Hold the foam: How Eco-Friendly is Your Mattress?
It’s the word on everyone’s lips these days. Sustainability.
More and more consumers care about the eco-friendliness of the products they buy. Some producers (*cough, cough* Sheets & Giggles) care, too.
So, if you’ve been wondering about how eco-friendly your mattress is, we’re here to set the record straight. Consider this your guide to the sustainability level of different mattress options.
Just to give you an idea of how well you'll sleep on an eco-friendly mattress
Traditional Innerspring Mattresses
Sometimes, a classic is a classic for a reason. Other times, as is the case with traditional innerspring mattresses, “classic” is just a synonym for “hasn’t kept up with the times.”
A traditional innerspring mattress is a fine option if you don’t care about the environment but we’re guessing you do (at least we hope so). Unfortunately, these mattresses often use petroleum-based foam to cushion around the metal innerspring.
Bet you didn’t know you were sleeping on fossil fuels!
Memory Foam Mattresses
Memory foam mattresses have a very similar problem. All that super-soft, comfy memory foam is actually made using toxic chemicals, including petroleum, that can be bad for you and the environment.
Memory foam is often made of liquid polyurethane, a substance obtained from plastic. Plastic isn’t exactly the most eco-friendly material, to put it mildly.
Air Mattresses
If we had to guess, you’re probably not sleeping on an air mattress every night but just in case you were wondering, they’re not so sustainable either.
The plastic-y toxic smell your air mattress gives off? Yeah, that’s not a decoy. It’s a sign of the vinyl plastic and chemicals used to make the mattress.
Latex Mattresses
Natural latex, unlike the materials used to make these other mattresses, actually comes from a sustainable source: trees. The trees aren’t harmed during the latex harvesting so it’s a completely sustainable process.
Even the most eco-conscious person can rest easy on a latex mattress!
The S&G Eucalyptus Mattress
As it so happens, the Sheets & Giggles Eucalyptus Mattress is made from latex AND recycled steel, all wrapped in a Eucalyptus Lyocell cover. This is what's known as a hybrid mattress (because it combines latex and coils), which combines the best of both worlds.
The S&G Eucalyptus Mattress is 100% organic. It contains no foam, no polyurethane, no formaldehyde, no fiberglass, no virgin poly, and produces zero off-gassing.
The S&G mattress is available now!
These three sure look to be enjoying it!
Terms to Know
We put together this handy glossary of terms you should know along with their environmental impacts. Use it to impress your friends with your newfound sustainability knowledge.
Maybe practice your pronunciation first, though. Some of these are real doozies.
Liquid Polyurethane
Commonly found in mattresses, it’s a highly flammable material derived from petroleum. It needs to be treated with chemical flame retardants and can emit VOCs.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
These compounds are gasses emitted into the air by products like certain mattresses. They include formaldehyde (yup, that formaldehyde), trichloroethane, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), toluene, benzene, and perfluorocarbons. VOCs can pollute the air and cause negative health effects.
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers
These chemical flame retardants are also known as PBDEs. Try to say that five times fast!
They're chemicals often found in mattresses that can get into your system over time and build up in your tissue. High concentrations of PBDE are associated with lots of negative health effects, so many that PDBEs are actually banned in the US now but you may still find mattresses made with them.
Avoiding mattresses with any of these substances is a good way to make sure you're using an eco-friendly mattress.
So, next time you need a new mattress, consider the Sheets & Giggles Eucalyptus Mattress.
And when it comes time to replacing your old mattress, you can help the planet even further by properly disposing of it.
And why not top your eco-friendly mattress with some eco-friendly sheets, too? It's only right.
They're calling to you...