Bensons diverts 1,800 tonnes of mattresses from landfill

While plastics are often the focus of this column, they are just one of many problematic waste streams that are growing as the global population expands. Indeed, the UK Government’s new Resources and Waste Strategy cites textiles, fishing gear, vehicle tyres, construction waste and mattresses among the products which should be subject to extended producer responsibility charges.

The picture for mattresses is currently pretty bleak, with 7.5 million being sent to landfill or incineration in the UK every year. However, an early success story in this space comes from Bensons for Beds, which this week revealed that it had recycled almost 40,000 beds since the launch of its new take-back scheme 10 months ago, diverting more than 1,800 tonnes of mattresses from landfill. Under the scheme, bed bases are sent to be chipped into fuel for biomass facilities, while mattresses are sent to a specialist recycling bank for deconstruction. The textile components are separated ready for use in new mattresses, fashion and furnishings, while the springs are used in new mattresses or for tin pile production, depending on their condition.

“Overall, our sustainability practices are performing incredibly well so far, helping us contribute to reducing unnecessary waste in the UK”, Bensons’ head of buying Pam Johnson said.

“We not only look at the product components themselves in terms of recycling, but also how they are produced – for example, by incorporating chemical treatment-free fabrics, which stop harmful chemicals going into our waterways.”