The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) recently launched the Sleep Products Sustainability Program (SP2), a new environmental certification and sustainability initiative for mattress manufacturers in the state of California. SP2 training and certification is offered at no cost to mattress manufacturers that want to improve operations at their manufacturing plants, distribution centers, warehouses and/or offices.
"SP2 is designed to reduce waste and energy consumption in the manufacturing process while increasing operational efficiencies and generating cost savings," says Ryan Trainer, president of the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) and the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA). "Developed as part of the bedding industry's commitment to environmental stewardship, this voluntary program supports ongoing sustainability efforts."
SP2 offers individual mattress manufacturers training to conduct an in-depth analysis to identify ways to reduce environmental impacts, establish best practices and set metrics to track progress by examining:
- The nature and designs of the products they manufacture
- The raw materials they manage and consume in manufacturing and distributing those products
- The energy, water and other resources needed in the manufacturing and distribution processes
- Management and minimization of waste products generated at each stage in the manufacturing and distribution processes
- How the products they manufacture today are managed at the end of their useful lives by recyclers
"This comprehensive approach will help participating manufacturers review, revise and improve their operations for better environmental performance," says Justine Fallon, MRC's director of operations. "The main goal is to help individual companies create voluntary proactive environmental management systems that can produce continual improvements over time."
Although initially available only to California mattress producers, MRC may expand the program to suppliers and retailers in that state and eventually to companies in other states that serve the California market, and perhaps elsewhere. Pleasant Mattress, based in Fresno, California, was the first manufacturer to undergo the training, and MRC expects two or three others to complete the training by the end of the year.
"MRC encourages California mattress manufacturers to participate in this voluntary program to take advantage of the benefits it provides both to them and to the environment," says Fallon. "Upon successful completion of the program, participants will earn an SP2 facility certification which they can promote to their customers, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability."
Visit mattressrecyclingcouncil.org/SP2
About the Mattress Recycling Council: The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and implementation of statewide mattress recycling programs for states that have enacted laws. The organization provides valuable information and resources for industry professionals. As a result, every mattress contributes to a cleaner, more positive future.
