Mattress Move-In Tips for a Sustainable Sleep

Champlain College’s operations team is focused on students’ getting a good night’s sleep with new, sustainable mattress options.

Picture it: It’s a warm, sunny day in August and first-year and transfer students pull up in their car along South Willard Street. Orientation leaders are waving frantically and welcoming them with sheer excitement. The trunk opens and it’s filled to the brim; our move-in crew hops right in, helping you carry your belongings into your new home. But, what’s in your trunk? What should you bring?

One of the most common tips you’ll hear when packing for college in order to reach the ultimate residence hall coziness is to bring a mattress topper. But before you go spend the big bucks on a topper, we want to let you know about some exciting developments here in the Queen City.

Good news

As of this summer, Champlain has begun a comprehensive capital planning process of mattress replacement in our residence halls. This effort is part of one of our 2030 Strategic Plan goals: Cultivate Engaged & Thriving Students. We know that getting a good night’s sleep is key to academic success and emotional well-being.

We carefully chose a new brand of mattresses after sourcing multiple vendors alongside our Green Mountain Higher Education Consortium partners at St. Michael’s College and Middlebury College. Because everyone has different sleep preferences, the new mattresses are two-sided: one side is firmer, and the other more plush.

“We hope mattress toppers won’t be necessary, thanks to these higher quality mattresses,” says Nic Anderson, Senior Director of Planning and Operations. “Every year at student move-out in May, mattress toppers are one of our most common items sent to the landfill.” The toppers are not recyclable and not accepted by local second-hand stores like Goodwill or Restore, Anderson added.

Starting with our first-year Victorian-era residence halls, all old mattresses will be replaced with either our new or best-quality used mattresses. When first-year and transfer students arrive, they will find a comfortable, worthy bed awaiting them. Students in our upper-year residence halls can expect the same process when their mattresses become due for replacement.

Good advice

If you are an incoming student or a supporting adult of an incoming student, what does this mean for you? As you plan out your summer shopping list, our sustainability and move-in experts recommend postponing your purchase of a mattress topper until you check out the bed in your room. We suggest you try out the bed for a few weeks before you decide if you want some more comfort, there is a local Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, and Walmart. This will also save valuable car space on move-in day!

Good partnerships

We have officially partnered with Sleep Well Recycling, a local Burlington-based company owned by Joshua Costa, who studied Marketing at Champlain. This collaboration will keep hundreds of Champlain mattresses out of the landfill!

“Our hope is that this freed-up landfill space will be used for items that are less recyclable, such as household trash,” says the company’s website.

Champlain alumni, employees, and students all help contribute to a better, more sustainable future. Join us in making a difference!

We can’t wait to welcome our newest Beavers and members of the Champlain community to campus for move-in day and Orientation on Thursday, August 25. See more details about Orientation and stay tuned for more move-in tips soon!