Used Mattress Design Competition: Making Mattresses Sustainable
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09. 6.08
The Used Mattress Dilemma
What’s the eco-conscionable thing to do with a used mattress? Pawn it off on a (really) broke friend? Try to give it to Goodwill or list it for giveaway on the Free page on Craigslist? These options are tough, because the idea of sleeping on a used mattress just strikes most as creepy—it’s like wearing secondhand underwear. So you likely do what most of us do—haul it out to the curb and leave it by the trash for the garbage men. As a result, around 40 million mattresses get flipped into the landfills every year. And let’s face it—the options for eco friendly solutions seem pretty slim.
Enter Architecture for Humanity and Rubicon National Social Innovations: they’ve teamed up to launch the Discarded Dreams design competition bent on reusing that seemingly unrecyclable bedding.
Used Mattress Competition Rules
Entrants will design an entirely new product, 80 percent of which comes from used mattress parts. Competitors will also have to come up with specific instructions on how to make the product and conceive of a method for mass producing it. The winner gets a plum $1,000, 2nd place $500, and the 3rd place winner receives a load of Rubicon baked goods delivered to his/her doorstep. Both registration and submission deadlines are December 5th, 2008.
For the full list of rules, and to enter the competition, check out the Discarded Dreams Mattress Competition website.
More on Greening Your Mattress
Abaca Organic Mattresses
The All Wool Mattress by Shepherd's Dream
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- 5 Ways to Maintain Your Mattress
- Can an Eco-Friendly Pet Name Improve Your Relationship?
- Grab A Green Bike Light
- Give Your Neighbor a Push
Wind Power Workshop, Presented by American Wind Energy Association and Sierra Club
|
Sarah Palin’s Record On the Environment: A Closer Look
|
burn them for power and save steel for rebar frames in prefab concrete panels used to build houses usonian style
For one thing, mattresses should be DURABLE, which will decrease the number of mattresses manufactured. Secondly, mattresses should be assembled from a kit of parts, the components of which could be replaced/recycled when they finally give out. Not only does this reduce the amount of waste, it allows for flatpacking and ease of distribution. Sure, mattresses will become more expensive, but at least they will be sure to last forever.
Thank you for this wonderful article
The task of Mattress Design Competition: Making Mattresses Sustainable
Regards
منتدى
Thank you for this wonderful article
The task of Mattress Design Competition: Making Mattresses Sustainable
Regards