November-December . 2022 | @ Halal
Industry
19
A Muslim-friendly
Madeena Bedding Industries ( M ) Sdn Bhd seeks to create awareness about the usage of rebond foam in the mattress manufacturing industry
BY FATIHAH MANAF
mattress
INVESTING in high-quality mattresses will help people improve their sleep quality , especially at night . Aside from brands and prices , the most crucial element people must consider when purchasing mattresses is their materials . Unfortunately , most people are unaware that some materials commonly used by mattress manufacturers in Malaysia can harm consumers .
“ Most mattress manufacturers in Malaysia use rebond foam in their mattresses . Sometimes they do not use the term ‘ rebond ’, but more fancy big words such as eco-foam , green foam , reinvented foam and even re-engineered foam ,” said Dato ' Ibrahim M . Ishtiaq , Managing Director of Madeena Bedding Industries ( M ) Sdn Bhd .
“ They call them ‘ green ’ foam since the materials are recycled . However , these foams are made from old recycled mattresses or other syubhah ( doubtful ) materials , of which we are not sure of their origin .”
Ibrahim has been in the retail industry for 18 years . He started his furniture shop business in 2010 before being the first person to introduce the concept of a mattress shop in 2011 .
“ I adopted this idea of a mattress shop because I could see that the market was changing , and people wanted to buy products from a speciality store . We could observe that the demand for good mattresses increased . I built my portfolio there , and industry people started to know me .”
Green foam or industrial scrap ?
Ibrahim found out about the usage of rebond foam in Malaysia ’ s mattress manufacturing industry in 2017 . It was when he was appointed as an executive director at one of Malaysia ’ s most significant mattress manufacturers .
“ The manufacturer ’ s appointed me and tasked me to bring one brand from Italy . From there , I got to visit the factory and write about them . When I saw where they put the rebond processing machine , it was at the back of the factory .
“ The place was a hidden area . No one ever went there . Since I had to do the write-up about the whole factory , I requested to see it .
“ When I asked them about the foam , they said it was industrial scrap . We thought it was from the excess of the old mattresses . But no , almost 75 per cent of them are scrap from
China and South Korea . They were imported rubbish - the old mattresses that cannot be disposed of , as we cannot easily burn foam because they will release chlorofluorocarbon ( CFC ).”
Ibrahim explained that European and other developed countries commonly used rebond foam for wall and floor insulation . However , there are no such guidelines on its usage in Malaysia , leading to a big loophole . People take the opportunity to use it in mattress manufacturing as the scrap is free , entering Malaysia as recycled materials .
Dato ' Ibrahim M . Ishtiaq
Hi-Density Foam High density foam is a very firm foam . High density foams generally are not used to create the entire mattress because they are just too firm .
Visco Elastic Foam Visco elastic foam is another term for memory foam . It is a blend of polyurethane foam that was developed for airplane cushions by a NASA contract in the 1970s . The difference between visco elastic foam and other types of polyurethane foam is its slow response and low resistance . Its soft surface allows for contouring and its slow response lowers bounce .
Latex Foam Latex is made from the sap of a rubber tree . Latex is highly responsive , meaning that although it will react to ones body , it has a natural bounce .
Profile Foam Profile foam providing comfort to the mattress . The egg-crate peaks enabling increased blood flow and airflow underneath you whilst you lay down .
Coconut Fibre Coconut fiber is fiber from the husk of coconuts . Among other uses , it is used as a natural bedding material . Those that are allergic or sensitive to foam , may find that this all-natural , non-toxic material is a good addition .
Felt Fabric All felts absorb water and are good insulators . Felt can be used in many different ways . For mattress production , it used in between foam and the spring . This is way to protect both of the materials .
No compromise on quality and cleanliness
Touching on the process of creating rebond foam , he emphasised that there was no toyyiban element .
“ Your old mattresses , without undergoing other processes , got into the machine and blended , glued , compressed , and sold . No aspect of cleanliness . Foams , in general , cannot be washed .”
Ibrahim said when he started the movement to make people aware of the harmfulness of rebond foam , he received a lot of setbacks . Some people even complained to the authorities that he tried to spread baseless stories .
“ We Muslims should know what we use is halal or haram . Especially me , I knew about what happened behind closed doors . If I continue to sell it , I will be held accountable .”
Creating awareness of mattresses
He revealed that another prominent brand approached him to start producing for them . However , he declined the offer as they requested him to use rebond foam in manufacturing .
“ Another brand approached and suggested that we compromise . I refused , and they said the factory wouldn ’ t be making money . But for me , it ’ s not entirely just about money and profit . The main agenda is to create awareness and promote clean and better mattresses without using syubhah material .
“ My margin is low , but we ’ re looking at the long term . We can be the pioneer in the industry that does not use this material . And , Insya-Allah , the pioneer who successfully bans this material from being used in this industry .”
Collaboration with Dunlopillo for Muslim-friendly mattresses
Ibrahim shared that Madeena Bedding Industries was approached by Dunlopillo in March 2022 to collaborate and introduce the first Muslim-friendly mattress - Orthorest Klasik , Amira Series .
“ We choose Dunlopillo as our marketing partner because they do not use rebond foam in their mattresses . They match the criteria we seek in a partner . When we approached them to launch the Orthorest Klasik , they were pleased ,” Ibrahim said , adding that Madeena Bedding Industries also produces for Dunlopillo ’ s export markets .