British bed brand, Silentnight, is the world’s first bed and mattress manufacturer to commit to the Science-based target initiative (SBTi); one of the planet’s leading decarbonisation initiatives, with partner organisations including the U.N Global Compact, the World Resource Institute, CDP and the WWF.
In working alongside SBTi, Silentnight joins some of the world’s biggest brands including Ikea and Selfridges to set the following three collective targets:
Setting a Net Zero long term goal when it comes to carbon emissions Reducing emissions at a pace consistent with keeping global warming below 1.5°C Disclosing progress towards these goals annually and transparentlyAll businesses participating in SBTi undertake three umbrella strategies with further sub-strategies to move towards decarbonisation. These comprise mitigating fossil fuel consumption, reducing energy demand and switching to renewable energy sources. Then demonstrating that their own suppliers are also making these changes and collating clear, quality data to illustrate the impact of the supply chain’s changes. Collectively, these strategies reduce emissions both upstream and downstream from the brand, creating an even better overall result.
The bed brand is already making headway on its sustainability goals and has reduced its carbon emissions by 49% during the last four years alone. Projects which have helped the business achieve this success including sourcing 70% of its raw materials close to its Lancashire headquarters, using 100% renewable electricity, cutting one million kilos of fuel consumption and sending zero waste to landfill via its manufacturing site.
In the past five years Silentnight have sold over 1,500,000 Eco Comfort mattresses, bringing sustainable sleep at an affordable price to the mass market. The range features recycled plastic bottles that are ground and spun into supremely comfortable eco fibres. Silentnight reduces its consumption of virgin raw materials by using materials from 450 million recycled plastic bottles each year within its range of mattresses, pillows, duvets & mattress protectors.
Angela Moran, Product Strategy Director, said: “We’re proud to be market leaders in sustainable sleep solutions and have put sustainability at the heart of product development for many years, ensuring affordable beds and mattresses that also help to care for the environment are accessible to all.
“Now we’re taking these successes, which include reducing our carbon emissions by almost a half in four years and making an even bigger commitment by becoming the world’s first sleep brand to set climate science-based targets. We’re already making plans as to how we can work alongside our counterparts across the globe to take on our fair share of the responsibility towards ensuring a future below 1.5°C global warming, and we look forward to reporting even greater results as our work within the project progresses.”
Silentnight has made other shorter term, yet still major commitments, to ensure its business operates sustainably whilst other long term moves towards net zero carbon emissions are underway. This includes operating as a carbon neutral business by offsetting 3600 tonnes of carbon and investing in tree planting and renewable power projects in the UK and worldwide.
The business is also a proud supporter of The Marine Conservation Society, which works to maintain healthy seas and reduce marine litter.
