Transitioning to a Circular Economy for Mattresses and Textiles
The NBF (National Bed Federation) has created the single most comprehensive library of studies on the life cycle of mattresses in the UK by working with Oakdene Hollins since 2014. Oakdene Hollins fourth bi-annual study on the fate of ‘end of life’ mattresses in the UK provides analysis of waste dataflow, Prodcom data, industry and Local Authority surveys, and interviews with the growing number of mattress recyclers. In the eight years since first looking at the data, the number of mattresses sent for recycling has more than doubled. But the absence of an EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) programme makes it highly unlikely that the NBF target of a 75% recycling rate by 2028 will be achieved.
The 2022 End-of-Life mattress report outlines the reasons for the progress made to date. Industry take-back schemes and, local authorities initiatives to divert mattress from landfill for example. Despite this, there are still challenges in the ‘real’ rate of recycling (the fate of the mattresses or their components and materials after sorting and processing). Specifically, the report solidifies the need for action from wider stakeholders in the mattress industry to increase recycling particularly for fates after sorting and processing. We asked International Director David Fitzsimons what he thought about this issue and the potential for improved circularity in the mattress industry, he said
“Recycling rates of 70% and more are achieved in jurisdictions that operate an extended producer responsibility (EPR) programme. These are designed to push about €10 per mattress into the recycling and transport infrastructure. Without EPR, recycling will probably reach this level in the UK in about 2050. This is why industry is proposing to lead an EPR programme and wants Government to provide a regulatory framework.”
Belgium, France and the Netherlands operate an EPR scheme for mattresses with Spain and Italy drafting regulations for consultation in 2024. They have demonstrated how such schemes ensure a steady supply of materials, encouraging long-term investments in local refurbishing, recycling and PU foam recycling plants which would create more varied job opportunities than landfill and energy recovery processes.
The mattress industry has long called for an EPR scheme to be implemented in the UK to harmonise an approach to mattresses at their end-of-life. In the "2022 End of Life Mattress Report" created for NBF by Oakdene Hollins, several crucial areas for improvement have been identified. These include enhancing the collection process, refining the reprocessing methods, creating new end markets, and designing products with end-of-life considerations in mind as well as showing how an EPR scheme could be beneficial to support this.
Additionally, a similar need for action to move away from landfill and increase collection, can be seen from that of the textile industry. Oakdene Hollins has recently collaborated on several textile works including a report for NACTR which offers fact-based direction for increasing post-consumer textile waste diversion from landfill across Canada. There is still work to be done in the textile industry to move away from a linear economy. The NACTR report finds that there is an opportunity for recycling and reuse. It is important for all stakeholders to collaborate and consider the impact of textile reuse, recycling and End-of-Life management (landfill, incineration and export) as part of product life cycle assessment.
While the textile reuse sector may not be the main driver for change in the industry, it can still contribute to reducing overconsumption. By keeping products in use for longer in the secondary market, overconsumption can be countered and the need for new products reduced. To promote circular behaviour, charitable donations and various initiatives and business models that encourage reuse should be highlighted.
Whilst it is clear that there are ongoing efforts to transform the mattress and textiles industries from a linear to a recycling economy, are there efforts towards a circular economy? In short-yes. As above there is an identified potential for the circular economy in textiles. Looking across the NBF reports on mattresses which Oakdene Hollins have been producing since 2014 we can see an evolution and shift in focus. Early reports draw attention to recycling efforts and recycling targets however, newer reports have evolved to look at recyclability yields. You may ask why this difference matters, former Oakdene Hollins employee Peter Lee explains more:
"The circular economy doesn't focus just on recyclability targets. There is a greater drive towards recycled content- this is much more powerful. This makes us think, What do we value? What impact can my recycling output have on my input? We must think resource, not waste. This vision is forward thinking in the way of reducing virgin material and increasing resource security. This vision gives stability in the supply chain by knowing that there is a demand for an output."
The development of sustainability in the mattress and textiles sectors which Oakdene Hollins have supported is encouraging to see but, we must continue to work to evolve this towards a circular economy. Oakdene Hollins is well placed to help support those in the furniture sector develop sustainability strategies, to read more about our work with the NBF click here, or, get in touch with us directly.