UB School of Engineering has partnered with the PCG to increase their operational efficiency in addition to finding alternative markets for their raw materials. Possible expansion plans are also discussed and included in addition to other improvement opportunities. This study introduces the motivation behind the study while reporting on the findings of this collaborative research

Tozanli, Ozden

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AbstractSAVING CONNECTICUT ONE MATTRESS AT A TIME:A REAL-LIFE CASE STUDY TO IMPROVE MATTRESS RECYCLING PROCESS AT PARK CITY GREEN Ozden Tozanli,   Poster Advisor: Dr. Elif KongarDepartment of Technology Management, School of Engineering, University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CTDepartments of Mechanical Engineering and Technology Management, School of Engineering, University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CTUB School of Engineering has partneredwith the PCG to increase their operationalefficiency in addition to finding alternativemarkets for their raw materials. Possibleexpansion plans are also discussed andincluded in addition to other improvementopportunities. This study introduces themotivation behind the study while reportingon the findings of this collaborativeresearch.IntroductionIn 2013, Connecticut became the firststate to enact a legislation requiringmattress manufacturers to establish amattress recycling program (GBCE,2018). As a result, Greater BridgeportCommunity Enterprises (GBCE) hasfounded Park City Green (PCG), the onlynonprofit mattress deconstruction andmaterials recycling business of its kindin the Northeast.Motivation: End-of-Life MattressRecyclingEnd-of-life (EOL) mattresses are one ofmajor contributors to the growing wastestream with an estimated range of 1.6-1.8million annual disposal rate (RRA,2017). EOL mattress recovery providessignificant financial gain and variousenvironmental and social benefits.Components of a typical mattress areshown in Exhibit 1.Exhibit 1. Weight distribution of mattress material contentCommonly used EOL mattress recoveryoptions include:• Recycling and Reuse which aim atregaining the value embedded in EOLproducts and extending their life spansby providing solutions for their utilizationsin the market place. It is proven that over90 percent of the materials in a typicalmattress is recyclable.• Energy recovery which is thecombustion of polyurethanes and otherplastics found in a typical mattress.Generated energy is proven to be muchhigher than the most other componentsof municipal solid waste (ACC, 2017).PCG has a several suppliers includingvarious local transfer stations, hospitals,universities, prisons, and hotels, in additionto private companies such as Bob’sDiscount Furniture, Jordan's Furniture, PCRichard & Son, Raymour & Flanigan, andIKEA.This real-life case study is explored via in-depth analysis with the following methods:Semi-structured Interviews: Key informantshave been interviewed face-to-face with aseries of open-ended questions in order tofully examine the business processes.Observations: Business environment hasbeen monitored on site to verify informationprovided by informants and to comprehendother aspects of the study, and photographs,video-recordings, and artefacts are collected.Systematic Data Collection and Analysis:Data collected through interviews andobservations have been carefully analyzed inorder to obtain meaningful insights, and thefindings have been documented.Today, PCG is faced with a mismatch between itssupply and demand in its supply chain. As a resultof difficulties in their transportation and the declinein their demand, GCB has initiated a study toinvestigate alternative markets for the recoveredmaterial content. UB School of Engineeringfaculty members and students partnered withthe organization to conduct in-depth analysisand to offer alternative methods, products andmarkets to increase the efficiency of operationsand to create additional demand for themattress recycling products.Mattress recycling is a complex process thatinvolves the stages of separation and dismantlingthat requires capital investment to carry out safely(Ho et al., 2012). However, an “echo fee” of $9allows PCG to recycle around 40 thousand EOLmattresses annually with no additional cost to theEOL mattress providers.Among the components of EOL mattresses, metaland wood are the two most profitable materials.GBCE recently purchased a vertical metal baler tocrush the metal, which raise the price from $30/tonto $145-200/ton. However, foam is the mostchallenging material due to the difficulties ineconomies of scale.Through several site visits and personalcommunications, the steps of EOL mattressrecovery in PCG starting from the delivery ofmattresses to the resale of the extracted materialhave been monitored and recorded. Based on thedata and information collected in addition to thefeedback received, foam has been identified as themost problematic content.Main objectives are defined as:• Finding additional markets for recycled foamthat utilize foam for the business.•Determining the best suitable recyclingmethod for foam, viz. mechanical or chemical.• To create a more appealing material/productfor the customers through low-technologylow-cost solutions.References• America Chemistry Council, (ACC), Polyurethanes. from https://polyurethane.americanchemistry.com/, 2017.• Ho, G., Choy, K., Lam, C., & Wong, D. W. (2012). Factors influencing implementation of reverse logistics: a survey among Hong Kong businesses. Measuring Business Excellence, 16 (3), 29-46. • PCG, Park City Green, https://greenteambpt.com/park-city-green-mattress-recycling/, Accessed: February, 2018.• Resource Recovery Australia (RRA), Bedding Industry Joins Together for Environment and Social Good, Soft Landing, June 7, 2017, Accessed through https://bedtimesmagazine.com/2017/06/australian-mattress-industry-recycling/, February, 2018.AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to acknowledge the valuable contributionsof Adrienne Farrar Houël, President and CEO of the GreaterBridgeport Community Enterprises, Inc. (GBCE), in providing dataand information on mattress recycling in Park City Green.12Background: Park City Green (PCG)1 2ResultsObjectivesExhibit 2. Dismantling process of an EOL mattress and vertical baler in PCGExhibit 3. Recovered foam, wood, and metal content in PCGExhibit 4. Recovered foam and cotton contentMethodologyThe following results are emerged from thedata analysis in order to accomplish eachobjective of the study:• Development of a smart transportationmodel to achieve a cost-effective shippingof supplies to the destination points.• Application of geographical grid systemto accurately obtain key places to look forcustomers and suppliers within 100 mileradius of Bridgeport, CT.• Establishment of online channels tocreate new customer profiles fromindividuals to wholesalers.• Identification of alternative products thatutilize foam for insulation, packaging, sportsmats, cushioning, pet houses, architecturalmodels, clown nose, and decorativepurposes.• Installation of a horizontal baler to carryhigher volume of bales in order to increasethe customer demand.• Assessment of environmental andeconomic feasibility of mechanical andchemical recycling to determine the bestsuitable recycling process in the long term.This study is an on-going work to increase theoperational efficiency of Park City Green. Withthis aim, several findings generated fordiscussion through in-depth analysis havebeen presented. A cost/benefit analysis foreach recycling process will implement toevaluate the profitability for future research.Conclusion

Saving Connecticut One Mattress at a Time: a Real-Life Case Study at to Improve Mattress Recycling Process at Park City Green

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Saving Connecticut One Mattress at a Time: a Real-Life Case Study at to Improve Mattress Recycling Process at Park City Green

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