'Richly deserved': Longford company wins prestigious sustainability award
Longford company upcycles more than 2,000 mattresses every week
A longford-based company has received the Sustainability Initiative Award at the 2026 Irish Furniture and Homewares Show (IFHS).
Cirtex, co-founded by David Garland and Rick Earley, received the Sustainability Initiative Award at the 2026 Irish Furniture and Homewares Show (IFHS).
The award was presented by Amanda Bone FRIAI, one of Ireland’s most respected architects.
Amanda is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, a judge on RTÉ’s Home of the Year, and a senior architect with award-winning practice DTA Architects.
This achievement follows Cirtex’s earlier award success when the company won the Green/Sustainability Award at the National Enterprise Awards, representing Longford with the support of the Longford Local Enterprise Office and Longford County Council.
Together, these awards firmly position Cirtex as Ireland’s leading upcycling company and a national pioneer in circular-economy innovation.
“Ireland faces a major waste challenge: over 500,000 mattresses are incinerated every year, a bulky waste stream large enough to fill the Aviva Stadium ten times. Cirtex is addressing this problem”, commented David Garland
The company has created an integrated mattress-upcycling system — proving that this waste stream can be recovered, remade and returned to productive use.
“We collect mattresses; separate textiles and steel and manufacture high-performance products for bedding, furniture and insulation,” remarked Mr Garland.
Cirtex now upcycles more than 2,000 mattresses every week, delivering carbon savings equivalent to removing 1,000 cars from Irish roads every year.
Michael Nevin, Head of Longford Local Enterprise Office, congratulated Cirtex on their success.
“Cirtex’s win is a testament to the ambition and innovation happening here in Longford. David and Rick saw a national waste problem and built a practical, scalable solution that delivers real environmental and commercial value.
"Their achievement is richly deserved.”