How to Really Choose a "Green" Mattress

Ever wondered the amount of emission that we contribute to in our daily lives. Using even the basic necessities can increase our carbon footprint. Here’s an article which explains how we can reduce polluting the environment by choosing a green mattress.

Also, read How to Go Green with Your Giveaways?

There are a lot of different labels out there when it comes to mattresses. If you want to make sure that you are buying one that is sustainable, you need to make sure that you know what you are looking for.

Environmentally Sustainable

The USDA offers some testing for organic products, but it only requires one part of the product to be produced organically in order to receive its organic certification. If you want all of the ingredients of a latex mattress you buy to be organic, you want to look for the textile standard that is appropriate for the mattress or the OEKO-TEX(r) certifications.

A more expansive label for mattresses would be the Global Organic Textile Standard or the Global Organic Latex Standard which require that all of the textile or latex products used in the mattress be made from organic raw materials, and made in places that are done sustainably and in a way that is entirely traceable.

The OEKO-TEX certifications are the Standard 100 and the Made in Green labels. The Standard 100 label works to make sure that harmful chemicals are not used in the creation of raw, semi-finished or finished textile products.

You can also look for a mattress that is made from recycled materials,  which would be found with the Global Recycled Standard label on it. That standard tests the processes that are used to remanufacture recycled materials to ensure they are sustainable.

Socially Ethical

In addition to being environmentally sustainable, you might want to make sure that your mattress was produced ethically.

In order to buy a mattress that was produced in an environmentally and socially sustainable way, check for the Global Organic labels or OEKO-TEX Made in Green labels on the tag.

The OEKO-TEX “Made in Green” label goes a step further than the Standard 100 label and makes sure that all of the processes used to create the end product are ethically produced and manufactured using environmentally friendly processes.

Emissions

If you want to make sure that the textiles in your mattress are not made from harmful materials or giving off emissions that are bad for the environment, you should look for the labels that are appropriate for the type of textiles in the mattress.

Some emissions can give off gas from the mattress you purchase for months afterward and can cause trouble for sensitive breathers.

If your mattress is made from polyurethane foam, you want to check out the CertiPUR-US label. If your mattress is made from latex foam, you want to look for the German Eco-Institut’s label.

Once you’ve decided on what new mattress to buy, what are you going to do with the old one? You should also look at recycling or donating your current mattress once you have a new one. This can be difficult, depending on where you live, so look into your local recycling center to see if they take mattresses. If your mattress still has some life in it, think about donating it to a homeless shelter or halfway home to help those who need it most.

The article was written by Jackie Kepler, who is a MattressReviews.net sleep professional. She enjoys sleeping with cats, but sleeps on a king size bed because she needs her space, too.

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