Benefits of "Green" and "Natural" in the Bedroom
Natural
What are the potential benefits of natural materials? Can a mattress be constructed from only natural materials? What about fire retardants, can they be natural?
Synthetic materials are made from petroleum and can potentially “off gas” or “out gas”. This can sometimes acerbate allergies and respiratory illnesses. Also synthetic materials do not breathe as well as natural materials and can cause some to sleep warm or hot.
Ergo Bedroom has the most comprehensive collection of natural sleep options, Vi-Spring, Natura, Organicpedic, Savvy Rest, and Carpe Diem Beds of Sweden.
Fire Retardancy
Can a mattress pass fire retardancy regulations and be “all natural”? Yes it can. Fire fighters originally wore uniforms made from wool. Wool acts as a natural fire barrier when used properly. So yes a mattress can be made of all natural materials without chemical treatment.
Green
Green is a broader concept. It refers to the components, manufacturing and even transport of mattresses in terms of impact both to the personal and global environment. The concept of sustainability, using methods, systems and materials that won't deplete resources or harm natural cycles is congruent with the concept of green. The components don’t have to be all natural, if they are synthetic, can they be recycled or manufactured from recycled materials? Synthetic foams can be made from up to 20% natural sources. If wood is used is it harvested from “sustainable forests”? Are the boxes used in packaging from recycled materials? Can the mattresses be shipped compressed and thus more units in the same shipment creating a smaller “carbon footprint”. When the mattresses are disposed, can components be recycled?
Ergo Bedroom is committed to sourcing and promoting green products. Many of our products have Oeko-tex and Swan certifications.
