NEWS RELEASE
ST. CLAIR, Mich. (Aug. 17, 2026) — Jim Turner, CEO of SABA North America and a longtime leader in adhesive innovation for the mattress industry, will open the 2026 ISPA Sustainability Conference, Sept. 23-24 in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a presentation focused on how manufacturers can make meaningful progress toward sustainability without sacrificing product performance, manufacturing efficiency or profitability.
Turner’s presentation will draw on his experience advancing adhesive technologies that respond to changing manufacturing requirements while remaining commercially practical. His message will center on an approach to sustainability that recognizes the need to improve product circularity and end-of-life recovery while developing solutions manufacturers can realistically adopt and scale.
“Sustainability solutions only move the industry forward if manufacturers can actually put them to work,” Turner said. “We have to look at the entire equation: performance, process efficiency, recyclability and cost. The opportunity is to develop technologies that address sustainability challenges while also making sense for the businesses expected to adopt them.”
That philosophy has increasingly shaped SABA’s innovation strategy as mattress manufacturers, suppliers and recyclers confront the complexities of creating more circular products. Adhesives present a particular challenge: Manufacturers require strong, durable bonds that perform throughout the life of a mattress, while those same bond lines can complicate the separation and recovery of materials at end of life.
Turner will examine that tension and discuss how adhesive innovation can help bridge the needs of production and recycling. One area he will explore is mono-material design, an approach that can simplify recycling by increasing material compatibility within a product. He will highlight two SABA technologies that demonstrate how adhesive chemistry can support this strategy.
Sabamelt 4751 is a polypropylene-based adhesive designed for pocket coil production. By matching the adhesive chemistry to the materials being bonded, manufacturers can support recycling without first requiring the adhesive to be extracted or separated.
Sababond 3245 is a polyurethane-based adhesive developed for bonding polyurethane foam. The technology combines high-performance bonding with low application volumes and cost-effective processing while supporting the potential for chemical recycling of polyurethane foam. Its development raises a broader question Turner will explore: Could chemical recycling become an important part of the future for mattress foam recovery?
“Adhesives have historically been viewed as one of the complications at end of life, and we understand why,” Turner said. “Our responsibility is to look at those challenges from the recycler’s perspective as well as the manufacturer’s and ask how adhesive technology itself can become part of the solution.”
The ISPA Sustainability Conference brings together leaders from across the mattress industry and supply chain to examine sustainability challenges, emerging technologies and opportunities to advance more circular products and processes. SABA is also a proud sponsor of the 2026 conference.
