NEWS RELEASE
Tempur Sealy International’s two California manufacturing facilities have recently been re-certified as meeting the Sleep Products Sustainability Program (SP2) standards set by the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), the only manufacturer to have achieved this distinction twice.
The Richmond and Los Angeles plants were first certified in 2022, and both facilities have continued to demonstrate year-over-year improvements in their sustainability efforts, earning full recertification in 2025.
SP2 is an environmental certification program developed by the MRC as part of its sustainability initiative for California-based mattress manufacturers. It is a voluntary program designed to empower mattress manufacturers with tools, training, and resources to implement sustainable practices throughout their organizations. The goal of the program is to enable manufacturers to examine all waste streams from their operations, then systematically reduce the environmental impacts of their operations and supply chain.
“The continuing SP2 efforts by the teams at Tempur Sealy International’s Richmond and Los Angeles plants prove that sustainability is not a trend but a commitment. Congratulations, you are truly inspiring,” said Alison A. Keane, president of the Mattress Recycling Council and the International Sleep Products Association.
“I am proud of the commitment that both our Los Angeles and Richmond facilities have shown in finding new ways to reduce waste and increase recycling efforts,” said David Blackburn, Vice President – U.S. Sealy Assembly Operations. “Being certified by SP2 is validation that these two locations continue to do the right thing when it comes to our environment.”
Notable achievements include:
Tempur Sealy Los Angeles:
- Recycles 91.5% of all waste through several recycling and reuse programs. This is an improvement over the plant’s pre-SP2 recycling rate of 77%
- Recycled more than 1.2 million pounds in 2024
- Pioneered the use of electric trucks to reposition trailers, reducing emissions and fuel consumption
Tempur Sealy Richmond:
- Recycles 85.5% of all waste through several recycling and reuse programs. This is an improvement over the plant’s pre-SP2 recycling rate of 80%
- Recycled more than 1.3 million pounds in 2024
- Working to increase paper recycling after recycling 325,000 pounds in 2024
To achieve SP2 certification, teams at each Tempur Sealy manufacturing site conducted an in-depth analysis of their environmental impacts, developed best practices to reduce them, trained their employees in those practices, and then tracked metrics to evaluate progress. More recently, they have standardized recycling bin labeling, optimized recycling bin placement to support assembly work, and labeled equipment for energy-saving modes. In short, they brought their continuous improvement mindset to minimize material waste and energy use.
SP2 offers individual mattress manufacturers free tools and training to conduct an in-depth analysis of ways to reduce adverse environmental impacts, establish best practices and set metrics to track progress. The program helps them examine the raw materials they manage and consume during manufacturing and distribution.
SP2 was introduced in 2019 and is free to eligible California participants due to MRC funding. The training and certification process typically takes nine to 12 months. For additional information about the goals and benefits of SP2 or to participate in this no-cost opportunity, California mattress manufacturers can visit www.MattressRecyclingCouncil.org/SP2.
