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Rest Assured Program Works to Recycle Old Mattresses

August 15, 2005 - As a family-owned business, Carrollton-based mattress retailer Sleep Experts embraces social and environmental responsibility as part of the company's mission and invites the community to drop off any old mattresses - at no charge - at the Sleep Experts Carrollton warehouse, located at 2853 Eisenhower St., Suite 400. The warehouse is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Through a partnership with a local business, tens of thousands of mattresses are kept out of area landfills each year, and Sleep Experts pays to have donated mattresses rebuilt for donation to area nonprofit organizations. Additionally, Sleep Experts customers may choose to have their old mattresses removed for this program at no charge at the time of delivery of their new mattresses.

Through this one-of-a-kind areawide Community Connection program, called Rest Assured, Sleep Experts works with more than 15 area nonprofit organizations that nurture and care for families in need, providing them with newly refurbished mattresses. Sleep Experts does not sell refurbished mattresses.

One Rest Assured beneficiary is Denton County Friends of the Family, a nonprofit organization that provides crisis intervention, safe shelter, counseling, support services and advocacy for all those affected by domestic and dating relationship violence or sexual assault.

"Sleep Experts represents an ideal community member, providing support for both the environment and the community," said Toni Johnson-Simpson, executive director of Denton County Friends of the Family. "Their contributions to Denton County Friends of the Family afford women and children leaving our shelter and moving into their own homes to have mattresses. I feel the mattresses donated by Sleep Experts are part of the journey to healing for many of our clients. For many women and children, it may be the first time in a very long time they have slept in a home free of violence and trauma. It gives a whole new meaning to 'Rest Assured'."

Other community nonprofits and shelters benefiting from donations of newly refurbished mattresses include Bryan's House, Family Gateway, The Family Place, Frisco Family Services, Genesis Women's Shelter, The Salvation Army, Women's Haven of Tarrant County and the Red Cross Dallas area chapter.

"Sleep Experts believes that a fresh start begins with a good night's sleep," said Christine Cook, Sleep Experts president. "In 2004, more than a thousand mattresses were recycled for community shelters. At the Tarrant County Salvation Army Command Center alone, we donated more than 200 mattresses, replacing all the center's plastic mats."

More than 38 million mattresses are discarded in the United States annually, according to a 2004 report by the Interagency Pollution Prevention Advisory Team. At this rate, Dallas-Fort Worth will discard more than 140,000 mattresses each year.

"While the community thinks about recycling paper, plastic and glass, the majority of people don't usually think about the importance of recycling our mattresses," Cook said. "Each discarded mattress represents 23 cubic feet of polyurethane foam, steel, cotton and wood. Keeping them out of landfills is just a matter of efficiently recycling them so their core materials can be reincarnated into any number of new products."

Throughout the year, Sleep Experts' Rest Assured effort also includes special collection efforts for families at shelters and for other organizations. Additionally, a portion of every sale goes to support the Rest Assured effort. For more information, contact Sleep Experts at 1-888-55- SLEEP or visit www.sleepexperts.com.