Mattress Design for Remote First Nations Communities

The Australian Bedding Stewardship Council (ABSC), in partnership with the Remote OpShop Project, is leading an essential initiative to supply fit-for-purpose bedding to remote Australian communities. This project embodies our Redesign pillar, focusing on sustainable solutions tailored to community-specific needs.

The Challenge

In remote Australian communities, many people face unequal access to essentials, including suitable bedding. With over 150,000 First Nations people spread across more than 1,000 remote communities, substandard living conditions, high costs, and logistical challenges make obtaining affordable and good quality bedding difficult. Most available mattresses are not designed for harsh outback environments and often contribute to environmental degradation. Additionally, health concerns such as mite infestations that contribute to rheumatic heart fever pose significant risks, exacerbated by limited access to clean water and facilities for proper maintenance.

Our Approach

The Mattress Design for Remote First Nations Communities Project aims to address these challenges head-on. During our first community visit to Urapunga, NT, it became clear that immediate action was needed—many community members were sleeping on the floor, with no access to appropriate bedding. In response, we quickly engaged our members and mobilized resources to deliver mattresses, bed bases, and bedding essentials for trial in remote communities. These items will be available for purchase via community-owned Remote OpShops. There has been a lot of interest in the trials from the Remote OpShop leaders. This interim solution will meet the urgent need while we continue developing long-term, sustainable bedding designed for remote conditions and supporting a circular economy.

Our process is rooted in community collaboration, respecting local knowledge to co-create culturally appropriate, durable, and sustainable bedding. Our Industry Partner, Robovoid, and new member Social Living, have led this effort. Social Living, a social enterprise dedicated to circular economy, assembles the newly designed circular bed bases from Robovoid for trialling on country with the Urapunga community. Two of our other members, Vendella, and Zinus, have provided essential bed bases, mattresses, mattress protectors, and logistics support, making this rapid response possible.

Robvoid, Social Living, Vendella and Zinus have provided essential bed bases, mattresses, mattress protectors, and logistics support to this project.

Alignment with Closing the Gap

The Mattress Design for Remote First Nations Communities Project aligns with the Australian Government’s Closing the Gap priorities, specifically:

1 – Everyone enjoys long and healthy lives.
5 – Students achieve their full learning potential.
8 – Strong economic participation and development of people and their communities.
9 – People can secure appropriate, affordable housing that is aligned with their priorities and need.
17 – People have access to information and services enabling participation in informed decision-making regarding their own lives.

Why the ABSC is providing funding for this initiative

The ABSC is committed to Product Stewardship and sees this project as an extension of our duty to promote not only environmental but also social responsibility. We thank the Remote OpShop Project for their leadership on this project, as well as our industry partners and members for their invaluable contributions. We look forward to continuing this journey toward sustainable, respectful, and practical solutions for First Nations communities.

Our current members and prospective members are welcome to reach out to us at membership@bedding.org.au to discuss ways that you can support this project in alignment with your company’s ESG goals.

Stay tuned for further updates on how we’re supporting communities in their pursuit of quality bedding that meets their unique needs.

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