Report 2018-107 Recommendation Responses

Report 2018-107: California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery: It Has Not Provided the Oversight Necessary to Ensure That the Mattress Recycling Program Fulfills Its Purpose (Release Date: August 2018)

Recommendation for Legislative Action

The Legislature should amend the recycling act to require the Mattress Council to include in its recycling plan measurable goals in the areas of consumer awareness and research on new technology. Further, the Legislature should require that the Mattress Council's annual report include information about the mattress program's progress toward meeting those goals.

Description of Legislative Action

The Legislature did not take action in the 2021-2022 legislative session to address this specific recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: No Action Taken

The Legislature did not take action in the 2021-2022 legislative session to address this specific recommendation.


Description of Legislative Action

As of August 30, 2021, the Legislature has not taken any additional actions to address this specific recommendation.

AB 187 (Chapter 673, Statutes of 2019), in part, requires the organization, by July 1 of each year, to submit to CalRecycle and make publicly available on its website examples of educational materials that were provided to consumers the first year and any changes to those materials in subsequent years as well as other mechanisms, including advertising of the program, to increase consumer awareness. This statute also requires the organization, for reports submitted on and after July 1, 2021, to report on research activities to improve used mattress collection, dismantling, recycling operations, source reduction, and green product design.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented


Description of Legislative Action

AB 187, in part, requires the organization, by July 1 of each year, to submit to CalRecycle and make publicly available on its website examples of educational materials that were provided to consumers the first year and any changes to those materials in subsequent years as well as other mechanisms, including advertising of the program, to increase consumer awareness. This statute also requires the organization, for reports submitted on and after July 1, 2021, to report on research activities to improve used mattress collection, dismantling, recycling operations, source reduction, and green product design.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented


Description of Legislative Action

AB 187 would require the mattress recycling organization, for reports submitted after July 1, 2021, to report on the following:

1) Activities to meet consumer and retailer accessibility goals, and on the the organization's progress in meeting, and planned efforts to meet, those goals.

2) Research activities to improve used mattress collection, dismantling, recycling operations, source reduction and green product design, and the response to the problem of illegal dumping and a report on the progress made as a result of the research activities.

3) Pilot programs to test new processes, methods, or equipment on a local, regional, or otherwise limited basis, such as those designed to clean up illegally dumped mattresses, gather data and identify strategies to reduce the number of illegally dumped mattresses, in partnership with the cities and counties identified by the mattress recycling organization as having areas with the highest rate of illegal dumping in the state. Pilot program descriptions shall include a mechanism to measure success, such as establishing a baseline and goals when possible and report on the progress made in undertaking the pilot programs.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Legislation Introduced


Description of Legislative Action

The Legislature has not taken action to address this specific recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: No Action Taken


Description of Legislative Action

The Legislature has not taken action to address this specific recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: No Action Taken


All Recommendations in 2018-107