In this week’s Member in Focus, we talk to James Leinhardt, the founder of Levitex Sleep Posture Experts, about the importance of a good night’s sleep and why being sustainable is important no matter what you do.
To start off, why don’t you tell us a bit about Levitex and how you got started?
By complete accident – I was working in the foam business and met two neurophysios, desperate for a night-time positioning solution for their patients. I took on the challenge, and the outcome is that I’ve spent the past 12 years working with critically ill patients on their sleep positioning.
I then realised that everyone can benefit from sleep posture – whether bed-bound or fully mobile – and that’s how Levitex was born. I developed my own foam formulation and brought on a Pain Clinician as a Medical Director.
Levitex is a brand of pillows and mattresses, but our mission is to educate the world on the importance of sleep posture and to give people the tools to improve it.
When did you decide it was important to incorporate sustainability into your business? Is it something you are personally passionate about?
I’m all too aware that we are shipping blocks of polyurethane foam around the globe. I can’t change our supply chain or the formulation, so trying to minimise its impact was the next logical step. Sustainability should be ingrained into every business’ model – we have a responsibility to do all that we can, both to our customers but also to ourselves.
Why choose a Climate Positive Workforce with Play it Green?
It’s a great initiative and takes us that one step further to offsetting our carbon footprint.
I can’t believe, in spite of what we sell (which isn’t very sustainable in itself), that we are a climate positive business – it makes me so happy as I didn’t know it was possible. We are all about actually being what we say, so I’m proud to be climate positive with no greenwashing.
What does your team think of it? Do you think it’s made them more aware of their and the company’s environmental impact?
The team loves it and have started their own initiatives off the back of it – for example, replacing plastic tape with a paper, water-activated one.
We like to say that living sustainably helps you get a good night’s sleep, but, apart from that, the two aren’t really related. What would you say to other businesses who feel as though they don’t need to consider how sustainable they are?
What actually helps you get a good night’s sleep is optimising your sleep posture, obviously 😉
I agree with the sentiment though – knowing we are climate positive gives me great peace of mind.
Every business needs to consider their impact on the planet – we only have so much time before it’s too late, and the industrial impact on the environment is still way too high. I have four children and I worry about their future and what the planet is going to look like when they’re my age.
Do you have any plans to continue your sustainability journey, personally or with Levitex?
Sustainability is now one of the points we consider in project planning phrases. We ask whether there are better ways we could do things, look into vacuum packing whenever possible, and reduce our impact however we can. I hold the same values for my personal life.
Now the kids are a bit older, I’ve been able to get rid of my seven-seater car, replaced it with walking to the office, and haven’t regretted it for a second.
My staff are way ahead of me – I’m learning from them!
Finally, what does the future hold more generally for Levitex? Any big plans in the works?
We’ve just created Levitex 2.0 – an inherently antimicrobial foam formulation – and we are looking forward to launching it. We’re also working on launching a travel pillow.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I’d like to thank Chris and Rich, the founders of Play It Green, whom I’ve known for many years, for opening my eyes and helping Levitex be a part of the climate positive movement.
As a Play it Green business member, Levitex is planting trees to balance the carbon emissions of its entire workforce, reducing their footprint with weekly tips and through our Net Zero Framework, and regiving 10% to their chosen charity, Mind, to raise awareness of and support those struggling with their mental health.
You can visit the Levitex Forest Garden here; they have planted almost 5000 trees in just a year!
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