ReMat: from prototype to circular life-cycle mattress

It has already been two years since Pramod Agrawal told us all about the ReMat project. At the time, he brought along two bags with small prototypes of the completely circularly-made mattress and cover material of the future. We have now arrived in that future, and Pramod has ten full-size mattresses with covers.

What could be the impact of this sustainable alternative? Just consider the 40,000 mattresses that are written off annually in the Dutch health sector. Thanks to ReMat, the lifespan of a mattress in this sector could be at least doubled, from 5 to approximately 10 years. Reason enough to be nominated for the RAAK Award 2025.

All about people

What does this nomination mean for Pramod? He explains: “I mainly see it as recognition of our innovative product. A product that can have a major social impact in various key areas. The population is growing and ageing, not only in the Netherlands, but across all of Europe. ReMat is all about circularity and sustainability; we need to move towards a situation where we recycle more and production chains are circular.”

At the same time, ReMat is all about people. According to Pramod, clients in the healthcare sector have the right to more comfort and better sleep, which also helps them recover and leave our overcrowded hospitals more quickly. After all: more comfort and better sleep ensure faster recovery, with less chance of pressure sores. In addition to comfort, the easily washable material used in ReMat ensures greater hygiene. And while the healthcare sector still often uses mattress covers that are poor at removing moisture, the ReMat mattress cover is made of highly breathable material. Very pleasant if you have to stay in bed for a long time.

A helping hand

The new mattresses and covers are also a solution for healthcare providers and professionals. The mattress is remarkably light making it easier to move. Pramod talks about a test he conducted with the help of several healthcare professionals: “We delivered ten mattresses to a care centre. Subsequently, some clients slept on our mattresses there without knowing it. They didn't complain, so we consider that a positive! In a follow-up phase of the project, we want to test more thoroughly with more people.”

ReMat has involved several local SME partners in the project, both in terms of production and recycling. Pramod specifically mentions the valuable expertise of someone like Jos Jochem, a former employee at Deron Medical Sleepsolutions and member of the ReMat advisory board. Students also played an invaluable part in the project: “They were one of our key strengths; ReMat’s success is largely due to them. We were helped by more than sixty students: from Saxion, University of Twente and ROC Twente, but also by Erasmus students and international students. They all came from very different backgrounds, from textiles and nursing to industrial design and marketing.”

Secret ingredient

One international student who played an exceptional role is Tanjila Mounita. In fact, Tanjila, who has now completed her Saxion bachelor’s degree in Fashion and Textile Technologies, remains involved with ReMat to this day. So far she has contributed in both the research and production phases. She embodies what Pramod believes is ReMat’s secret ingredient: the relentless intrinsic motivation of everyone involved.

Should Pramod win the 2025 RAAK Award, he plans to use the prize to bring the developed mattresses and covers even closer to a broad market introduction. So that hospitals and care centres can finally use his key innovations in practice. Incidentally, had he already mentioned that ReMat's material has much wider applications? “In wheelchairs, for example,” says Pramod. “Our story is far from over.”

Photography and video: Thomas Busschers