The Mattress Recycling Council has hired a program coordinator and a marketing and communications coordinator.

Mark Patti has been named MRC’s Southern California program coordinator. He will work with municipalities, retailers and other generators of mattresses, as well as transporters and recyclers, as the MRC develops and implements its mattress-recycling program in the state.

“We are very pleased to have Mark join the MRC team as our Southern California program coordinator,” says Ryan Trainer, president of the MRC and ISPA. “MRC will benefit greatly from Mark’s extensive experience in the recycling and environmental communities as we establish a robust mattress-recycling program for California residents.”

MRC will submit its mattress-recycling plan to California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) in July 2015. Once approved, the California plan will be administered by the MRC under CalRecycle’s oversight, with the program set to start in early 2016. The program will be funded by a visible point-of-purchase fee that retailers and other mattress sellers will collect from consumers. The fee for California has yet to be determined but will apply to each mattress and foundation unit sold.

Amanda Wall has been hired to coordinate the communications aspects of the MRC’s recycling programs in California, Connecticut and Rhode Island. She has eight years of communications experience, working for various public relations agencies and nonprofits.

“We are delighted to have a seasoned public relations professional like Amanda join the MRC team,” Trainer says. “As we develop and implement the state mattress recycling programs, we will rely on her strengths in media relations, communication strategy and consumer marketing to raise awareness of mattress recycling and encourage public engagement in the programs.”

For more information about the MRC, visit www.mattressrecyclingcouncil.org.