"Mattresses are durable goods designed to last a long time. The construction and assembly methods used by our industry have historically made recycling difficult," says Michael DeFranks, Simmons director of engineering and chairman of the International Sleep Products Association's (ISPA) sleep products safety council. Luckily that situation is changing rapidly. Currently, ISPA has identified 15 mattress recycling centers in the United States and Canada. "Helping grow the number of available mattress recycling centers throughout North America promises great benefits for the mattress industry, retailers, consumers and the environment," ISPA executive vice president Ryan Trainer says. "Successfully recycling used mattress materials is a goal this industry has worked on extensively for many years," adds David Orders, vice president for administration at Park Place Corp. and former chair of ISPA's board of trustees. "Achieving good economies of scale will be key to lowering product collection and handling costs and making recycling a viable business."

For more information about ISPA's recycling efforts, visit www.sleepproducts.org/sustainability. To access the mattress recycling directory, visit www.sleepproducts.org/RecyclingFacilities.

If a mattress recycling center isn't near you, you can still go green with your old mattress. More and more dealers are coordinating recycling runs with the old mattresses they collect from new customers. Ask first before you finalize your purchase of a new mattress. Chances are, if a dealer isn't currently recycling, they will with encouragement from conscientious customers like you.

In addition to recycling your old mattress, consider a more eco-friendly choice in a new one. The Natural Care™ Collection by Simmons is a natural rubber tree based latex mattress. Not only is latex supremely comfortable and supportive, it is also hypoallergenic and naturally dust mite, mold and mildew resistant. For more information on the Natural Care line, visit www.naturalcarebed.com

To hear what Environmental Lifestyle Expert Danny Seo, has to say about the Natural Care mattress, click here: (Video link)

Daily chances to win Beautyrest® sheets and pillows by answering simple sleep or Simmons related questions. Plus daily winners are automatically entered to win the grand prize of a Beautyrest Black® Perla™ mattress valued up to $3,000. All the answers can be found on www.simmons.com. Contest runs from November 25, 2009 to January 31, 2010.

Click here for your chance to win!

Sources:

ISPA Earth Initiative unveils new options for recycling mattresses
Home Goods Online

 

Past Newsletters:
Test your sleep IQ with the Simmons® Quiz of the Day sweepstakes

Fight the cold and flu with sleep (October 2009)
Waking up to the facts about snoring (September 2009)
Benefits of a New Bed (August 2009)
Beautyrest Promotion (June 2009)
Memorial Day (May 2009)
Pillow Promotion (May 2009)
Get Ready for the Holidays (November 2008)
Beat The Heat (August 2008)

A more natural sleep solution -
soft and supportive latex.