Are Innerspring Mattresses Eco-Friendly & Sustainable? A Life-Cycle Assessment

Are Innerspring Mattresses Eco-Friendly & Sustainable? A Life-Cycle Assessment

By
Quynh Nguyen

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Innerspring mattresses are designed to give you and your sleep a supportive bounce. Yet, are they equally good for the environment—not to mention the quality of your nightly rest? Unfortunately, greenwashing makes it harder for you and other consumers to find the right answer. So, we had to ask: How sustainable are innerspring mattresses?

Innerspring mattresses vary from unsustainable to sustainable, depending on the spring component. Using virgin steel springs is unsustainable because they come from a finite resource and require a lot of energy. Yet, innerspring mattresses with a high recycled steel content are sustainable. 

In this article, we’ll walk you through the life-cycle of innerspring mattresses. Then, we will evaluate their sustainability, potential, and shortfalls. And in the end, we’ll show you tips for buying sustainable mattresses made with innersprings.

Here’s How We Assessed the Sustainability of Innerspring Mattresses

The sustainability of innerspring mattresses depends largely on the metal used for the springing coils. 

Innerspring mattresses are made with metal coils that support the mattress and form a durable surface on which to sleep

Sustainable: The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level | Avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance”

Oxford Dictionary

To understand the sustainability of innerspring mattresses, we must assess their life-cycle and each stage’s sustainability. This life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a method to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and materials. Over the years, companies have strategically used LCAs to research and create more sustainable products. So, let’s have a look at the LCA of innerspring mattresses!

The life-cycle stages of innerspring mattressesEach stage’s sustainability
Sourcing of innerspring mattressesSourcing iron raw material for innerspring mattresses is not sustainable due to their nonrenewable nature. Iron mining has adverse environmental impacts, including habitat destruction, environmental contamination and pollution, and water scarcity exacerbation. 
Manufacturing of innerspring mattressesManufacturing innerspring mattresses is generally unsustainable because of the intensive use of energy. 
Transporting of innerspring mattressesTransporting can be a carbon-intensive stage in the life-cycle of innerspring mattresses because of the emissions associated with transportation and delivery vehicles. Innerspring mattresses typically travel from mines to processing factories and then to sorting centers, shops, and consumers’ homes before going to recycling centers or landfills. 
Usage of innerspring mattressesThe usage of innerspring mattresses is relatively sustainable because of their reasonably long lifespan.
End-of-life of innerspring mattressesThe end-of-life stage of innerspring mattresses is unsustainable because they don’t biodegrade. However, the steel spring component can be separated and recycled indefinitely. 

Overall, we can say that innerspring mattresses vary from unsustainable to sustainable. However, the actual environmental impact of a particular innerspring mattress depends on more specific factors, including: 

  • the sourcing of raw materials
  • the type of energy used in manufacturing and usage
  • the distance and mode of transportation

Let’s dive deeper into each life-cycle stage and find out how you can buy innerspring mattresses more sustainably. 

How Sustainable Is the Sourcing of Raw Materials for Innerspring Mattresses

Sourcing iron raw material for innerspring mattresses is not sustainable due to their nonrenewable nature. Iron mining has adverse environmental impacts, including habitat destruction, environmental contamination and pollution, and water scarcity exacerbation. 

What Raw Materials Are Used for Innerspring Mattresses

Innerspring mattresses generally consist of the following components

  • a mattress core made of springs
  • one or several top layers made of cushioning materials 
  • covers made of textile materials

There are various options for each of these three components.

The spring core can consist of different coil types, including: 

  • Bonnell/open coils 
  • offset coils
  • continuous coils
  • pocket coils

Regardless of the coil type, the raw material for this component is most often steel made from iron ore. 

The cushioning materials used in the top layer(s) can also come in various forms: 

The covers can be made of various fabrics from cotton to polyester, and from wool to bamboo. Regarding sourcing sustainability, the most important factors are whether the fabrics are natural or synthetic and come from recycled waste or virgin sources. 

It is important to note that innerspring mattresses can contain only springs on their own. However, many innerspring mattresses in the market are hybrid, combining the springs with comfort top layer(s).

Consequently, when evaluating the sustainability of an innerspring mattress, it’s crucial to look beyond the springs. In fact, to make an informed and responsible choice, we need to consider the sustainability of all components, from the core to the covers.

In the following section, we’ll focus on sourcing iron, which is the most common metal used for mattress springs. 

How Does Sourcing Iron Raw Materials for Innerspring Mattresses Impact the Environment

Sourcing iron for mattress springs is not sustainable because mining iron depletes nonrenewable reserves, destroys habitats, causes contamination and pollution of soil and water, and exacerbates water scarcity. 

Because of the significant adverse environmental impact of sourcing virgin iron ore, using recycled steel would greatly reduce the impact of this stage. 

Where Are the Iron Raw Materials for Innerspring Mattresses Usually Sourced From

Most iron ore deposits are found in sedimentary rocks around the world. The most abundant reserves are concentrated in India, China, Brazil, Russia, and Australia

Environmental regulations play a pivotal role in the sustainability of iron sourcing. The presence or absence of these regulations at the mining location significantly influences the sustainability of iron sourcing for various applications, including mattress springs. 

How Sustainable Is the Manufacturing of Innerspring Mattresses

Manufacturing innerspring mattresses is generally unsustainable because of the intensive use of energy. 

The typical process of manufacturing innerspring mattresses includes the following steps

  1. Turn iron ore into steel, which is shaped into coils.
  2. Construct the spring center: Steel coils are positioned within the mattress center in different configurations depending on the type of innerspring mattresses:
    1. Bonnell/open coils: Hourglass-shaped coils are connected with each other through a network of thin, spiral-shaped helical wires.
    2. Offset coils: Hourglass-shaped, squared-sided coils are connected with each other through a network of thin, spiral-shaped helical wires.
    3. Continuous coils: Continuous coils are constructed with a single wire, formed into rows of loose coils, and connected by helical wires.
    4. Pocket coils: small coils are individually wrapped in fabric, and the fabric sleeves are sewn or glued together. 
  3. Put layers on top of the center in the case of hybrid mattresses: Manufacture the layers of choice, either from latex, foam, or fiber batting. 
  4. Add the covers to various layers. 

Let’s now dive into a few key sustainable issues of this life-cycle stage.

Manufacturing Steel Springs Uses a Lot of Energy

The hotspots of energy use in manufacturing innerspring mattresses are drawing steel wire and bending wire to create coils. Manufacturing raw steel also requires energy. 

For example, an EU bed mattress report showed the electricity demand for 1 kg of mattress coils, including 23% recycled steel, is 0.394 kWh, divided into: 

  • 0.15 kWh for wire drawing
  • 0.244 kWh for coiling 

The same data set also shows a share of gas in energy use (2MJ per kg of steel coils). 

If and when manufacturing relies heavily on fossil fuels, high energy consumption could have serious knock-on ecological impacts. Using renewable energy (solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass) would significantly reduce carbon emissions at this stage. 

The Environmental Impact of Innerspring Mattresses Depend On Other Components 

In hybrid innerspring mattresses that opt for comforting top layers, the choice of materials for these layers is a deciding factor in the sustainability of this stage. For example, the chemical-intensive production of polyurethane foam has a higher ecological cost than the production of organic cotton batting, which doesn’t involve toxic chemicals. 

Where Are Innerspring Mattresses Usually Manufactured

The top exporters of mattress springs are Vietnam, China, and Germany

According to Our World in Data, Germany has the highest renewable energy percentage (24.35%) of all innerspring-mattress-manufacturing countries

The following is the renewable energy share in primary energy in those countries:

  • Vietnam: 22.75% renewable energy
  • China: 16.16% renewable energy
  • Germany: 24.39% renewable energy

How Sustainable Is the Transportation of Innerspring Mattresses

Transporting can be a carbon-intensive stage in the life-cycle of innerspring mattresses because of the emissions associated with transportation and delivery vehicles. Innerspring mattresses typically travel from mines to processing factories and then to sorting centers, shops, and consumers’ homes before going to recycling centers or landfills. 

In the life-cycle of innerspring mattresses, transportation typically occurs as follows: 

  • from mines where raw materials are extracted to the manufacturing locations where steel, coils, and other components are made and where the mattresses and put together,
  • from the manufacturing location to sorting centers and/or physical shops, 
  • from sorting centers and/or physical shops to the consumer’s home, and
  • from the consumer’s home to the centers for recycling and/or disposal.

Traveling Distances of Innerspring Mattresses Vary Depending on Their Country of Origin

It is uncommon for innerspring mattresses to have raw materials mined, processed, and sold in one town, country, or even continent. 

Here are some scenarios for transporting innerspring mattresses: 

  • Iron ore is mined in Australia and transported to a factory in China to be made into innerspring coils and mattresses. The innerspring mattresses are then sold worldwide. 
  • Manufacturers source iron ore mined in Russia and transport it to Germany to make innerspring mattresses. The final products are targeted at the European market. 
  • Iron ore is mined in Brazil. The innerspring mattresses are made in nearby factories before being transported to the US for retail. 

You can reduce the transporting carbon footprint by choosing innerspring mattresses that travel a shorter distance from the mines and are made closer to your home.

The Carbon Footprint of Transporting Innerspring Mattresses Depends Largely on the Vehicle of Transportation 

During its life-cycle, an innerspring mattress can be transported using various types of vehicles, including: 

  • large container ships
  • planes
  • freight trains 
  • long-distance trucks 
  • short-distance delivering vans 

And these various types of transportation vehicles have different carbon footprint impacts, as follows: 

To reduce the carbon footprint of your purchase as a consumer, you can choose not to pick a fast delivery option when ordering your innerspring mattress. 

How Sustainable Is the Usage of Innerspring Mattresses

The usage of innerspring mattresses is relatively sustainable because of their reasonably long lifespan.

A well-made innerspring mattress can last seven or eight years. Generally, the lifespan of innerspring mattresses is not comparable with that of latex mattresses but is superior to that of foam mattresses

The durability of innerspring mattresses means consumers don’t need to replace them too frequently, reducing waste generation and conserving resources. 

How Sustainable Is the End-of-Life of Innerspring Mattresses

The end-of-life stage of innerspring mattresses is unsustainable because they don’t biodegrade. However, the steel spring component can be separated and recycled indefinitely. 

Metal materials, including steel coils, eventually fall apart in landfills but do not decompose like some other mattress materials (cotton, hemp, or latex). Thus, steel springs are not considered biodegradable. 

How Circular Are Mattresses Made of Memory Foam 

As a principle, products made with one type of material, such as an innerspring mattress on its own, are easier to disassemble and recycle than products made with a blend of materials. 

At the end of life, the steel spring component can be separated and recycled indefinitely or re-used in a new mattress

The circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting. The circular economy tackles climate change and other global challenges, like biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, by decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources.

Ellen Macarthur Foundation 

Mattresses are bulky waste that take up significant space in landfills—often for a long time, too. Luckily, many companies have made great efforts to include recycled content in innerspring mattresses, moving toward circularity. 

Why Is It Important to Buy Mattresses Made of More Sustainable Materials

It is important to buy mattresses made of more sustainable materials because such materials generally have lower carbon footprints, put less pressure on natural resources, and are safer for both consumers and workers. 

Buying Mattresses Made of More Sustainable Materials Reduces Toxic Chemicals In Your Sleeping Environment 

Many mattresses are made with synthetic materials in chemical-intensive processes, exposing factory workers and end users to health risks, especially regarding the respiratory system. For example, one memory foam model was found to emit 61 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including the known carcinogens benzene and naphthalene. 

In contrast, mattresses made of more sustainable materials, such as plant-based latex or organic wool, are generally safer, as they don’t contain toxic chemicals and are produced in more responsible processes. 

Buying Mattresses Made of More Sustainable Materials Reduces Your Carbon Footprint 

Conventional synthetic materials used in mattresses are fossil-derived and, thus, have a high carbon footprint. On the other hand, mattresses made with more sustainable materials, either organic or recycled, have relatively low carbon footprints. 

Buying Mattresses Made of More Sustainable Materials Reduces Demand for Natural Resources and Waste Management

Buying mattresses made with more sustainable materials, such as organic or recycled ones, means that you can avoid fossil-derived mattress foams, which contribute to the depletion of nonrenewable resources. 

Additionally, using organic materials for mattresses lessens the pressure on landfill space. Keep the following in mind:

Considering that synthetic materials don’t break down for hundreds of years, opting for organic mattresses that are biodegradable and recyclable significantly lowers the pressure on landfills. 

Buying Mattresses Made of More Sustainable Plant-Based Materials Encourages Sustainable Management of Forests and Ecosystems

Sustainable plant-based mattress materials, such as natural latex, are made with raw materials from forests and plantations that are sustainably managed. 

When you buy sustainable plant-based materials, you discourage unsustainable practices like clearing biodiverse forests for cattle raising. Furthermore, you help reduce deforestation, biodiversity loss, and the effects of climate change. 

Final Thoughts

Innerspring mattresses vary from unsustainable to sustainable. The raw materials for innersprings come from nonrenewable resources, and the manufacturing process is energy-intensive. However, innerspring mattresses made with a high content of recycled steel coils can be sustainable because recycling reduces the burden on natural resources in both the sourcing and manufacturing stages. 

You can make your use of innerspring mattresses more sustainable by following these steps:

  1. Buy recycled or upcycled innerspring mattresses.
  2. Keep an innerspring mattress for as long as possible.
  3. At the end-of-life of your innerspring mattress, upcycle the material to extend its usage and arrange for it to be recycled or properly disposed of.

Stay impactful,



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