Product Focus
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The Future Of Sustainable Sleep By Elaina Hundley
Sustainable products and initiatives appeal to consumers more and more as the looming threat of climate change grows more apparent. As consumers become more familiar with eco-friendly practices, manufacturers are challenged to demonstrate the authenticity of their products and embody a more holistic approach to sustainability. Luckily, the bedding industry has been creating sustainable products for many years. The industry now has an opportunity to lead the way forward when it comes to waste-reduction, chemical free products and recycling. We’ve highlighted sustainable initiatives, products and organizations that stood out to us this year.
Company Ethos & Internal Initiatives Pleasant Mattress In 2022, Pleasant Mattress took a huge step forward in reducing waste by participating in a new training program from the Mattress Recycling Council—The Sleep Products Sustainability Program or SP2. Piloting in California, SP2 is a voluntary program designed to empower mattress manufacturers to implement sustainable practices throughout their organizations. The goal of the program is to enable manufacturers to examine all waste streams from their operations, then measure and systematically
reduce the negative environmental impacts of their operations and supply chain. Since starting the program, Pleasant verified a 10% reduction in energy used as well as a 10% reduction in waste generated. The company has also identified future goals for improvement.
Harrison Spinks Taking a holistic approach to sustainable manufacturing, Harrison Spinks has accomplished several sustainability focused milestones this year. First, it launched a dedicated recycling plant and published its first ever annual sustainability report. On top of these accolades, Harrison Spinks boasts a range of sustainability
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accreditations and achievements, including a Carbon Neutral + status, two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in Sustainable Development and the creation of its award-winning, glue-free Cortec spring system, which can be disassembled and recycled at the end of its lifetime. Finally, the company entered into a unique partnership to utilize leftover hemp dust in Adaptavate’s Breathaplasta, a natural lime plaster.
much longer, thus staying out of the landfill. While Suite Sleep incorporates certified organic materials in its products, the brand regularly looks beyond the materials that meet certified organic criteria to seek the option that is most environmentally-friendly— for example, the company would forego importing organic cotton to utilize cotton that can be sourced locally (the local cotton skips the travel, saving energy).
Suite Sleep
Tempur Sealy International
For the last 20 years, Suite Sleep has focused on sustainability both in the materials the company uses and in its manufacturing approach. Serving both the bedding and mattress retail industry as well as the hospitality industry, Suite Sleep takes a unique approach—and has for a long time. By creating high-quality mattresses made with simple, often locally sourced ingredients, the company encourages hotels and consumers alike to make a long-term investment in their mattresses with the understanding that a Suite Sleep mattress is chemical-free and will last
Setting an ambitious goal for its global operations—a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, Tempur Sealy International is dedicated to expanding its sustainability efforts. In 2020, the company sourced 100% renewable energy for its wholly-own U.S. and European manufacturing operations. It also installed a solar power array at its Albuquerque, New Mexico manufacturing facility, with the goal of generating enough solar energy to power all of the plant’s assembly lines. Additionally, Tempur Sealy continues to drive zero-landfill waste initiatives across its global operations.
