Case Study: Mattress Firm Distribution Center

Overview:

• Location: Sumner, WA

• Facility Size: 132,000 sq ft

• Typology: Warehouse/Distribution

• Owner: Mattress Firm

• TRUE Consultant: All About Waste 

Key Facts and Figures:

• 2 million+ tons diverted from landfill in one year

• $78,000+ saved with reuse initiatives and right sized collections

• 2,447 MT of greenhouse gas emissions reduced by recycling and composting - equivalent to 1,806 gasoline-powered cars driven for one year

• Almost 100 mattresses reused and donated to families in need

Sustainability Goals:

• TRUE - Certified Level

• Percent of Overall Waste Diversion Achieved: 90.6%

What We Delivered:

• TRUE Certification Project Management, Consulting, Support, & Research

• Complete TRUE documentation preparation, submission, and coordination with GBCI

• TRUE Zero Waste Audit, material characterization, material and contamination quantification

• A TRUE Zero Waste Audit Report with detailed metrics, charts, and photos for all waste streams

• Analysis of materials generated, operational procedures observed, and more

• Actionable recommendations for onsite teams to reduce waste, increase diversion, and improve upon current operations

Zero Waste Practices Implemented: 

1. Source reduction: 

1. Paperless processes at the site help to drastically reduce the amount of paper that is used for all of the shipping and receiving, including many processes that previously relied on paper usage for record keeping.

2. Reuse & Waste Avoidance: 

1. The local team relies on reusables for onsite meals and snacks in the break room areas, which helps reduce the amount of disposable items being generated onsite.

2. Mattresses that are received from customers and are in good condition are cleaned and donated to a partner organization, where they go to families in need rather than to recycling or landfill.

3. Customer returned products and mattresses are cleaned and resold, rather than recycling or disposing of them.

3. Procurement

1. As a result of this project, Mattress Firm implemented a site level Environmental Purchasing Policy (EPP) for onsite teams to use when purchasing products & supplies for the site.

4. Correct infrastructure

1. Waste collection points were distributed throughout the site. Labels, signage, and color coding were added to each waste stream bin to ensure clarity for onsite staff.

2. The site had clear, source separated waste streams for each of the dominant material types that it generated, and each of these were collected on-call, helping to eliminate overpaying for more pickups than absolutely necessary.

5. Education programs 

1. A designated zero waste champion was selected for the site, from the local team, that is responsible for training other team members on the correct operational procedures to maintain zero waste at the site.

Summary:

All About Waste worked with Mattress Firm to pursue TRUE Certification for the first site in their portfolio of warehouse/distribution centers as a pilot project. The project began with a TRUE zero waste audit, to assess the site’s initial performance, and provide recommendations to begin on the pathway to zero waste. The project later pursued TRUE Precertification, a stepping stone to achieving the full certification while the site was implementing additional aspects of the zero waste program. Over time, through implementation of reuse, resale, recycling, and composting practices, the site reached a 90% diversion rate and was able to submit and achieve TRUE Certification. This is a testament to the effort that the site team put in to reach this goal, which helped not only to reduce carbon emissions generated from the site, but also helped promote local jobs, provide sleep systems for people in need, and educate members at the site. To learn more specifics about this project, review the project’s TRUE case study here.