South Australia’s Circular Economy Reform

This article was contributed by Australian Bedding Stewardship Council.

The Bedding Industry Gets Involved

As South Australia’s circular economy shift moves forward, the bedding industry has formally stepped into the policy conversation.

The Australian Bedding Stewardship Council (ABSC) has lodged a joint submission to the South Australian EPA in response to the discussion paper Beyond recycling: Moving SA towards a circular economy. The submission, prepared alongside Soft Landing, Bounce Back and the Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR), positions the bedding sector as an active contributor to the state’s legislative future.

The EPA has acknowledged the submission, and mattresses were specifically referenced in the context of modernising the Waste to Resources Environment Protection Policy (W2R EPP). According to the EPA’s summary of submissions, 84% supported a landfill mattress ban.

For the sector, that recognition is significant. It places mattresses within the broader policy reform agenda at an early stage, as government considers how to transition from traditional waste management toward circular resource systems.

The Scale of the Opportunity

Behind the policy discussion is a practical challenge.

Current analysis suggests that up to 110,000 mattresses collected within a serviceable radius of Adelaide may be going to landfill each year. For authorised recyclers operating within a stewardship framework, that represents recoverable material and unrealised system efficiency.

A potential landfill ban would mark a structural shift. But implementation hinges on data, infrastructure and service capacity — not just regulatory intent.

ABSC’s Policy Priorities

In its submission, ABSC has outlined three areas it believes are necessary to support an evidence-based transition:

A comprehensive mattress materials flow analysis.

ABSC is advocating for a formal “stocks and flows” study in partnership with the SA EPA and Green Industries SA (GISA). Establishing baseline data would inform feasibility assessments and infrastructure planning should policy reform proceed.

A state-wide assessment of recycler capacity.

Understanding metropolitan and regional processing capability will be essential to ensure scalable collection and recycling systems are in place if a landfill ban is introduced.

Stronger procurement leadership and national alignment.

ABSC has called for product stewardship participation to be mandated in South Australian Government bedding procurement. It is also advocating for nationally harmonised resource recovery definitions to reduce inconsistencies and regulatory loopholes.

What This Means for Brands

For brands in South Australia, circular economy reform is becoming more than an environmental discussion. It is a regulatory and market signal.

Landfill policy, procurement standards and standard definitions influence product design, end-of-life planning and participation in stewardship schemes. Early engagement allows brands to anticipate change rather than just respond to it.

Clearer policy settings can also create a more consistent operating environment for businesses that have already invested in stewardship-aligned practices.

And for Consumers

For consumers, the direction of reform points toward greater accountability in how large household items are managed at end of life.

Recognition of mattresses within circular economy policy discussions reflects growing attention on durable goods and their material recovery pathways. If South Australia’s circular economy reforms progress, consumers are likely to see stronger systems supporting responsible disposal and recycling.

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As South Australia’s circular economy framework is refined, ABSC’s intervention signals that the bedding sector intends to be part of shaping the transition — with data, infrastructure planning and stewardship principles at the centre of the conversation.

Further detail is available on the ABSC website here.