When Fabio Scaldaferri and Kelsey Klassen started looking in 2017 for industrial real estate in the Lower Mainland for their mattress recycling company, they had no idea at the time that their search would lead them into Klassen鈥檚 Hope-full past.
Born while her parents lived in Hope, the first house Klassen ever lived in still stands near the secondary school. 鈥淢y dad was the editor of the Hope Standard in the 鈥�80s 鈥� (so) it鈥檚 like coming home,鈥� she said while standing at the gatehouse of one of town鈥檚 newest businesses, Mattress Recycling.
The largest dedicated mattress recycling company in western Canada, is not only an end point for commercial waste and most of the province鈥檚 discarded mattresses but a genesis for this sort of recycling facility, the processes of which are proprietary and the first of their kind.
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鈥淐ompanies from all over the world are watching (us because we) all know the challenges within this industry,鈥� said Scaldaferri, who鈥檚 been in the business of recycling for more than a decade now.
And challenges there have been. In 2015, then again in 2017, Mattress Recycling was destroyed by fires鈥攏either caused by anything suspicious鈥攚hich forced the company to move multiple times within a few years; first they were in Vancouver, then to Richmond, and now they鈥檝e finally settled in Hope, where the couple believe the third time opening will be the charm.
But 鈥渨e鈥檙e just so happy to be here,鈥� said Scaldaferri, pointing at the surrounding mountains and smiling. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so beautiful.鈥�
However, 鈥渢he industrial landscape is a big challenge and Lower Mainland prices are outrageous,鈥� said Scaldaferri, who added they were lucky to find such a large piece of land so perfectly suited to their needs within the province鈥檚 southwest corner.
Instead of repurposing an existing, possibly inadequately-built structure for their processes, Scaldaferri says he鈥檚 spent the past 18 months creating the from the ground up. And after working in the industry for so many years, he knows what does and doesn鈥檛 work.
鈥淏efore we had no loading bays, now we have 22. We went from one acre to 3.4. No sprinklers to now having (lots).鈥�
After completing the built-for-them warehouse, the entrepreneur then combed the globe for what he considered the best equipment for the task at hand, before assembling about eight components into a totally unique system designed to break the largest of items into pieces smaller than a dime.
鈥淚t鈥檚 actually been a super-fast transition,鈥� said Scaldaferri of the site鈥檚 construction. 鈥淎 facility like this would typically be a four-year endeavour 鈥� but Hope has worked with us so nicely, and the reception we have received has been great.鈥�
And although Mattress Recycling hasn鈥檛 officially opened its doors鈥攅ven though they鈥檙e already breaking down stacks of mattresses while they work out the last few machinery kinks in their system鈥擲caldaferri and Klassen say they鈥檙e open for Hope residents.
鈥淛ust call ahead 鈥� and do not dump鈥� your stuff off鈥攖here鈥檚 a fine for that if caught, and the premises are heavily monitored, warns Scaldaferri.
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And while Mattress Recycling is their name, the company recycles more than old beds. 鈥淲e take furniture, mattresses, box springs, futons, office chairs, clothing, shoes, and car seats,鈥� said Scaldaferri. They also take most household appliances, batteries, and metals. The larger furniture items are $10 a piece, and a car seat costs $5 to recycle, but most of the small items are free to recycle.
The site will also be home to B.C.鈥檚 newest Recycle BC depot, where residents can drop off their household glass, plastics, and paper products, among others.
鈥淚鈥檓 very environmentally minded,鈥� Scaldaferri explained. 鈥淲e have an electric car 鈥� the (facility) is fully electric and has zero emissions. Waste never goes anywhere.鈥�
Which is why 100 per cent of the products that enter Mattress Recycling are repurposed into something such as carpet underlay or cotton batting: and what can鈥檛 be reduced and recycled is sold to concrete companies and used as fuel.
鈥淎s consumers we need to demand (continuously this sort of) post-recycling content 鈥� because otherwise, businesses will just do what鈥檚 easiest,鈥� said Scaldaferri.
To learn more about Mattress Recycling, please visit their webpage at , or stop by their new location in Hope, at 1046 4th Avenue.
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