Walt Disney World Resort recently started donating mattresses and box springs to The Mustard Seed of Central Florida, which will recycle the materials, creating jobs for clients they serve.
Starting with 50 mattresses and box springs from Disney’s All-Star Resort in August, the project will expand to other Disney resort hotels later this year. When complete, Mustard Seed is expected to receive more 5,000 mattresses and box spring sets.
“Since receiving these donations from Walt Disney World Resort, we have been able to hire more employees and provide job training services to help those less skilled,” said Kathy Baldwin, executive director of The Mustard Seed of Central Florida. ”
The Mustard Seed of Central Florida hopes to rebuild the lives of families by providing furniture and clothing while also being environmentally responsible. For more than 25 years, the nonprofit has helped families climb out of crisis situations by collecting donated furniture and household items and granting them to pre-qualified families to help them reestablish a home.
The Mustard Seed of Central Florida’s Mattress Recycling Center provides a sustainable alternative to disposing of unneeded mattresses and box springs. Because these materials do not decompose, they place a burden on landfills. For every mattress or box spring deconstructed at The Mustard Seed, 23 cubic feet of landfill is saved and about 85 percent of the material is recycled.
With a strong commitment to minimizing its overall impact on the environment, Walt Disney World Resort encourages and inspires environmentally responsible behavior from its Cast Members, guests and business partners. Recycling is a big part of waste management at Walt Disney World Resort. In 2013, more than 125,000 tons of materials were recycled.