Reaching Forward

Stretching gently pushed us beyond the norm.

If you’re like me, you associate a good morning stretch with a good night’s sleep. You’re well-rested and ready to get the blood flowing and move on with the day.

Stretching also can be welcome in the middle of the day when your shoulders are cramped and your back is aching from sitting just a little too long. Or it could be part of a healthy workout, whether amid the mindfulness of yoga or at the end of an intense HIIT routine.

In any scenario, it feels great. A cramped or overworked body now has freedom of intentional movement. It gently pushes beyond the norm.

The cover of this issue feels a little bit like that to me. It embodies what I feel we as an industry are doing — stretching into sustainable practices that make the world better for all. 

You may have noticed that we’re weaving sustainability stories into every issue. Check out Dave Perry’s profile on Boyteks Tekstil. In addition to learning about the monumental amount of fabric this Kayseri, Turkey-based company produces, you can see how they are creating more sustainable products to meet demand.

Then there’s latex. In Dave Perry’s article about the latest products in this supportive, comfortable layer, we see several producers touting the origins of their natural product. Some have Forest Stewardship Council, Okeo-Tex or Global Organic Latex Standard certifications. Additionally, several engage in environmentally friendly practices in their factories, such as recycling scrap, installing solar panels or in-house wastewater management.

Because this is such an important issue to the industry, we will continue to highlight good sustainability practices. Many thanks to you who have emailed to share ways you are creating circular products or are creating environmentally friendly workspaces. I anticipate sharing these stories throughout the next year. If you haven’t shared your sustainability story with me, please do. You can email me at benglish@sleeppproducts.org.

Obviously, the biggest emphasis this month is on ISPA’s upcoming Sustainability Conference Nov. 16-17. I am excited to hear from the terrific lineup of speakers. There is so much to learn from these experts. I’m particularly interested in Andrew Dent’s presentation on “Concept to Practice — How to Get Started.”

It seems a good way to start stretching those sustainability muscles. 

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