Latex supplier Vita Talalay by Radium Foam, with headquarters in Maastricht, the Netherlands, unveiled a new patent-pending recipe for its Natural Vita Talalay at ISPA EXPO March 9-12 in Orlando, Florida.
The 100% natural latex foam in its latest iteration recently earned Cradle to Cradle Gold certification from the Netherlands subsidiary of the Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency, a research institute based in Hamburg, Germany. Vita Talalay Natural latex first earned Silver status in 2013.
Vita Talalay by Radium Foam, with headquarters in Maastricht, the Netherlands, featured its ͚healthy͛ new tagline at its ISPA EXPO 2016 booth.
The company also showcased its new branding at EXPO, which ties in with its Cradle to Cradle certification, and promotes latex as ͞”The Secret to a Healthy Life.” A new tagline emblazoned on a giant book dominated the Vita Talalay booth and reflected the product’s health, wellness and earth-friendly ethos. It incorporates four symbols representing “Food, mood, exercise and sleep”—all of which are central to overall good health.
Cradle to Cradle Gold is the highest product certification level offered by the EPEA Cradle to Cradle program, which promotes a “circular economy” modeled on nature, where all materials and product ingredients can be reused in perpetuity. The certification protocol evaluates a product͛s entire value chain from raw materials to product disposal, with the goal of producing no waste through recycling and “upcycling.” The certification process also evaluates the human health, safety and environmental stewardship of a product͛s entire supply chain.
“We have taken a first step by reformulating (Natural Vita Talalay), based on the Cradle to Cradle program, with an ingredient list delivering the best possible quality … replacing potentially problematic substances with healthy, reusable materials,” said Cees Zielman, Radium Foam general manager. “(Natural Vita Talalay) is better for the bedroom and better for recycling.”
Vita Talalay also is working toward the ultimate goal of product upcycling, the company said. Upcycling is the process of turning old products into something that is as or more useful or valuable than the original product. For example, recycling is when old foam and latex from beds are chipped and turned into carpet underlayment. Upcycling is when natural latex foam from an old bed can be turned back into virgin latex rubber and used to manufacture tires and other high-value products.
Vita Talalay by Radium Foam illustrates the ‘circular network͛’ that enables the upcycling of its patent-pending 100% Natural Vita Talalay into new, high-value latex products.
With the help of the EPEA, Radium Foam has ͞formed a ‘circularity platform of value-chain members to drive high-quality reuse of its Natural latex from discarded beds, the company said.
Achieving Cradle to Cradle Gold certification, from silver, was “a big step,” said Ila Farshad, Vita Talalay manager of business development. “This took years and years of work. No one else has this—it is extremely unique and far more comprehensive than organic certifications, Greenguard, or any other program.”
According to Farshad, the company is reaching through to consumers with a health and environmental stewardship message through a wide-ranging social media marketing program. It includes everything from a “Sleepblog” filled with health tips and recipes to a popular Facebook page with 35,000 likes.
Vita Talalay sells Talalay latex in five formulations—Superior, Natural, Intuition, FRS and Embrace—each of which is available in nine firmnesses.
