Green Options » mattress

Discarded Dreams: Mattress Upcycle Contest!

Kelly Rand — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:30:03 +0000

Ever wonder what you could do with an old mattress? It’s pretty easy to think of ways to reused discarded clothing and bottles and cans, but a mattress?

That is the challenge set forth in Open Architecture Network’s contest: Discarded Dreams.

With over 40 million mattresses discarded every year in the U.S., this challenge asks that over 80% of the mattress be reused. Careful consideration should be made to the mattress’ deconstruction, as the Open Architecture Network is looking for a way to divert these mattresses away from the landfill and into new life.

Essentia Natural Memory Foam: Everyone Deserves Healthy, Clean Sleep

Megan Prusynski — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:00:57 +0000

The first time I slept on a memory foam mattress, I was in heaven. When it was time to buy a new bed, I was thrilled to find out about a new green company called Essentia, who makes the only natural memory foam mattresses on the market. Most memory foam mattresses are made of petroleum products, which are not only harmful to the environment, they’re unnatural and unhealthy. I want my bed to be a place of sanctuary and rest, not a chemical-laden nest of disease! Luckily, Essentia makes it possible to sleep healthy and green without sacrificing comfort or quality.

My Essentia mattress arrived in a much smaller box than I was expecting, due to their sustainable shipping efforts. The mattresses are compressed and rolled so they will take up less space on shipping trucks. But this is just the beginning of Essentia’s environmental commitment:

At Essentia, we fully understand the responsibilities of being a manufacturer in today’s society. That’s why we develop and manufacture products that produce 93% less waste during production than most mattress manufacturers. Derived from renewable resources, our 100% biodegradable memory foam are good for both the environment and consumer health.

We Have a New Mattress–How Do I Recycle The Old Mattress?

Sarah Pressman Lovinger — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:24:38 +0000

My husband and I are quite pleased with our brand-new king size mattress. It’s firm, yet comfy, and because we also indulged in some new down pillows, we are sleeping much better these days. But what should we do with the old mattress? I know the mattress delivery company removes it, but I am sure that they just send it to a landfill. I would like to dispose of our old mattress in a more eco-friendly way.

In looking for green suggestions on how to handle the old mattress, I googled ‘mattress recycle’. Nothing really useful came of my web search, however. Health department laws prohibit donating the mattress to the Salvation Army or another charitable organization, and I could not find a local mattress recycling company. I could try a local freecycle group, but the health department restrictions would probably come into play again. So we have a nice, new mattress, and we just don’t know how to handle the old mattress in an environmentally-responsible way.

I invite you, dear reader, to weigh in on this one: what’s the best way to dispose of an old mattress?

Photo from my personal collection.

The VJD Daily Tip: Rest Well on an Eco-Friendly Bed

Vital Juice Daily — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:46:14 +0000

Editor’s note: Today, we’re pleased to launch a new content partnership with daily email tip provider Vital Juice Daily, "your entertaining, uplifting, convenient (oh, did we mention free?), go-to-source for all things healthy and wellthy." Every Tuesday, we’ll publish a tip from VJD, and tomorrow, we’ll start featuring "Ask VJD," their health and wellth advice column. Today’s tip was originally published on August 31, 2007.

Considering we spend 1/3 of our lives asleep, what we put near our bodies (while snoozing) can be as important as what we put in them. Opting for natural and eco-friendly products can help the earth, eliminate toxins and give you a better night’s sleep—which goes to show you don’t have to be conscious to be health-conscious.

1. Non-haz Mats

A healthy bed starts from the ground up. Mattresses are often made with synthetic rubbers and fillers that pollute the environment inside your room and out, so look for a model with natural fibers. Our picks? Green Fusion Design Center’s Green Sleep collection uses natural rubber for a safer, durable alternative. Or try Magniflex’s new soy-based, organic foam GeoEthic mattress, which is available by phone at 888-642-4800.

2. Top This

Want to stop overheating in your sleep? No sweat! Natural fibers absorb moisture and control body temperature, giving you a more pleasant rest. Vivetique’s Pure Grow Wool™ line has some of the most breathable bed toppers around, including lining for cribs. Anna Sova’s organic cotton bedding is not only comfortable, it’s produced under ethical working conditions so you can rest easy.

3. On the Pillow

We release skin particles and moisture while we sleep, creating a perfect breeding ground for dust mites, germs and other impurities (and let’s not even discuss the one-third of people who snooze with their pets). A dirt- and allergen-filtering pillow like FabricTech’s PillowBarrier™ can ensure that your bedtime breathing is clean and pure, even if Fluffy stays.

4. Clean Green

Even the cleanest bedding needs a good cycle to stay fresh, although washing isn’t always green. To limit environmental harm, look for a natural detergent that promises to make the entire laundry process biodegradable. We love Ecover’s plant-based detergents and Seventh Generation’s vegetable-based line, both of which fight dirt … without a trace.