Environmentally friendly beds: save the planet while you sleep

Climate change is the biggest threat we face today. Many of us want to do our bit. But, balancing value for money and minimising harm to the environment is often a challenge. Here, at Next Divan, we aim to use suppliers who share our commitment to green issues. Let’s take a look one of those suppliers, the John Cotton Group, which now uses plastic bottle recycling to create their polyester products. Why plastic bottles are so bad for the environment.

The plastic bottle is a great invention. It’s lightweight and easy to hold, yet strong and hard to break, capable of containing many types of liquids. However, usage has doubled over the last 15 years, with over seven billion plastic water bottles alone used each year in the UK. It can take up to 700 years for just one plastic bottle to break down as a result of biodegrading, the process that takes place when fruit rots. These bottles are not only filling up our landfill sites, as they decay, they emit chemicals that poison our water and air.

Where does my water bottle go once it hits the recycle bin?

After being transported to a recycling centre, your plastic bottle is sorted by the type of plastic it’s made from. It is then cleaned to remove any liquid or chemical residue. Next, it is ground up with other bottles and shredded into flakes. Finally, they are melted down and formed into small pellets, about the size of a grain of rice. These pellets are then sold to manufacturers, who melt them for use in all kinds of products, including beds and mattresses.

Introducing the John Cotton Group

Beds are becoming more eco-friendly as both customers and manufacturers recognise that sustainability is the best way to protect our environment from extreme climate change. These beds typically use polyester, made from recycled plastic bottles. One of the pioneers in this field is the John Cotton Group, based in the heart of West Yorkshire. Firmly rooted in the British textile tradition, this family company supplies high-quality, innovative nonwoven products to some of the UK’s largest and respected bed brands. For over a century, John Cotton have been reclaiming waste to turn into new products. Over 70% of the polyester fibre purchased by the company comes from recycled plastic sources, diverting the equivalent of 10 million bottles a week from reaching landfill and our oceans.

It is also the first manufacturer in the world to be working with the cutting-edge Breakdown Plastics (BDP™) technology. BDP™ is an organic additive, which, when added to plastic, rubber, foam and synthetic fabric, allows the product to naturally decompose in landfill.

Helping you to sleep with a clear conscience

We hope this blog has inspired you to consider purchasing one of our eco-friendly beds or mattresses, such as the Silk 2500 Pocket Sprung Natural Filling Mattress. We are committed to expanding our eco-friendly range, where the utmost in quality and comfort can be good for the environment too. Together, we can make this world a better place to live and sleep.