Dow sponsors US-based Sleep Association's environmental programme
Friant, California - Dow Polyurethanes has become the lead sponsor of the Specialty Sleep Association's (SSA) Environmental and Safety Program, which aims to help consumers better understand the composition of the products they are buying and their environmental impact.
Dow's support helps enable the development of a new SSA consumer education section on its website, a training module for retail sales associates, and the creation of a social networking platform all designed to give greater guidance and advice to consumers on buying environmentally friendly sleep products, according to a 6 Dec announcement from Dow.
"Dow Polyurethanes demonstrates its commitment to the bedding industry by offering innovative technologies and supporting leading efforts to develop standards for sustainability and consumer education. The SSA's new environmental programme is one of the key initiatives helping consumers better understand the composition of the products they are buying and their impact on our environment," said Umberto Torresan, North American market manager for Dow Polyurethanes.
According to SSA president Dale Read, the Dow sponsorship is an important step in the consumer education portion of the group's programme.
"Over the past several months, we have been working closely with a number of manufacturers who are beginning to use our seals, and retailers who have expressed interest in making sure their suppliers are a part of our programme. Dow's funding enables us now to focus on the critical part of the program that is directed toward educating the consumer," he said.
Read said the additions to the SSA website were already underway, and that the retail sales associate training programme and the social networking platforms would be complete in the next 60 days.
The SSA's environmental seal programme offers three progressive levels of environmental and safe levels that manufacturers can attain. For each level there is a seal affixed to the mattress that explains what standards have been met, and a label in which the manufacturer lists the ingredients inside the mattress.
Boyd Specialty Sleep and Natura World are the first two national manufacturers to join the programme, and nearly a dozen more manufacturers are in the application process to adopt the new programme for their brands, the statement concluded.
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