Greensleep

PRODUCTION LOCATIONS

• Rollegem, Belgium

Working conditions & living wages

The mattresses and beds are made entirely to measure in Greensleep’s Belgian workshop. In good conditions and — as you read above — without chemical or harmful substances that could be dangerous to people (GOTS certified). The craftsmanship earned Greensleep the Handmade in Belgium label, a quality mark for artisanal Belgian products.

Greensleep follows the production process very closely: from checking the fibres in India, to spinning in Türkiye, knitting in Germany and the finishing touches in Denmark. Greensleep is in close contact with its rubber farmers in Malaysia and Sri Lanka, and monitors working conditions there regularly.

MATERIALS

• Rubber
• Natural latex
• Wool
• Organic cotton
• Ash wood
• Thermoplastic
• Kroko zipper

For its products, Greensleep uses only 100% organic raw materials and checks their quality very strictly.

The core of every Greensleep mattress is at least 95% Hevea natural latex, from small eco-certified farms in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Hevea natural latex, what’s that? Well, it’s the fluid of the latex tree, Hevea brasiliensis. Just as resin flows from a conifer, latex flows from the trunk when you make an incision in it. That ​“milk” hardens into a stretchy, water-repellent material: natural rubber. Greensleep uses only rubber from organic, cooperative farms. So no pesticides or growth promoters. The latex is produced and vulcanised in Malaysia; the blocks are then cut to size in Belgium and Canada.

But a mattress isn’t made of rubber alone, of course. Around the rubber core comes a mattress cover of 100% pure Texel wool. Wool holds in body warmth without overheating. The Texel sheep provide the perfect raw material for a soft mattress. Greensleep uses no chemicals to wash, soften or bleach the wool.

You can choose a winter or summer cover for your mattress. Those covers are made using special knitting techniques in GOTS-certified factories.

The wood Greensleep uses to make its beds and slatted bases is FSC certified. No wood from vulnerable forests or rainforests — instead beech and birch from Slovenia and France. For every slatted base sold, Greensleep plants a tree in an area short of woodland, according to its website.

PACKAGING

Greensleep uses as little packaging material as possible. When packaging is needed, the company prefers cardboard over plastic. It acknowledges that producing cardboard costs more water and energy, but deliberately chooses it for better recyclability and biodegradability. Cardboard also helps prevent microplastics from being released.

Water use & chemicals

None of the products your head touches contain chemicals. Products are finished without chemical substances such as chloride, ammonia, silicone wax and heavy metals. There’s a preference for treatment with essential oils, and glueing is done formaldehyde-free.

Cotton is bleached with oxygen and is OEKO-TEX certified.

CIRCULAR PRODUCT DESIGN 

No waste materials are discarded during the production process. All cutting scraps are recycled or reused. Textile offcuts get a second life as new raw material for yarn, while latex offcuts are processed into filling for pillows.

Greensleep’s products are designed for easy disassembly. Every product and component can be separated easily for reuse, repair or recycling. In this way the company reduces waste and extends the lifespan of its raw materials.

Circular business model

Thanks to their quality, Greensleep’s products last a very long time. Is your cover torn or dirty? Then you can simply detach and wash it (or have it repaired). By making repair straightforward, Greensleep hopes to offer a bed for life. It’s not a mattress that has to be replaced every 10 years.

The mattresses are modular. That means you can also have them adjusted easily as your body changes. Need more or less support in your shoulders? Then ask Greensleep’s experts for help. Together, they’ll look at which part of the mattress can be replaced.

Distance & complexity

• Raw materials:
  • Natural latex: Sri Lanka & Malaysia
  • Flax: France
  • India
  • Wool: Texel
  • Wood: Slovenia and France
• Spinning: Türkiye
• Knitting: Germany
• Finishing: Denmark
• Latex cutting: Belgium and Canada
• Zip: Belgium
• Head office: Belgium
• Sales: Belgium

Greensleep is very open and clear about its supply chain. A relatively large part of it sits within Europe, with a few exceptions in Asia and Canada.

TRANSPORT 

• Transport in the supply chain: lorry

• Wool

The wool comes from a small farm on Texel, in the Netherlands, which the company visits from time to time.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Greensleep makes:

• Mattresses
• Beds
• Bedside tables
• Slatted bases
• Pillows
• Bed linen

SLOW FASHION PROCESSES

The company offers a range of standard models but also a made-to-measure option. This is especially handy for customers that look for a mattress with unusual dimensions, such as caravans and lorries.

Greensleep’s mattresses are designed to last a lifetime, setting the brand apart from the idea that a mattress should be replaced every 10 years.

Transparency at product level

The product pages themselves don’t offer a great deal of extra information. Mattresses do come with a kind of digital product passport via QR code, in which all the product’s details are described.

Transparency at process level

Besides the product passport, Greensleep’s website has pages setting out the brand’s vision, which also give insight into its processes. The brand also has a raw-materials page and a sustainability page offering further detail on things like material choices.