Mattresses re-designed for re-use and recycling

Mattresses re-designed for re-use and recycling
Type of organisation or company
Country
Portugal
Spain
United Kingdom
City
London
Language for original content
Project elaborated in partnership
Yes
Submitted by
Aldersgate Group
Ongoing
Yes
Type of funding
REBus Partnership
Description

Naturalmat is an SME that makes organic, natural, luxury mattresses, toppers and bedding, using 100% biodegradable material wherever possible. There are 7,000 mattresses currently in use. The company worked with REBus to redesign its mattresses to increase their re-use at end of life, reduce its own waste to landfill, and disrupt the market by proving that fewer mattresses needed to be sent to landfill. Mattress construction now uses 50% less adhesives which make the products easier to disassemble at end of life. This was paired with an incentivised return offer for customers, allowing returned mattresses to be deconstructed and the materials reused, recycled or upcycled.

Main results
  • The new initiatives are estimated to generate additional income of £35,000, while delivering 81 tonnes of material for recycling and 89 tonnes for re-use (based on 1800 sales);
  • The company has grown in output and business acquisition and is now expanding its circular thinking beyond the original scope of the scheme, by offering a closed loop service to hotels.