The Comfort Punk: Designing furniture for a low carbon future 🛏️🌱
Tue Jan 13 2026
We often talk about sustainability in terms of energy, transport, and food systems. But what about the place where we spend a third of our lives?
Sleep is foundational to human health, performance, and wellbeing. Yet the products we sleep on are typically made from petrochemicals, hard-to-recycle foams, and energy-intensive materials that quietly contribute to environmental harm.
In this episode, we explore how comfort, materials science, and sustainability collide in the world of sleep innovation.
Joining me is Richard “The Comfort Punk” Naylor, Founder of Yumi Sleep and a leading expert in mattress design, materials, and sustainable product development. Richard is redefining how we think about comfort, moving beyond mass-produced foam to human-centred, circular, and regenerative design.
🔎 In this episode, we explore• Why sleep products are an overlooked sustainability challenge• The hidden environmental cost of conventional mattresses• How materials science can transform comfort and wellbeing• Circular design in consumer products• What “sustainable comfort” really means for the future of health
✨ Connect with Richard Naylor🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-naylor-87a22337/📧 Email: richard@yumisleep.com🌐 Yumi Sleep: https://www.yumisleep.com
📲 Follow Sustainably Smart TalksInstagram (Host): https://www.instagram.com/dr.mak.6g/Instagram (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/sustainablysmarttalk/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@smarttalksustainably
🎧 Listen and watch Sustainably Smart Talks📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SustainablySmartTalk🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vpJp12TwhROJzHNI2abB9🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sustainably-smart-talks/id1812884027
💡 Sustainably Smart TalksWhere cutting edge meets a sustainable future.
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We often talk about sustainability in terms of energy, transport, and food systems. But what about the place where we spend a third of our lives? Sleep is foundational to human health, performance, and wellbeing. Yet the products we sleep on are typically made from petrochemicals, hard-to-recycle foams, and energy-intensive materials that quietly contribute to environmental harm. In this episode, we explore how comfort, materials science, and sustainability collide in the world of sleep innovation. Joining me is Richard “The Comfort Punk” Naylor, Founder of Yumi Sleep and a leading expert in mattress design, materials, and sustainable product development. Richard is redefining how we think about comfort, moving beyond mass-produced foam to human-centred, circular, and regenerative design. 🔎 In this episode, we explore• Why sleep products are an overlooked sustainability challenge• The hidden environmental cost of conventional mattresses• How materials science can transform comfort and wellbeing• Circular design in consumer products• What “sustainable comfort” really means for the future of health ✨ Connect with Richard Naylor🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-naylor-87a22337/📧 Email: richard@yumisleep.com🌐 Yumi Sleep: https://www.yumisleep.com 📲 Follow Sustainably Smart TalksInstagram (Host): https://www.instagram.com/dr.mak.6g/Instagram (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/sustainablysmarttalk/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@smarttalksustainably 🎧 Listen and watch Sustainably Smart Talks📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SustainablySmartTalk🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vpJp12TwhROJzHNI2abB9🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sustainably-smart-talks/id1812884027 💡 Sustainably Smart TalksWhere cutting edge meets a sustainable future.