Circular Sleep project aims to improve mattress recycling rates
FEAD leads a new initiative to target 80 per cent recovery of end-of-life bedding materials through cross-industry collaboration.
The European Waste Management Association (FEAD) has launched the Sleep Circular project, an initiative aimed at addressing the low collection and recycling rates of end-of-life mattresses across Europe.
The project was officially initiated with an expert visit to the RetourMatras recycling plan in Etten-Leur, the Netherlands. The group, made up of members of the mattress value chain, gathered to begin developing the foundation work for a Circular Value Chain Partnership focused on mattress recycling.
The project aims to increase the current mattress recycling rate from 20 per cent to 80 per cent, diverting these items from landfill and incineration facilities. FEAD has issued a call for partners to join the initiative.
Paolo Campanella, Secretary General of FEAD, commented: “FEAD is strongly committed to the success of this project. We proudly count on dedicated experts within our members who are working hard to push towards ambitious collection and recycling end-of-life mattresses, ensuring the transformation of these bulky waste into resources.”
The initiative comes after the recent adoption of the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which identifies furniture, including mattresses, as a priority area for developing ecodesign criteria.
Mattress recycling at RetourMatras
RetourMatras, a member of the Dutch Waste Management Association (DWMA) and FEAD, hosted the initial meeting at its facility. The company operates seven dismantling facilities across the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and France.
The recycling company currently processes 1.5 million mattresses each year in the Netherlands, achieving an 80 per cent recycling ratio in 2024 and an 85 per cent recovery rate of materials for re-use, including foam, steel, textile and mixed waste, which is then sent to energy recovery.
Chico van Hemert, Managing Director at RetourMatras Group, added: “Creating a truly circular mattress chain requires collaboration across the entire value chain, from producers and retailers to waste associations, recyclers and policymakers.
“We’re proud that the foundations for this initiative are being laid at our RetourMatras plant. It reflects our shared ambition to turn mattresses from waste into valuable resources at scale.”
The Sleep Circular project looks at bringing together FEAD experts to develop the groundwork for the project’s action plan, which will then later be presented and discussed with all EU-level partners. The association hopes to forge stronger links between the waste management sector, industrial producers, and local authorities.
