The Sleep Circular project is a FEAD initiative aiming at addressing the low collection and recycling rates of end-of-life mattresses in Europe and achieving a truly circular mattress lifecycle through cross-value chain collaboration. This project reflects FEAD’s vision of a circular economy powered by strategic partnerships that connect the waste management sector with industrial production to boost the uptake of recycled materials and drive sustainable growth.
For this purpose, FEAD has launched a call for partners for this ambitious project.
A group of FEAD experts specialising in mattress collection and recycling from various Member States met on site to lay the groundwork for the project’s action plan. This plan will later be presented and discussed with all EU-level partners involved. Sleep Circular aims to raise the current mattress recycling rate from 20% to 80%, divert mattresses from landfill and incineration, and forge stronger links between the waste management sector, industrial producers, and local authorities.
With the first working plan of the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) adopted on 19 April 2025, the European Commission has identified furniture, including mattresses, as a priority for developing ecodesign criteria. This recognition highlights the strategic importance of the sector at EU level and the pressing need for sustainability improvements.
RetourMatras – member of DWMA, the Dutch Waste Management Association, member of FEAD – is operational in the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and France with 7 dismantling facilities so far. With an innovative approach, the company recycles 1.5 million mattresses annually into high-quality raw materials, making a significant contribution to the circular economy and CO₂ reduction. The company has already reached 80% recycling ratio in 2024 and 85% recovery of the materials for re-use, including foam, steel, textile and mixed waste, which goes to energy recovery. Through different technological processes, RetourMatras achieves an annual CO₂ savings of 101 million kilos, a significant step forward in this field.
