On May 26-29, Shippensburg University’s Housing and Residence Life Office tackled phase 1 of a campus-wide mattress replacement project, saving 1,100 mattresses (nearly 13 tons of waste) from landfills and providing students with upgraded, locally made mattresses.
Volunteers moving and loading the used mattresses to be recycled
The project is replacing an estimated 2,432 mattresses (approximately 30 tons of waste) across student residence halls. Shippensburg contracted LRP Recycling out of Massachusetts to break down the discarded mattresses into reusable textiles and components for automotive and other industries.
The initiative involved all hands on deck, with staff and students across campus doing their part to discard and replace the mattresses. Jeff Ward, associate director of housing operations, shared the following: “We wouldn’t be able to complete this project without the help of volunteers.” He praised housing staff, marketing, student affairs, athletics personnel, moving crews, graduate students and residence hall staff who assisted with the effort.
“It’s great to see the Ship community embrace that we’re all a part of campus, and that we’re all here for the students. The number of people who dedicated their time — we’re so appreciative of them,” Ward said.
Ward framed the mattress recycling project as a broader sustainability effort and model for future campus recycling work at the university. He shared that most new furniture vendors used by the university have a green focus, and that housing staff will continue to recycle as replacements continue. “Keeping waste out of the landfill is something we absolutely want to do,” Ward emphasized.
As for the new mattresses, they were selected after a nearly yearlong planning process of reaching out to different vendors and having students test a variety of mattresses to assess which they found the most comfortable. Students selected a dual-firmness memory-foam model with upgraded covers produced by Chestnut Ridge Foam in Latrobe, PA, an employee-owned company, some of whom are PASSHE alumni.
Volunteers unloading the new mattresses into residence halls
With students moving in this summer, they will be among the first to use the new mattresses. The east-side halls are completed and ready for students to move in, and the west-side halls are set for replacements for the first week of August.
Ward said the project reflects a campuswide commitment to sustainability and student well-being. “We view this as an entire campus project, and we embrace and thank the campus community for helping wherever possible,” he said.
