True circularity means closing the circular loop. Different stakeholders in the ecosystem need different information to make recycling without quality loss possible. Auping and Triple R are collaborating to make this process transparent for everyone.

According to European Bedding Industry Association, each year, 30 million mattresses are discarded in Europe, leading to significant CO2 emissions, as most mattresses are difficult to recycle and end up in incinerators. In 2018, Auping launched the world's first circular mattress, designed so that its materials can be infinitely reused. However, circular design alone is not enough to ensure true sustainability; there must be a closed-loop system in place.

A closed loop enables high-quality recycling and requires an ecosystem with multiple stakeholders, all of whom must have the right information to minimize environmental impact. Within this ecosystem, returned mattresses are processed, with the polyester being recycled into new fiber. This fiber is then used to create nonwovens for new circular mattresses, thereby reducing waste and promoting sustainability. The business case in the long term lies in the qualitative materials for which demand will increase due to regulations.

To inform the stakeholder about the closed loop of the mattress, Auping has joined forces with mattressID ecosystem developed by TripleR, which uses Avery Dennison’s atma.io connected product cloud platform to make mattresses transparent for both consumers and dismantlers. The mattressID will facilitate the creation of this closed loop by providing essential information to all stakeholders involved. MattressID is already operational in Belgium through a funded project through the EPR body Valumat. In this Belgium project, 5 mattress makers (Aquinos, LS Bedding, Revor Group, Aum Sleep and Polypreen) and the mattress dismantlers that are active in Belgium are participating. Through this project, mattressID is preparing the Belgium mattress industry for true circularity, ahead of the ESPR legislation.

While the EU plans to mandate digital product passports (DPPs) for various products, starting with industrial batteries from February 2027 onwards and expanding to textiles and other products between 2026 and 2030, they are still searching for the best way to implement these passports. The Cirpass-2 project, which includes different product groups such as textiles, electronics, car tires, and mattresses, aims to provide insights into the best practices for DPPs. Auping and TripleR are collaborating to prepare for such a passport, powered by atma.io, which essentially serves as the foundation of an ecosystem that supports true circularity. Through mattressID technology, Auping can guarantee that the content of its mattresses is visible during the dismantling process, enabling dismantlers, who are also part of the mattressID ecosystem, to access valuable data and ensure that Auping mattresses will not go to waste.

Wouter Dijkman, Manager of Research, Innovation & Product Development at Auping, mentions that Auping recently inaugurated a fully robotized plant that is capable of producing 150,000 circular mattresses per year. The company produces mattresses using only fully recyclable PET components and steel springs.

While developing circular mattresses and the machinery to produce them was time-consuming, Auping recognizes that a significant positive impact can only be achieved if recycling is done properly. Therefore, the ecosystem and this project are crucial.

Auping will introduce digital labels on specific product collections in 2024 with key product information as the foundation for DPPs. The digital labels will be attached to the mattresses in two ways. Firstly, there will be a QR code for consumers to scan, allowing them to learn where the mattress was made, what it is made from, and, most importantly, what the end-of-cycle route will be. In addition to the legal requirements, the digital labels can also hold warranty and washability information to help extend the product's life. Secondly, inside the mattress, there will be an RFID tag for recyclers to access the product information. RFID tags facilitate easy scanning, as they do not require line of sight and won’t fade or get cut off. So, to prepare for the introduction of DPPs, Auping is working with TripleR, which specializes in digital labels and mattressID for bedding, leveraging atma.io by Avery Dennison.

In conclusion, Auping's and TripleR’s commitment to circularity goes beyond innovative design; it involves creating a comprehensive closed-loop system that enables high-quality recycling and minimal environmental impact. Through strategic collaborations with partners and the implementation of digital labels to prepare for the Digital Product Passports, a new standard for sustainability in the mattress industry is created. This holistic approach not only extends the life cycle of products but also paves the way for a future where waste is minimized, and resources are continuously reused, leading to a truly circular economy.