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2020 Olympic Beds Made Of Recyclable Cardboard Will Be Custom-Fit For Athletes
By Mikelle Leow, 12 Jul 2021
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Image via Airweave / PR Times
As you might have heard, the beds that Tokyo 2020 athletes will use at the Olympic Village will be constructed from recycled cardboard. However, they’re not the tatty makeshift furniture you might have in mind.
Airweave, a Japanese company that will serve as the official bedding supplier at the games, has developed sleeping equipment to line up with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games’ sustainability initiative.
Apart from recycled-cardboard bed frames, its modular mattresses are lightweight, easy to set up, and are crafted from springy polyethylene fibers that can be recycled infinitely, according to a detailed Dezeen report. Meanwhile, the cardboard material of the frames makes them easy to transport between locations, as well as straightforward to assemble. The firm will also provide the Games’ pillows and duvets.
Image via Airweave / PR Times
18,000 sets of beds and mattresses have been prepared, and due to their resilience in spite of recycling, 8,000 of them will be saved for the Paralympics. Following the events, the beds will be donated to national organizations.
Ergonomics-wise, the mattresses are made up of three bouncy parts to individually target the head and shoulders, the waist, and the legs, for optimal spinal support and sleep posture.
Image via Airweave / PR Times
But comfort levels aren’t limited to a default setup—like clothes, there’s no one-size-fits-all. Athletes can choose between four firmness levels, the resistance of individual sections, or even add a pillowy layer for extra softness.
Olympians can visit a dedicated center in the Olympic Village to have their beddings custom-fitted to their body types and preferences. In addition, an app lets them get help from afar as they can upload photos and input physical measurements for suggestions.
Image via Airweave / PR Times
Given the toll intensive training sessions can take on competitors’ bodies, quality bedding tailor-made for them will do wonders for their mental health at the high-strung events.
[via Dezeen, images via Airweave / PR Times]
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