What is Product Stewardship?
Product stewardship drives improved outcomes; to innovate and create better products for both consumers and the environment, and to ensure a positive, sustainable future for our industry and future generations.
What is the ABSC’s role?
It works with the bedding industry and engages with universities, researchers, recyclers and other product stewardship schemes globally. The research, insights, ideas, and knowledge we build will be shared with our Members, Industry Partners and Approved Recyclers to help them innovate and improve environmental impacts and outcomes for everyone.
What?
Reduce the environmental and health and safety impacts of products throughout their lifecycle.
Why?
Who?
Everyone who interacts with a product, from designers to disposers, has a responsibility to reduce the environmental, human health and safety impacts of those products.
Expectation of the Federal Government from Industry
The expectation of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is that - Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers must demonstrate improved and measurable product stewardship actions which could include any of the following: expanding and improving the industry-led product stewardship scheme (for example through a significant decline in free riding); product design improvements and supply chain initiatives to increase durability, reparability, re-usability and/or recyclability; other supply chain initiatives that measurably support good product stewardship and circular economy progress.
Mattresses contain a range of materials such as natural and synthetic fibres, metal springs, latex rubber polyurethane and memory foam.
Landfilling end-of-life mattresses has negative impacts on the environment and human health. Mattresses are bulky, present fire hazards, contain chemicals of concern including flame retardants (e.g. PFAS), cause subsidence, can get caught in landfill machines and shredded particles can become airborne.
Low or no material value of materials used within mattresses hampers the viability of recovery and recycling.
The Ministers’ office expects that by November 2024 -
- Mattress and bedding companies which are not currently members of the Bedding Stewardship Scheme should commence formal participation.
- The ABSC should provide a report to DECEEW providing specific details of current membership, free riders and barriers to delivery of a sustainable, well subscribed industry led stewardship scheme.
Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence
The ABSC proudly collaborates with the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence in its mission to accelerate the uptake of product stewardship in Australia.
Through mentoring, educating and activating stakeholders across product and material supply chains, the Centre supports the adoption of business models that reduce waste generation and create positive environmental and social outcomes.
