Harrison Spinks Achieves King’s Award for Sustainable Development

Having previously received the Queen’s Award for Innovation and Sustainable Development in 2013, International Trade and Innovation in 2018, Sustainable Development in 2019 and King’s Awards for Innovation and International Trade in 2023, this brings our total to 8 awards since 2013.

The King’s Award win solidifies our company as an industry pioneer in sustainability, having made significant strides to improve our production, CO₂ emissions, and local biodiversity across the main beds business and within our component manufacturing division.

We have spearheaded responsible manufacturing through various initiatives and innovations since we began in 1840, including introducing a world-first pocket spring that’s recyclable due to its glue-less design, and made from wire that’s drawn in-house. We are also the only bedmaker to have our own farms to produce home-grown natural materials for use within our luxury mattress filling pads, and the only British bed manufacturer to create 95%* of our mattress components in-house, including our fire-retardant chemical-free mattress fabric that’s woven in Yorkshire.

The news follows the release of our newly-launched Impact Report which outlines a host of sustainability-focused initiatives, including plans to become Nature Net Positive across all operations and decrease carbon emissions from direct operations by 95% within 10 years, with the components division already introducing new manufacturing technology to reduce energy consumption by 60% as well as decreasing raw material usage.

We are one of the UK’s largest growers of hemp – a crop known for its environmental benefits, absorbing more CO₂ per hectare in its growth cycle than any other forest or commercial crop. This year we are increasing our flax acreage by 500% to 120 acres to replace cotton within our luxury mattress fillings, as well as investing into UK-based wildlife programmes to boost the local natural habitat.

We have also been successfully recognised for our sustainability initiatives at the Yorkshire Sustainability Excellence Awards, where we were announced as the winner in the Circular Economy Excellence category for our commitment to using responsibly-sourced materials in our products, such as traceable British Wool and upcycled luxury cashmere offcuts, as well as our dedication to innovation to reduce environmental impact.

Nick Booth, Managing Director at Harrison Spinks, said: “Receiving the King’s Award for Sustainable Development is a tremendous honour, especially after previously holding a Queen’s Award in this category, and it reflects the unwavering dedication of our whole team’s efforts to be the UK’s most responsible bedmaker.

“As a proud British manufacturer, this award win is testament to our commitment to driving the business forward through industry-leading responsible business practices that also enrich the lives of our colleagues and communities.

“Whether it’s actively encouraging biodiversity on our farms, supporting children’s bed charity Zarach with mattresses each month for children and families in poverty, or helping our employees achieve a better work-life balance by introducing a compressed four-day working week, we know the importance of making a positive difference to the world around us.

“We’re immensely proud to have been recognised by the most prestigious Awards for Enterprise in the UK. Having previously won seven Queen’s and King’s Awards for Sustainable Development, Innovation, and International Trade, this latest accolade only reinforces our position as world leaders in sustainable bedmaking.”

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are designed to recognise and encourage outstanding achievements in four categories: Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity. Successful businesses can use the prestigious King’s Awards emblem for five years.

*by weight