In India, furniture company offers discounts for donating old mattresses to homeless shelters

The Sleep Exchange campaign by Springwel encourages customers to donate their old mattress when buying a new one, with spare beds going to shelters to make lives more comfortable for the country's homeless.

The Wood Luck earthquake-proof bed coming out of Japan recently is an example of furniture going beyond the call of duty. Now, Indian mattress company Springwel is launching its Sleep Exchange campaign, which encourages customers to donate their old mattress when buying a new one, with spare beds going to shelters to make lives more comfortable for the country’s homeless. Customers looking to take advantage of the offer need to donate their mattress to their local homeless shelter and obtain proof of the exchange. They can then contact Springwel by phone or text, or visit a store with the details of their donation. Once confirmed, the customer receives a voucher for INR 1,500 which they can claim back off a purchase of a new mattress. At the same time, Springwel will also give INR 100 to the shelter the donor used. The company has already teamed up with a number of homelessnessNGOs to make the process of donating smoother. The idea behind the scheme is that shelters can boost their capacity, ensuring that homeless people who might be out on the streets get to sleep comfortably, while customers also get a better night’s sleep with a new mattress and the thought that they have done a good deed. What other exchange schemes could benefit society in this way?