On 10 June 2022, representatives from Restonic iDream Beds, Deslee Mattex, The Mattress Warehouse, and Umgeni Estuary Conservancy, came together for a beach clean-up at Blue Lagoon Beach in Durban.
Durban beaches have been devasted by flooding in April and May, and many remain closed due to high pollution levels in the wake of damaged sewerage infrastructure and a sludge overflow from an oil refinery. Plastics and debris continue to wash up onshore, weeks after the last floods, contributing to existing levels of coastal beach pollution.
The clean-up group met beforehand for induction, and after cleaning up the beach, sorted the plastics collected for recycling (it will be delivered to a local KwaZulu-Natal recycling plant*), and then enjoyed a braai together after their hard work.
Michael Robinson, Manager: Sales & Operations for Restonic iDream and Green Coil, says that Restonic iDream Beds and Deslee Mattex, which are all part of the Integrated Bedding division of KAP Industrial Holdings, are committed to sustainability and environmental awareness, and the beach clean-up is one of several events that are planned for the year.
“At Restonic, we’re consistently working to manufacture the greenest beds in Africa,” he says. “For example, through our iDream Beds range, we partnered with the Seaqual™ Initiative to use plastic removed from the ocean in the production of textiles for our mattresses. These beach clean-ups are not only a way that we can serve South African communities – especially in KwaZulu-Natal, in the wake of the horrific flooding – but they speak to our values; the foundation of our brand. Many people don’t know that when they purchase selected iDream mattresses, the equivalent of 50 PET plastic bottles is removed from our oceans per bed.”
Mattress Warehouse previously partnered with Restonic iDream Beds for a beach clean-up in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape earlier in the year and has once again come to the party to assist with clean-up efforts in KwaZulu-Natal.
“We believe that good stewardship of the environment is our shared responsibility,” says Zaach Smith, Managing Director, The Mattress Warehouse. “That is why we as a company love to get our hands dirty so that all of us can enjoy safer and cleaner beaches.”
*The plastics collected during this event will not be used in bedding products.
