STEP #9
Buy an Organic Mattress
Here’s something to think about the next time you buy a mattress: how well do you know what you are sleeping on? Many of us would not link our mattresses with global warming, but taking a closer look reveals that the manufacturing of mattresses and bedding is one of the major non-fuel uses of petroleum.
Most mattresses are made with large amounts of global warming-linked, synthetic petroleum-based chemicals like acrylonitrile, polyethylene, teraphthalic acid, ethylene glycol, polyester, nylon, and polyurethane (PU) foam.
Not only are these toxic petrochemicals bad for your health—they seep into your skin and off-gas into your lungs—but, like all petrochemicals, their production creates greenhouse gases.
“Unfortunately, the safety of these chemicals alone or in combination is not well understood,” says Walter Bader, author of Toxic Bedrooms: Your Guide to a Safe Night’s Sleep, “but what we do know suggests they could be causing significant damage to our health.”
Even very low levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), a flame retardant commonly used in mattresses and upholstered furniture, are now known to affect the health of the developing fetus. Another petrochemical used in mattresses, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), is a suspect carcinogen.
We also know that as well as being toxic to the human body, these harmful chemicals are contributing significantly to the greenhouse gases in our environment. One study showed that these chemicals are doubling in concentration in the environment every two to five years, when measured in people and wildlife throughout North America.
However, consumer demand for healthier products has caused manufacturers to take note and offer green alternatives in mattresses and bedding. Eco-friendly mattress manufacturers are springing up in many places, selling mattresses made from natural materials like organic cotton and natural latex (from rubber trees), and containing little or no toxic petrochemicals.
Lifekind, for example, is the single largest purchaser of organic cotton mattresses in the United States and uses an exclusive non-chemical sterilization process to sanitize its raw materials. While using absolutely no brominated fire retardants, their mattresses still comply with federal and state mattress laws for non-flammability.
Mattress-In-A-Box by Modern Comfort is made from 75 percent recycled or recyclable materials and uses non-chemical agents such as green tea extract, bacteria-killing nanosilver, and bug-repelling cedar oil. Check out the resources below for other great choices.
When it comes to wood for your bed and mattress frame, the most verifiably green products are those that bear the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label. You can find examples at If Green (www.ifgreen.com), or check out Tamalpais’s Eco-Styler bed kit which includes unfinished wood and hardware for twin- through king-size beds. A Natural Home also offers bed frames from locally sourced, non-clear-cut solid oak and uses tung oil (derived from nuts and petroleum-free) for their finish.
Futons offer another alternative to the traditional synthetic mattresses. Often made from cotton or wool, they require less energy to make and are biodegradable.
Buying sheets, comforters, and other bedding, made from natural materials is also a good idea. Choose organic cotton or wool rather than cotton-polyester blends (as polyester is derived from petroleum). They are often more comfortable too.
Indeed, sleeping on a healthy, green bed is an important decision with an oft-unrecognized real impact on our environment, our health, and our planetary future. Take a look in your bedroom(s) and see where you can begin to make changes today!
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