Corporate responsibility is defined as companies making a concerted effort to be conscious of their social, environmental and economical impact, while maintaining accountability for their actions.

Every business has some form of waste which needs to be managed, but how a company deals with that can determine its commitment to corporate social responsibility.

Mattresses are a form of bulky waste, which quickly clog landfill sites around the UK. 7.5 million mattresses are thrown away per year, which equates to 300,000 tonnes of materials being wasted. With these figures set to rise, it’s vital that everyone contributing to this issue, from manufacturers and retailers to consumers, help to combat the problem.

From proper disposal methods and supporting recycling initiatives to educating consumers and measuring impact, this blog will cover practical advice to help you make a difference.

Understanding Corporate Responsibility in Mattress Recycling

Currently only around 19% of mattresses are recycled in the UK, which leaves millions more heading straight to landfill sites up and down the country. To have a significant impact the mattress industry collectively needs to take responsibility for reducing waste and reusing materials.

If more mattresses were designed with circular economy principles in mind, such as using natural, recyclable materials, it would be easier to reuse and recycle them and therefore reduce the amount of waste produced by the industry as well as by individual manufacturers and retailers.

TFRG has worked with several brands across the industry to significantly reduce the waste they produce, delivering a more sustainable service for consumers. One of the brands we partner with SUEZ has now diverted 100% of its mattresses away from landfill.

Mattress Disposal Methods and Waste Management

There is a significant impact on the environment caused by incorrect waste disposal, from contamination and increased greenhouse gases to adding enormous pressure to an already full landfill infrastructure. Sustainable mattress disposal is a must and there are a range of options available.

We provide sustainable solutions; recycling and rejuvenation of mattresses, and logistics, diverting 100% of mattresses away from landfill. With innovative technologies, TFR Group manually breaks down mattresses into their component parts to responsibly recycle or sanitise comfort night guarantee mattresses to rejuvenate and allow brands to recoup costs and divert foam mattresses from landfill.

Over 3 million mattresses have been diverted from landfill using these methods, a figure that’s increasing on a daily basis.

Supporting Mattress Recycling Initiatives

There have been calls for manufacturers to work with government organisations on an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme which would extend the manufacturers’ responsibility post consumer purchase stage. This would see more focus on how to reduce mattress waste and divert them away from landfill.

We supported UK retail giant, John Lewis, to help responsibly recycle its customers’ old mattresses, as part of its mattress replacement and removal service. We have successfully diverted around 58,000 mattresses per year for the brand, which equates to over 1,500 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill. These kinds of recycling partnerships are becoming more and more important to help businesses take responsibility and reach their sustainable targets.

Educating Consumers for Informed Purchasing

By sharing your brand’s sustainability goals and the motivations for becoming a more environmentally conscious company, consumers will understand why your new green initiatives are so important and will want to support you.

Education and awareness are vital when it comes to helping consumers make informed decisions. Consider educating customers about the importance of mattress recycling and sustainability within the industry alongside creating awareness of the sustainable solutions you are putting in place. Consumers have to be aware of the problems and solutions to be able to support you.

Help your customers to make informed purchasing decisions aligned with your sustainability goals with a number of initiatives:

• Social media discovery – showcase new offerings or sustainable goals on your channels to help build an engaged following
• Incentives – reward your customers and encourage them to keep shopping with you and support your green initiatives
• Educate consumers on the environmental impact of products and how you are changing that from new eco-friendly materials to carbon offset schemes

Measuring Impact and Progress

It’s easy to create exciting sustainable strategies and goals, but the hard part is implementing them and making sure you and your team are working hard to achieve them. An easy mistake to make is setting targets that are too challenging and too broad – authentic sustainability takes time to implement and won’t be achieved overnight. Try to set simple and achievable targets, which will keep you motivated to hit those bigger circular economy goals.

Consider the below metrics to measure your impact on waste reduction and circular economy adoption:

• Reduction of resources used
• Recycling rate
• Reduction of waste
• Amount of waste diverted from landfill
• Amount of raw materials used

Conclusion

It’s clear that by working together, organisations across the mattress industry can have a greater impact on mattress recycling. If each manufacturer, retailer and recycler takes responsibility there will be a significant reduction in waste being sent to landfill and the industry as a whole can take steps towards a circular economy.

By focusing on correct waste disposal alongside introducing new recycling initiatives to informed consumers, companies can start to take responsibility for mattress recycling and reduce the negative impact on the environment.

Responsibility lies on everyone’s shoulders including industry leaders who can introduce schemes that can proactively help businesses to become more sustainable, which will benefit the industry, the environment and consumers.

Corporate responsibility might seem daunting, but to put it simply, it’s introducing initiatives and goals to help the mattress industry become more environmentally friendly for the good of the planet.

If you are looking to introduce a sustainable solution into your business, discover our services at www.tfrgroup.co.uk