About a decade ago, two of historic Cabbagetown District’s long-standing organizations came together by planting hardwood oak trees that produce shade and improve air quality for the neighborhood’s enjoyment. Today those trees are healthy, vibrant and strong; much like the organizations themselves — Colgate Mattress and Trees Atlanta.
But that’s only where the story begins. Trees Atlanta was founded over 30 years ago with the purpose of protecting and improving Atlanta’s urban forest by planting, conserving and educating. With an original focus of downtown beautification, Trees Atlanta’s mission has grown to encompass a variety of programs focused on conserving green space, including the most comprehensive revitalization effort in the city — the Atlanta BeltLine.
When fully realized, the Atlanta BeltLine will be an unprecedented 22-mile “arboretum” — an elaborately curated, city-scale mix of existing and cultivated tree species that is at once an urban forest, an ecological connector, a corridor for scientific research and a collection of remarkable public spaces. Trees Atlanta has to apply unique strategies for reforestation, depending on the conditions and surroundings of the corridor.
This is where Colgate Mattress reenters the story. Colgate is a third-generation, family-owned Atlanta business with a 60-year heritage of manufacturing premium crib mattresses. Our factory is located very close to the beautiful Atlanta Beltline. During its construction, we learned from Trees Atlanta that the city was battling erosion issues so we donated pallets full of scrap coir fiber, the 100% natural material derived from coconut shell husks we use to make insulator pads for some of our crib mattresses. The material was stacked and staked down to provide an effective and biodegradable solution to erosion control in environmentally sensitive locations along the Atlanta BeltLine.
“The timing of reconnecting with Colgate was fortuitous, as we happened to be researching erosion control techniques for the BeltLine,” said Alex Beasley, Donor and Public Relations Coordinator for Trees Atlanta. “Alternative solutions to the coconut fiber provided by Colgate would have come at great expense and waste. Not only was it perfect for our needs, but also a practical example of innovative recycling techniques for BeltLine visitors.”
With this collaborative effort realized, the arboretum will enable Atlanta to fulfill the name of “City of Trees.” Additionally, Trees Atlanta was able to extend the use of Colgate’s coconut fiber by-product to aid in safe tree transportation, as a small scratch created during shipment can develop into a large wound for young trees.
Colgate is always on the lookout for innovative, eco-friendly materials to use in our products. We were the first in the U.S. to use NaturesNest™, a spun matrix material made from recycled materials that is also 100% recyclable. We source eco foam made from plant oils instead of the traditional petroleum-based foams. And some of our newest crib mattresses feature PE Foam made with recycled content.
These are just a few of the ways Colgate Mattress recognizes our responsibility not only to parents to produce environmentally friendly products, but also to our community and planet to continually look for ways to be a more eco-conscious manufacturer and minimize our footprint.
For more information about our green efforts, visit: https://colgatekids.com/our-story/environmentally-friendly-green-mission/
For more information about Trees Atlanta, visit: https://treesatlanta.org/.