With mattress landfill ban looming, Kennedy bill aims to preserve recycling niche for nonprofits like UTEC

LOWELL — A new statewide ban on the disposal of mattresses and box springs via the waste stream or incinerators takes effect Nov. 1, and UTEC is readying for the shift.

The nonprofit serving justice-involved young adults, which runs a mattress recycling enterprise in Lawrence, is working with state Sen. Ed Kennedy to manage the potential implications for its community-based business model.

Kennedy’s legislation — which needs to pass by Sunday, the end of the legislative session — includes a provision for an advisory committee made up of recyclers at which nonprofits will have a seat at the table providing oversight. More importantly, the bill places an emphasis on supporting nonprofit social enterprises in the new industry.