The importance of sleeping sustainably

You’d have to be sleeping under a rock not to know that the planet is in trouble. Climate change is advancing at an alarming rate and we’re being subtly nudged to take some responsibility and change the way we live in order to make the world a safe place to live for the next generations.

The last time the planet was this hot was 125,000 years ago, and the atmosphere is trapping more CO2 than it has in more than two million years.

Human beings haven’t been here that long. If you hold your arms out side to side to form a timeline and file off the end of one of your nails, we’ve been here that amount of time. So the fact that we have caused potentially irreparable damage to this planet, most of which we have done in the last hundred years or so, is terrifying.

If we don’t do something, we will absolutely bring about our own extinction. It doesn’t get much more serious than that, and it is time we take it seriously. Thousands of species of animals – who, just like us, took thousands of years to evolve – have already died out due to our negligence.

The planet does not care. It will not show mercy. It was here way before we were and it will carry on when we are gone.

So, sustainability is something you should be practicing in all areas of your life, including sleep.

How to sleep unsustainability

If you want to sleep unsustainably, you probably just need to carry on in the way you are now. Every year, millions of mattresses end up in landfill. In the UK, the number is so high that if you piled them on top of each other the tower would be higher than Ben Nevis. There, they fester for many, many years. If you haven’t bought sustainable mattresses until now, it is highly likely that every mattress you ever slept on is still out there somewhere, rotting.

When things rot, they emit gasses, and those gasses pollute our atmosphere.

Perhaps you haven’t given this a thought until now, but it really is time you do. There is another way.

How to sleep sustainably

If you want to sleep sustainably, you should invest in a mattress made from natural materials. This means that when your mattress reaches the end of its lifecycle, it can be recycled. The parts of it that can’t be will biodegrade at a much quicker rate, and with far less consequence for the environment.

Mattresses made from natural materials are also far less detrimental for the environment when they are in production, because there is no need to mesh things together or produce unnatural materials in order for them to take form. This uses less water and less power.

Finally, if you buy a mattress made from natural materials, we can almost guarantee that the company you are buying from cares about sustainability. Why else would they do this if they didn’t? That means they’ll incorporate sustainability into their everyday practices, and that is the kind of company you should be supporting in this day and age.

Sustainable practices at Ely mattresses

We make all of our mattresses with 100% natural materials, which means we are taking the very best of what nature has to offer and using it to make a comfortable and durable mattress we know you will love.

We use horsehair, cotton and wool, all of which are found in nature, because they are breathable, naturally hypoallergenic and fire retardant, and strong. This means you’ll get a dry, irritant free, comfortable sleep for many years.

But our sustainability does not stop there. We’ll take away your old mattress for recycling, so you can be sure you’re doing your very best for the environment as you move forward to a new era of sleep.

Now is the time

We don’t have the luxury of time. Every little thing you do will make a difference. If you’re looking for a new mattress, we’d urge you to consider buying a sustainable mattress made from natural materials.

We know you might feel as though unless everyone is doing it there is no point in you doing it, but this just isn’t true. We need several billion people living in imperfect sustainability to make a difference.

This is an easy way to be a responsible consumer and do a little bit extra for the climate and the planet.

Our mission is to minimise the carbon footprint. Environmental friendliness is at the core of everything we do. If you buy a mattress from us, you can be sure you are making a good choice for the only home we have.

For more information, about Ely and how we are helping the planet, read our story.