PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The House voted 65 to 5 Thursday to pass a bill that would take the responsibility for disposing of old mattresses away from cities and towns and put it in the hands of a Mattress Stewardship Council that would be overseen by the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation.
Rep. Arthur Handy, D-Cranston, said the legislation would lead to better methods for disposal and recycling and would save cities and towns hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Connecticut has already passed the bill and its cities and towns are saving about $1.7 million, and the City of Providence spends about $230,000 a year on mattress disposals, he said.
The program would be funded through a fee that would be added to the cost of new mattresses, Handy said. The fee is expected to be about $8 to $10, he said.
The bill now goes to the Senate.