St. Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, Monday announced details of her bill that would set up a mattress recycling program. The measure would require manufactures to either pick up the mattresses or pay $25 for every illegally dumped mattress, with the money funding a recycling program. Retailers could also pick up old mattresses when they sell a new one.
Hancock says the problem is not just an eyesore.
"It's a health problem; these mattresses when they're outside attract rodents, they attract mold, germs, they are not easily recyclable and they can be very dangerous," Hancock said.
Hancock says last year alone the city of Oakland spent a half-million dollars picking up illegally dumped mattresses.
