Host: Roy Vercoulen, Founder of Circular IQGuests: Wouter Dijkman (Auping) and Arie Paul van den Beukel (Saxion University of Applied Sciences)
In this episode of Circularity: Why Bother? host Roy Vercoulen sits down with Wouter Dijkman from Royal Auping and Arie Paul van den Beukel from Saxion University to explore how businesses can scale circular design in the bedding industry, moving from mattresses to complete modular beds.
Together, they dive into the practical realities of circular product development, the importance of understanding consumer needs, and the critical role of collaboration across disciplines. The episode offers a candid look at design for disassembly, material composition challenges, recycling infrastructure, and the business models emerging from circularity.
The circular transition didn't happen overnight at Auping. Starting around 2010 with the company's first sustainability manager, the journey began with product analysis and uncomfortable discoveries: toxic components, non-recyclable foams, and materials that couldn't complete the circle back to mattress.
But this isn't just about fixing problems, it's a fundamental shift in how products are designed, manufactured, and recovered. Circularity requires patience, experimentation, and a willingness to expand project scope far beyond initial expectations. As Wouter explains, what started as developing a circular mattress evolved into developing machines, recycling infrastructure, and engaging the entire value chain.
As the conversation reveals: "Circularity is not a one-time decision, it's a continuous journey."
Arie Paul and Wouter explore how consumer research revealed surprising insights: buyers don't focus heavily on sustainability when purchasing beds. They assume manufacturers meet regulatory standards and instead prioritize comfort, aesthetics, and how the bed fits their bedroom. Interestingly, old beds are typically replaced after 15 years simply because people can afford a new one, not due to product failure.
This reality shapes circular design strategy. Sustainability features can't compromise core value propositions. Instead, circular innovations must enhance what customers already want. Auping discovered this when their polyester-and-steel mattress solution actually delivered better comfort than traditional foam-based designs.
"Understanding consumer needs is crucial" became a guiding principle, not just for marketing, but for designing circular products that people actually want to buy.
Design for disassembly emerged as essential for effective circularity. Arie Paul describes how the team physically dismantled existing box springs to understand construction, material volumes, and separation challenges. They discovered sideboards filled with "undefined materials", components whose exact composition was unclear, making recycling nearly impossible.
The insights were eye-opening: materials must be identified, separable, and consistent. Mixed materials like polyester-cotton blends that seem minor can shut down entire recycling operations. Wouter recounts how their recycling machines suddenly stopped due to filter pollution, traced back to polyester-cotton yarn used in the factory instead of pure polyester.
"Design for disassembly is essential," they emphasize, noting it requires rethinking everything from fastening methods to material combinations from day one.
Perhaps the most striking theme is the absolute necessity of collaboration. Auping couldn't develop circular mattresses alone, they needed recycling machine manufacturers, material suppliers willing to specify exact compositions, logistics partners, and academic expertise spanning industrial design, lightweight construction, and functional textiles.
Saxion's three-lectorate approach brings together these disciplines simultaneously. Lightweight construction experts ask whether decorative side covers could become structural elements, reducing both materials and weight. Textile specialists optimize for comfort while maintaining recyclability. Industrial designers integrate these innovations into products consumers find appealing.
This cross-functional approach reveals solutions and identifies problems that single perspectives miss.
Material decisions ripple through entire lifecycles. Auping's shift to polyester and steel created a mattress where 41% of materials now come from recycled PET bottles or returned mattresses, delivering 40% CO2 savings compared to virgin materials.
But achieving this required discovering that suppliers didn't always know what was in their own materials. Bi-component polyester unknown to the supplier reduced recycling quality. The team now works with suppliers' suppliers to ensure precise material specifications.
Wouter poses a provocative question about box springs: consumers just want height and aesthetic presence. Why fill them with springs, foams, and multiple materials without real function? "It's because we are used to do that," he notes, each generation adding layers to claim product improvements, creating marketing differentiation but not functional value.
While Auping has successfully recycled 4,000 circular mattresses back into new mattresses, significant challenges remain. The Netherlands and Belgium have extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations ensuring proper mattress recycling, but other European countries don't yet. A circular mattress sold in Germany or Poland might still end up incinerated.
Volume is another challenge. Auping is a small player in global textile and mattress industries. Achieving cost-competitive prices and recycling infrastructure requires other companies adopting similar approaches, hence Auping's lobbying efforts and interest in IKEA's potential polyester mattress investments.
The steel mesh base in box springs illustrates future potential: instead of recycling (remelting) a component that could last 100 years, future business models will likely refurbish and reuse it directly, maintaining value rather than destroying and recreating it.
Regulations play a critical role in circularity's success. European EPR legislation is forcing change, though implementation varies by country, with the Netherlands being a frontrunner. Harmonization across Europe remains crucial for scaling circular systems.
The conversation emphasizes that circular design requires long-term perspective, not short-term fixes. Success metrics extend beyond immediate sales to include material recovery rates, product lifespan extension, and closed-loop effectiveness. As Wouter notes, achieving scale requires regulatory support, industry collaboration, and patience to develop infrastructure that doesn't yet exist.
Throughout the episode, Wouter and Arie Paul share concrete examples from the circular bedroom project:
These stories demonstrate that circular solutions are achievable, but success requires questioning everything, from material choices to business assumptions to what consumers actually need versus what industries habitually provide.
The 'circular bedroom' project collaboration between Auping and Saxion University of Applied Sciences is co-financed by the EU through EFRO-Oost, a European Fund for Regional Development. For more information, see this link.
Circulair Productontwerpen Beurden, K. van, Oskam, I., Ogink, J. (2025)Boom Uitgeverij
Recently published book offering an accessible and practical holistic approach to circular product design, with examples from the research group.
As businesses navigate the shift toward circularity, now is the time to rethink how your organization approaches product design, materials, and end-of-life strategies. Whether you're just starting your circular journey or scaling existing initiatives, this episode offers insights, lessons learned, and inspiration to help you take meaningful steps forward.
To learn more about circular design strategies, material selection, and measuring circular performance, check out our latest resources. And if you have a circular design challenge or success story to share, we invite you to connect with us and join the conversation in a future episode.
Do you have something to add to the conversation? Cool! Get in contact with Roy by scheduling a meeting.
