Ever since the possibility of reusing materials to make new mattress products emerged, there have been two major obstacles holding back development: making sure the materials were suitably clean, and the cost. Now John Cotton has made a major breakthrough in that process with Earthkind. The first Earthkind product is an insulator pad made from 50% recycled materials, and its development required months of collaboration with several high-profile recycling companies and mattress brands.
Until recently, limitations in the processing techniques made it difficult to provide a cost-effective solution for removing unwanted contaminants and metal components. However, the company has now developed a system using a technically refined re-fibrisation process and high pressure through air heat treatment, allowing penetration to all fibres. This has enabled it to produce materials fit for reuse within a mattress as an insulator pad that adhere to the cleanliness standards of BS 1425 as well as a general-purpose bioburden test for a range of bacteria.
Made from 50% used mattress materials and post manufacturing waste, Earthkind is designed to be the blend of choice when companies consider their environmental impacts, as it has a carbon footprint 75% lower than virgin materials and is 100% recyclable at the end of life.
John Cotton is the only component supplier of mattress fillings to offer this type of product to the market. Until recently the white insulator pads used in mattresses have been manufactured from post-manufacturing waste, such as the edge trims of mattresses. Although these products offer a way to re-use this waste, Earthkind is now offering mattress manufacturers a chance to include materials from used mattresses, which is helping to tackle the challenge of mattress circularity within the industry.
The company has high hopes for the treatment as only properly cleaned materials can be reused in mattresses and when some products can contain 70% to 80% recycled plastic bottle fibres, the need for such technology is obvious.
The company is constantly striving for innovation and finding ways to produce products that reduce the harmful impacts on the environment at an economic price. Recently this has been elevated higher up the agenda due to the targets set by the UK Government and customer requests to help design products that can reduce their carbon emissions and contribute towards a circular economy.
The innovation behind Earthkind was recognised at the Bed Industry Awards when it was named as a finalist in the Component Product of the Year category.
