In mid-October, First Nations Waste Minimization team members traveled out to Pine Creek First Nation to remove a large load of mattresses from their waste transfer station. Pathfinders rented a 26 foot box truck and drove out to the community, who had seen an influx of mattresses over the past year that were taking up a lot of space.
The 55 mattresses, and 11 box springs were loaded up and driven back to Winnipeg where they were processed at Mother Earth Recycling. Big thanks to Dean at the transfer station for taking the time to pick, sort, and pile the mattresses for easier loading! Not all hero’s wear capes.
Mattresses are a non-stewarded material, meaning the community covers the cost, and are most often simply dumped into landfills. This can create a problem for the heavy machinery, as the mattress springs can get into and damage the machines. They also take up a lot of space, and are costly to properly process for first nations communities.
First Nations Waste Minimization is glad to be able to help out with diversion efforts wherever we can!
Good day,
Did Pine Creek have to pay the fee for Mattress Hauling or did the FN Minimization Team help with the cost? Also, were the mattresses at Pine Creek WTS stored in a Seacan or stored outside? Thanks
Hi Craig,
Our team covered the costs of the mattress removal, as well as processing at Mother Earth Recycling! The mattresses were stored outside in a segregated area of the transfer station. They were a little soggy!
-fnwm