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Reducing Waste at Sealy

Posted: 13-Feb-2009; Updated: 01-Jun-2009


Sealy

2008 Results

  • saved $1.2 M in fuel costs
  • avoided over 3,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to taking more than 600 cars off the road
  • improved the efficiency of its fleet (gallons/stop) by almost 9% compared to a 2007 baseline
  • saved more than $4 M in material costs
  • avoided 650 tons of solid waste, equivalent to more than 46 garbage trucks
  • reduced scrap per bed (tons/unit) by 16% compared to a 2007 baseline


"As North America's No. 1 bedding manufacturer, it's imperative we take a strong leadership position in protecting and sustaining the environment. In light of the difficult environment for the mattress industry, we continue to make progress in the areas of our business we can control and the Green Portfolio Project further demonstrates Sealy's commitment to cost efficiency, as well as being environmentally responsible."
– Larry Rogers, President and CEO, Sealy

Sealy, the largest bedding manufacturer in North America, is actively measuring and reducing waste in product manufacturing and decreasing GHG emissions from product transportation.

2009 Goals

Updated: Reduce solid waste from product manufacturing by 4% and reduce GHG emissions from product delivery by 8%. To do this, the company has developed baselines for facility solid waste management and GHG emissions from product delivery and is continuing to:

  • Implement targeted driver policies
  • Improve truck technologies and routing
  • Improve manufacturing processes
  • Recycle raw materials

New: Improve efficiency of and reduce GHG emissions from its manufacturing plants. To do this, the company is:

  • Expanding its GHG baseline to include utility consumption in mattress assembly plants
  • Measuring facility GHG emissions on an absolute and productivity basis (GHG emissions/1000 units)
  • Setting annual goals to reduce facility GHG emissions

Progress and future plans

Sealy is on track to meet or exceed its 2009 goals to reduce GHG emissions from product distribution as a result of numerous initiatives, including improved fleet routing software, installation of speed governors on trucks, reduced idling time and incentive programs for drivers to improve fuel economy.

The company has continued to achieve significant reductions in solid waste by improving manufacturing processes, optimizing material use, and recycling scrap. In 2009, Sealy began efforts to measure and reduce GHG emissions from its manufacturing plants.

Want to know more? Read how US Foodservice is improving efficiency and how PRIMEDIA is reducing the use of forest resources.