Mattress recycling and circular economy specialist The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) has secured an investment from Netherlands-based mattress recycling company RetourMatras. The partnership will enable TFR Group to grow its dismantling capacity to 1.5 million mattresses per year in England, transforming discarded mattresses into reusable materials.
The investment will support TFR Group in addressing the number of disposed mattresses in the UK, which has grown significantly over the last five years. By leveraging the combined experience and knowledge of the companies, TFR Group says it can create economies of scale, further increase material recoverability and realise significant carbon emission savings.
TFR Group doubled its sales and workforce over the past four years, and has recycled more than 3.5 million mattresses since 2012, with 30,000 tons of material flowing back into the economy. The company also rejuvenates mattresses, underpinning its commitment to key circular economy principles.
Nick Oettinger, CEO and founder of TFR Group, says: “We are constantly looking for opportunities to further our capabilities, and are delighted to be partnering with RetourMatras. The investment is another step in the evolution of our business and will be instrumental in optimising and growing our recycling and rejuvenation processes. The investment will enable us to provide broader coverage of our services, as well as accelerating business growth and fast-tracking our automation plans, ultimately driving down the cost of mattress recycling for our customers.”
RetourMatras dismantles mattresses and prepares the materials for reuse in the Netherlands. A self-developed, state-of-the-art automated process makes mattress recycling feasible and enables RetourMatras to substantially contribute to the recycling targets of the Netherlands. The company is actively seeking opportunities to expand its impact.
Chico Van Hemert, MD of RetourMatras, comments: “We are very excited to be partnering with TFR Group as it enters its next phase of growth. TFR Group is a great example of entrepreneurship in the circular economy. By working together with players throughout the value chain, I truly believe that we can recycle more mattresses. We can further transform mattresses into valuable raw materials by taking the best practices and unique processes pioneered by both TFR Group and RetourMatras. I look forward to growing the business together with Nick and his team, and jointly developing opportunities to make the mattress value chain circular.”
Alongside expanding recycling capacity in the UK, the parties are eager to work together to make mattress recycling more efficient by looking at optimising transport, dismantling and material recoverability – ultimately working towards a fully circular mattress value chain.
