Tristine Hargreaves, National Bed Federation executive director on sustainability, a labour of love and blowing away the cobwebs.
Since returning to the NBF what has surprised you about being executive director?
I have worked in the bed industry for around 29 years, and it’s definitely been a labour of love. The bed industry is comprised of manufacturers and suppliers all in competition with each other, and yet it’s the industry that always comes together in unison to support each other, pave the way forward on critical issues and do the right thing. It never ceases to amaze me what a fantastic industry this is, and I am honoured to be a part of its history.
What can we expect from the NBF in 2024?
It has been a tough and challenging climate for the industry over the past few years, having left the EU and surviving a global pandemic, which led to various supply chain issues. We are still navigating the cost of living and consumer confidence issues: however, we continue to support our members to ensure progression in the areas that will be important for continued growth for the future. We will be striving to raise awareness of the reasons to buy from an Approved NBF member, highlighting the great work that our members do in terms of compliance with the NBF Code of Practice, which is a condition of membership and requires independent verification by means of an audit process. We will continue to monitor the overall levels of compliance in the industry through our due diligence testing programme, which measures the level of compliance in key areas such as flammability and trade descriptions, and highlight the reasons to buy from an NBF Approved member. Sustainability continues to be an important area for the industry, and we will be helping our members on their eco-design journeys by use of the NBF Eco-Design Toolkit, designed specifically for the bed industry. Support will be available from our sustainability and circular economy lead, Tom Williams, to help members start measuring where they are now and encourage them to take the right steps to improve their sustainability credentials and be business ready for the future.
Is the industry doing enough on recycling and sustainability?
The industry has been quite active in this area for a number of years. We encourage all our members to start their sustainability journeys and are conscious that businesses will be at different stages of progression. The NBF launched Pledge for Our Planet, where members are asked to sign up to the pledge on a voluntary basis. The pledge is asking for commitment from the member to start measuring where they are, and to look at making business improvements to help them improve over the course of time, with different goals for different stages of their journey. Members can use the Eco-Design Toolkit to help them conduct a self-assessment of their product. With milestones to aim for, the NBF will be supporting its members to reach the milestones and look at what resources could help them in any areas where they need more help. Sustainability is a journey, and it is important for a business to set goals that align with its values and deliver improvements and the NBF is committed to helping our members achieve this.
Is it prepared for a mandatory take-back and recycle scheme, which will surely come?
The NBF has been involved in projects looking at EPR schemes for mattresses and was eagerly awaiting the publication of the UK Government’s waste prevention plan last year. Whilst the government has not committed to any timescale on mandatory EPR schemes at this time, the NBF is focusing on helping members with their eco-design journeys and looking at other evolving legislation on sustainable products and digital product passports to ensure we are ready and prepared for what may come in future.
Are retailers and manufacturers doing enough to get across the message of the benefits of a good night’s sleep to shoppers?
A good night’s sleep is essential to everyday life – of that there is no doubt. My favourite quote is ‘laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone.’ I am not sure of the origin of that quote, but in my opinion, never a truer word spoken! Sleep has become such a ‘hot topic’ over the last few years. There are many features on sleep nowadays in newspapers, magazines, on social media, radio and even TV. What we need to continue doing as an industry is to remind consumers of the importance of having the right bed and mattress to help them achieve the best night’s sleep possible. We know that choosing a new bed or mattress is still a bit of a minefield and despite the proliferation of ‘try before you buy’ offers, it is still classed as a considered purchase. The NBF continues to promote National Bed Month which takes place in March each year, and retailers are actively encouraged to get involved and to support this. We are also supporting The Sleep Charity with its work in this area.
What do you do to relax?
Time with family is important to me, but work/life balance is also about being able to switch off and relax and have some ‘me time’. I will often head to the coast for a seaside stroll. Being near the east coast, it can be quite bracing, but it helps to blow the cobwebs away.
