Officials recognize Earth Day at UTEC mattress recycling plant in Lawrence

April 26, 2023

EAGLE TRIBUNE: A group of officials and workers alike celebrated Earth Day with UTEC, the largest mattress recycler in northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bonnie Heiple, along with Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena and state Rep. Frank Moran, D-Lawrence, visited the UTEC site in Lawrence to celebrate the expansion of the nonprofit mattress recycling venture in recognition of Earth Day.

Since Massachusetts recently banned the disposal of mattresses in the trash, UTEC’s mattress recycling nonprofit has more than doubled in less than one year, according to officials.

UTEC, which helps young people overcome the challenges of poverty, gang involvement and unemployment, now works with 30 municipalities to help residents safely dispose of and recycle approximately 35,000 mattresses annually across the region.