Award and new launches at Hypnos

Bed industry innovators and British family-owned bed manufacturer, Hypnos, has been awarded The Sustainability Award by the National Bed Federation for its outstanding commitment to sustainable design and sustainable business operation for more than a decade.

The pioneering heritage brand is renowned for its passion and dedication to sustainability, which runs through every part of the business. This passion was recognised by a panel of National Bed Federation judges, made up of David Fitzsimons, director of Oakdene Hollins and the European Remanufacturing Council, Amy Peace from Innovate UK and Professor Martin Charter from the University for the Creative Arts.

The judges were highly impressed by the way Hypnos placed sustainability at the heart of every aspect of the business, from product design to end of life management of its products, and the responsible procurement process and traceable materials used to create its ethical beds.

The award is just one of the autumn highlights as Hypnos Contract Beds has unveiled its new, ethical Origins collection for the hospitality sector at this year’s Independent Hotel Show. The collection is designed to support the hospitality industry in its efforts to create a greener future for travel without having to compromise on luxury.

The fully sustainable collection will comprise three luxury, durable mattresses, all of which will be fully recyclable, meaning that they will never need to end up in landfill. Embodying Hypnos’ commitment to using natural materials the collection features a comprehensive choice of sustainable fibres with unparalleled traceability credentials.

The first model launched is the Woolsleepers Elite, a hand-finished pocket sprung mattress featuring 11 layers of sustainable comfort. Upholstered in beautiful unbleached, naturally fire-retardant woven cotton and viscose ticking, the mattress uses 100 per cent British Wool.

The National Bed Federation award judges noted Hypnos’s ongoing sustainability journey and efforts to minimise its environmental impact by using only the most ethically sourced materials and sustainable manufacturing methods. Hypnos was the first carbon neutral bed maker in the world and has held this prestigious title for ten years, having offset 9,550 tonnes of CO2 in that time and 802 tonnes in 2019/2020 alone. The ethically minded bed maker and sustainable sleep brand also spent 18 months developing 100 per cent recyclable packaging, made from a combination of renewable and carbon dioxide depleting sugar cane ethanol and recycled plastic. Through this Hypnos has reduced their carbon footprint by almost four times the industry norm. In a bid to encourage others in the industry to be more

sustainable they decided not to patent or trademark it so others can make the switch from single use plastic.

James Keen, Hypnos chief executive, said: “We’re pioneers for sustainable change so we’re always looking at ways we can improve or enhance the ethical way in which we operate. Receiving this award recognises this commitment and means so much to everyone in the business. We’re all incredibly passionate about being sustainable and this award is testament to the dedication of every employee in the business who works extremely hard to ensure that every bed we produce meets our exacting ethical standards.”

The last 12 months has seen Hypnos achieve the prestigious ‘The Planet Mark – Carbon Neutral Certification’, the Global Recycling Standard and a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development for its commitment to environmentally-friendly design, sourcing transparency and ethical bed-making.

Hypnos works with other likeminded companies to responsibly source materials, and ensure they are not only high quality but traceable to their origins, traded fairly and from suppliers and farmers that care about the health of soil and animals. Hypnos partners with the likes of the Better Cotton Initiative and CottonConnect to source ethical cotton and works with Red Tractor, The Woolkeepers and even Waitrose farmers to source traceable and ethical British wool.