Step by step towards a mattress for life
Did you know that 1.6 million mattresses are discarded every year in the Netherlands? That's an average of more than 4,000 per day. These mattresses can sometimes be used for a form of recycling, but the majority end up in the incinerator. Ubed wants to change this, how exactly? You can read that here!
Recycling for mattresses, what should I imagine?
Recycling is actually an umbrella term for different types of reuse, the differences can be found here.
Downcycling
The form of recycling with the least value. Here a material is used once or twice, but only as an inferior material. Unfortunately, this happens with foam mattresses, which can only be made into, for example, a judo mat or insulation material.
Upcycling
With this form of recycling, a high-quality product or material is made from an inferior material. You may be familiar with the example of glasses made from old wine bottles. This form of recycling is not really available for mattresses.
Circularity
The best form of recycling as the material can be made into a new product again and again. A mattress eventually becomes a mattress again. This is possible at Ubed, as 3D polyester and metal springs are completely circular materials!
This makes a mattress durable
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Fewer returns: order something and then return it a little later. We would rather not see that happen with a mattress. Thanks to our modular construction, you receive your own hardness, which we can adjust within 100 days. This allows us to reduce returns and the kilometers our carriers have to drive.
- Lifespan extension: a mattress has an average lifespan of about 8 years. This is almost always due to support and hygiene. If only we had the solution for that. In the form of a fully cleanable mattress with replaceable parts. You can read that best here.
- Circular Ubed mattresses: our goal. When we have enough sales and ultimately receive enough old parts back, we can contact our suppliers. They can turn the 3D polyester and metal springs into new material for mattresses. Only the zipper, we are still looking for a solution for that.
- Recycling other mattresses: if we can supply enough mattresses, we can engage a shipping partner who can also deliver old mattresses to a party such as Recycling Nederland. Do you want to make your mattress suitable for recycling? Then take a look at the options in your municipality regarding processing your mattress at the recycling center.
