Novel green solution to the problem of old mattresses

With summer nearly here many householders are buying new bed mattresses, but they face the problem of how to get rid of the old ones in an environmentally friendly way.

Across Europe there are about 30 million mattresses at the end of their life and most end up in landfill or being burned which can release carbon dioxide and other harmful gases into the atmosphere.

Midlands green energy expert Ron Fox said although there were many new initiatives to dismantle and recycle mattresses, people are generally not aware of all the materials that are in the mattresses.

But he said there is now an innovative way of solving this problem, digital product passports (DPPs) which are being introduced across the European Union (EU) to improve sustainability.

These DPPs include data about the environmental impact of various products, their composition, their production and history.

Industrial and electric vehicle batteries will be the first products to have mandatory DPPs, from 2027 while other product categories, including textiles, are expected to follow by 2030.

However, one Dutch firm, Aquinos Bedding, is introducing digital product passports this year and expects to have one million mattresses tagged by 2027.

The passports will be attached to the mattresses in two ways. There will be a QR code for consumers to scan so they can learn about where the mattress was manufactured and what it was made from.

It will also detail the material composition, the repair and disassembling options as well as how the various components can be recycled.

Inside the mattress will be an RFID tag for recyclers to access the passport. It’s easier to scan automatically, and it won’t fade or get cut off.

The DPP could also hold warranty and washability information to help extend the product’s life.

Already the company uses pure polyester covers for most new products because they can be recycled, as opposed to a mix of materials that cannot be separated.

“This seems an excellent environmental solution to help disposing of old mattresses and I hope the UK will adopt digital produce passports as a matter of urgency,” said Ron, of Noreus Ltd on the University of Keele Science Innovation Park (www.noreus.co.uk).

He added: “I also think if the customer is better informed, they can put pressure on the manufacturer and the distributors to develop more sustainable products.”

But Ron also warned UK residents that although at the moment it is not illegal to put a mattress on a bonfire it is against the law to burn household waste in a garden.

If you want any advice about recycling and green energy, contact Ron on 01782 756995 or go to www.noreus.co.uk
Caption: High tech way to get rid of old mattresses safely.