Two days of thought-provoking discussions, valuable connections, and cutting-edge insights into sustainability in the bedding industry.

Pre-conference seminar:

The circular economy focuses on using resources efficiently and minimizing waste from product lifecycles. Dr. Melissa Bilec will provide attendees with a short course derived from the University of Pittsburgh’s Circular Economy Program. Topics include fundamentals of circularity, quantitative approaches (e.g., life cycle assessment), circularity strategies, and practical examples. We will work through a value chain example to identify barriers and synergies. This session will lay the groundwork for the afternoon meeting of MRC’s Industry Workgroup on Circular Design, focusing specifically on circular design topics relevant to the mattress industry

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Main conference registration required.
Additional fee: Members: $350 | Non-Members: $425

Pre-conference workgroup:

The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) will host mattress component suppliers, product designers, and mattress manufacturers to discuss deconstruction challenges noted by mattress recyclers with the goal of improving the circularity of future mattress designs. This meeting will also be relevant to foam suppliers and recyclers. 

The purpose of the industry workgroup is to:

• Discuss whether current materials and assembly techniques will pose recycling challenges when mattresses reach the end of consumer use
• Inform materials suppliers, designers, and manufacturers about recycler deconstruction challenges and discuss how product design affects post-consumer materials management
• Explore methods to improve the circularity of mattresses by reducing manufacturing waste and encouraging design and manufacturing practices that consider the recycling value of post-consumer mattress materials, while balancing product function and durability

This meeting is the continuation of several discussions about mattress circularity and recycling challenges. MRC’s objective in this meeting is to help mattress component suppliers, product designers, and mattress manufacturers take deconstruction challenges faced by mattress recyclers into account when developing and assembling products.

Presenters:

Main conference registration required.
Included with registration fee.

As a private company, Carpenter Co. has historically kept its internal workings… internal. The global shift towards sustainable industry has meant companies must become more transparent about their internal and external mechanics, and Carpenter is no exception. This session will dive into Carpenter’s historical philosophy on sustainability, why they prioritize circular economy, and how they take meaningful action within the 4-quadrant framework.

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As consumer interest in environmentally friendly products continues to rise, businesses are increasingly challenged with effectively communicating their environmental efforts to consumers. The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Green Guides are designed to prevent deceptive environmental claims in advertising and promote transparency and accuracy in green marketing. This session will provide an overview of the FTC Green Guides and help companies navigate the regulatory landscape to maintain compliance with their environmental claims.

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This session will provide companies with the tools to verify their environmental claims. The presenters will discuss different types of sustainability certification schemes and the pros and cons of each approach. Leave this session feeling empowered to make informed decisions about your sustainability initiatives.

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Learn about issues and driving forces behind sustainability-related legislative and policy developments that affect the mattress industry. Andrew will provide an expert analysis of the evolving regulatory landscape, offering attendees a glimpse into the future direction of industry regulations.

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Sponsored by:

The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) continues its focus and investment on developing better and new markets for recycled materials. MRC will share several promising research projects to help improve the circularity of post-consumer mattress materials.

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Take an extended break to chat and collaborate with fellow attendees.

Panelists:

Tobias Kirchhoff, Founder & CEO,  Variowell Development (Münster, Germany), will share the tools his company is using to upcycle post-consumer mattress materials into cutting-edge components for new mattresses along with the potential benefits.

This session will highlight ENERGY STAR’s Regional Industrial Assistant Hub program that helps small to medium-sized manufacturers develop or improve their energy management programs. The program provides companies with energy management training, networking with other industries to share best practices, and no-cost support from an expert industrial energy manager. Betsy will share company success stories from current participants in the program.

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