sellers of included products both to residential consumers and to other end users (such as hotels, dormitories, hospitals, etc.). If you meet these criteria, you must register with MRC.

9. What does Oregon consider to be a distributor?

Parties that distribute mattresses to retailers or other sellers that will ultimately be sold to end users must register with MRC as a distributor. An importer of foreign-made mattresses is considered a distributor.

10. How am I to explain this recycling fee to my customers?

Next year, before the program starts, MRC will provide educational materials for both your customers and employees. The materials will include digital images and suggested content for your website, customer newsletters or emails; a talking points document to help you answer anticipated questions from customers; and in-store materials for use at point-of-sale such as posters and information cards. 

11. I only sell futons at my Oregon furniture store. Do I need to register?

Futons do not fit the Oregon law’s definition of a mattress; therefore, you will not have to register.

12. What will my obligations be once the program starts?

Each month, retailers will use MRCReporting.org to remit the recycling fee. A retailer reports the number of mattress and foundation units sold and refunded during a remittance period, and then remits to MRC the fees that it collected on those net units. Retailers may be periodically audited to demonstrate that the fee has been properly collected on all relevant sales and accurately remitted to MRC.

Retailers must also provide at the point of sale, information on available collection opportunities for discarded mattresses. To fulfill this, MRC provides retailers with digital and printed material at no cost.

By the time the program starts, retailers should also have determined a process for verifying the mattress and foundation products they are selling are from registered companies and the product’s brand or URN is registered, too.

13. How can I stay informed about the development of the Oregon program? 

We will use contact information listed on your MRCReporting.org account profile to distribute information via mail and email. We will also post important announcements on the homepage of MRCReporting.org and the Oregon program page of MattressRecyclingCouncil.org.

Other great ways to stay in touch include subscribing to MRC’s monthly Highlights and quarterly Retailer Spotlight newsletter, as well as following Mattress Recycling Council on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.