Mattress Firm Reaches New Goals In The Efforts To Recycle

I consider myself an environmentally conscious person. I recycle, along with about 35% of Americans, and do my best to conserve water and electricity in my personal life. I worry about the planet our children will inherit. Earth Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on this important issue and urge mankind to rise to the challenge of preserving our environment for generations to come.

The mattress industry does not easily lend itself to environmental conservation. Although good mattresses have a fairly long lifespan (up to 8 years), once a mattress has served its purpose, it often ends up in the landfill. In fact, environmentalists estimate that 14-20 million mattresses (450 pounds) wind up in the landfill each year, consuming about 23 cubic feet of landfill space. These numbers are especially disappointing given that mattresses are 85-90 percent recyclable! Consider this when buying a mattress, and have your old mattress recycled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLmbupMMPaZ7kR5eIIViU-9EoRg-OpB8KZ&v=xsl1G69JNE4

 

Most of the materials that make up a mattress – metal coils, wood, cotton and foam – can be recycled and repurposed into everyday items:

• Scrap metal from mattress coils can be used for automotive parts and construction materials.
• Wood is chipped for landscaping mulch and animal bedding, or burned as biomass fuel.
• Cotton fibers can be repurposed for oil filters, stuffing and insulation.
• Foam is shredded and mixed with other materials to be made into carpet padding, insulation and other cushioning materials.

I believe that mattress providers like Mattress Firm have an obligation to their communities and customers to help alleviate this harmful situation. That’s why I’m proud to be part of Mattress Firm’s work with Sleep Inc. and their dreamGreen mattress recycling initiative. Sleep Inc. offers one of the best end-of-life mattress recycling programs in the bedding industry. This video demonstrates the process by which discarded mattresses are stripped to their individual components, which are then divided, prepared and packaged for shipment.

 

– See more at: http://www.mattressfirm.com/blog/current-news/mattress-recycling-dream-green-this-earth-day#sthash.2p8lD0Ot.dpuf