The Mattress Stewardship Act establishes a comprehensive program in New Jersey aimed at the environmentally responsible management of discarded mattresses. Under this act, mattress producers, retailers, and renovators are required to join a stewardship organization and register within one year of the act's effective date. The stewardship organization must submit a detailed plan to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that outlines collection methods, recycling processes, and consumer access to disposal options. A stewardship assessment, which is a fee added to the purchase price of mattresses, will fund the program. Additionally, no mattress can be sold in the state unless the seller is registered with a stewardship organization that has an approved plan.

To ensure compliance, the DEP is authorized to impose civil administrative penalties of up to $1,000 for violations, with each day of non-compliance considered a separate offense. The stewardship organizations are also required to submit annual reports assessing the program's implementation, including sales data and recycling outcomes. The DEP will set an annual fee for stewardship organizations to cover the program's administrative costs, with all penalties and fees collected going into the Mattress Stewardship Fund, which is designated solely for the act's administration and enforcement.