More than half of consumers (53%) say it is very important when they purchase a mattress that the manufacturer maintains high ethical standards, while 45% of consumers say it is very important that the mattress they purchase is recyclable at the end of its useful life, and 43% say it is very important that the mattress manufacturer uses environmentally sustainable practices or materials. The research also reveals that younger consumers are more likely to consider sustainability issues when purchasing a mattress than their older counterparts. 

The survey of more than 1,000 consumers in a national sample found that 41% say it is very important that mattress packaging materials are recyclable, while 39% say it is very important that the mattress manufacturer has made public commitments to minimize its environmental impact, and 38% say it is very important that the mattress has one or more environmental certifications.  

Thirty-five percent of consumers say it is very important that the mattress uses organic or natural materials, while 28% of consumers say it is very important that the mattress is made from recycled content, and 28% say it is very important that the mattress is produced locally. 

By the generations 

Gen Z and millennial consumers are more likely than Gen X consumers and baby boomers to consider a range of sustainability features and practices to be important when purchasing a mattress, the survey says.  

Understanding sustainability 

Overall, nine in 10 U.S. adults are aware of the term “sustainability,” including four in 10 who say they are extremely or very familiar with the term, the study reveals. Younger consumers are more familiar with sustainability than older consumers.  

Gen Z consumers and millennials are twice as likely or more to be highly familiar with sustainability than boomers, the oldest group of consumers surveyed.  Sustainability refers to the practice  

of avoiding the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.  Fifty percent of Gen Z consumers said they are highly familiar with sustainability, while the figure is even higher — 52% — for millennials. For Gen X consumers that figure falls to 41%. And it is lowest, at 25%, for boomers.  

Environmental attitudes 

The survey finds that attitudes related to concern about the environment and personal and corporate responsibility for caring for the environment resonate more with younger consumers than older consumers.  

Consumers Would Pay More for Sustainable Mattress 

Two-third of consumers say they would pay more for a mattress manufactured using environmentally sustainable practices or materials, according to a new consumer survey. The survey, conducted by the Better Sleep Council, finds that nearly four in 10 consumers are willing to pay up to an additional 10% above the mattress price for a mattress manufactured using sustainable practices or materials. 

 All these insights mentioned above could encourage more mattress manufacturers to address sustainability issues in their mattress materials sourcing and production programs. 

Source: Sleep Savvy, January-February 2023 edition, written by David Perry.