NaturesBedroom.com

The 7 Sins of Greenwashing

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:38:00 -0600

By Dan Shapley from The Daily Green

According to one set of high standards, only 2% of products claiming in some way to be "green" actually measure up. The rest -- a whopping 98% -- are making false claims that mislead consumers into thinking a product is sustainable.

Things are so bad out there that the report's author, TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, had to add a seventh sin of greenwashing to the original six it developed for its first report, in 2007.

Since then, the market for green products has exploded; the rate of green advertising has tripled from 2006 to 2009, according to one TerraChoice survey. Of 2,219 products surveyed in North America in 2009, 98% committed at least one "sin" that could mislead consumers. The most sinful categories of products: kids toys and baby products, cosmetics and cleaning products.

Terrachoice defines greenwashing as "the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service." For consumers trying to make responsible decisions in the marketplace, it's a huge problem.

For more thoughts, from a different and venerable institution, consult Consumer's Union, which publishes the great Greener Choices Eco-Label Center. Beware terms like "eco-safe", "eco-secure", "eco-preferred" and "natural" which are meaningless.

The 7 Sins of Greenwashing

1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off: If a product claims to be green in one sense, but ignores other significant impacts, the marketers sin. According to TerraChoice: "Paper, for example, is not necessarily environmentally-preferable just because it comes from a sustainably-harvested forest. Other important environmental issues in the paper-making process, including energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and water and air pollution, may be equally or more significant."

2. Sin of No Proof: If you can't prove it with reputable third-party verification, you can't claim it, according to TerraChoice: "Common examples are facial or toilet tissue products that claim various percentages of post-consumer recycled content without providing any evidence."

3. Sin of Vagueness: Terms such as "all-natural," "environmentally friendly" and other vague or unregulated descriptors can mislead consumers. TerraChoice points out: "Arsenic, uranium, mercury, and formaldehyde are all naturally occurring, and poisonous. 'All natural' isn't necessarily 'green'."

4. The (new) Sin of Worshiping False Labels: Often, a product has an official-looking seal, but the seal is meaningless because it is dreamed up by the product marketers themselves, without any application of third-party standards.

5. Sin of Irrelevance: If a claim is true, but doesn't distinguish the product in any meaningful way, marketers have sinned. According to TerraChoice: "'CFC-free' is a common example, since it is a frequent claim despite the fact that CFCs (that's chlorofluorocarbons - the chemical that depletes the ozone layer) are banned by law."

6. Sin of the Lesser of Two Evils: Even if a green marketing claim is true -- the cigarette is organic, or the SUV has a hybrid engine -- it fails this TerraChoice test if the claim fails to recognize the overall harm caused by the product. The SUV may get better mileage than others in its class, but still achieve dismal fuel economy when compared to other vehicles; the cigarette, however organic, still causes lung cancer.

7. Sin of Fibbing: Simple. It's a lie. Some companies will go as far as claiming to be certified organic or Energy Star-certified, but cannot back up the certification.

Get Green Dreams

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:54:00 -0600

By Gloria Dawson

Instead of your conventional cotton set, whose plants are sprayed with pesticides and chemicals, why not try 100% organic cotton?

You might be getting the recommended eight hours of sleep, but can you really rest easy on your old cotton sheets? Traditional cotton is one of the most highly sprayed products. By switching to organic cotton you'll be keeping the environment and your family safer. Try sets that go a step further, using only low-impact dyes, which create less water waste and use no heavy metals.

You know you've been dreaming about a greener tomorrow. Make it a reality by protecting your largest organ (your skin) all night long.

In Europe, a Call for Labeling Personal Care Products to Protect the Unborn

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:35:00 -0700

By Dan Shapely

Some advocates and scientists in the U.K. are calling for new Europe-wide labeling system to warn pregnant women against using certain personal care products, like hairspray and some cosmetics, because of a perceived risk to their unborn children, according to the London Independent.

According to the Independent:

"The move follows the publication of a study which found that women exposed to high levels of hairspray during pregnancy were twice as likely to have babies born with hypospadias, a condition in which the urinary tract grows on the underside of the penis. The Imperial College London study suggested that the birth defects were linked to chemicals in hairspray shown to disrupt the hormonal systems in the body and affect reproductive development.

"Fears over the effects of chemicals such as parabens, commonly used in cosmetics as a preservative, and phthalates, used in hairspray, have led to calls for closer monitoring of cosmetics. High levels of phthalates, also used to soften plastics such as PVC, have been found to affect hormone levels, while parabens have been the subject of concern since 2004, when a study claimed to have detected parabens from deodorants in cancerous breast tissue.

"The French health minister Roselyne Bachelot sparked debate last week by announcing that the French health authorities were considering a labelling system for cosmetics that would indicate whether or not products were safe for pregnant women. But the UK government said that the EU should address the issue as a whole, adding it to a range of changes currently being made to the European Cosmetics Directive."

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) said: "BERR does not think this is something which is suitable for individual countries to take forward unilaterally and hope that the French raise this during the current negotiations on the revision of the cosmetics directive, where a discussion can take place among experts on cosmetic products".

A separate study recently found that adolescent girls in the United States have 16 different chemicals from four chemical classes in their blood and urine that might disrupt the normal functioning of their hormonal systems.

These endocrine disruptors -- phthalates, triclosan, parabens and musks -- are associated with cosmetics and body care products, which teen girls use in higher doses than other segments of the population, according to the Environmental Working Group, which conducted study. Further, because young women are going through rapid development, their longterm health, particularly their reproductive health, could be at risk.

The health risks of the chemicals is not definitively understood, but each has been the target of efforts by consumer, health and environmental advocates who view independent scientific findings as justification for limiting or eliminating exposure.

Because these chemicals mimic hormones, they may cause effects at very low levels, just as hormones act naturally as chemical messengers to cause changes in the body at low concentrations.

The 20 teens tested -- a small sample that can only raise more questions, rather than definitively describe exposure rates -- used an average of more than 16 personal care products daily.

Finding cosmetics and personal care products free of suspect ingredients is notoriously difficult. Labels are often misleading, ingredients are listed with confusing alternative descriptions or not at all, and many terms -- like natural or even organic -- commonly found on labels are unregulated.

Finally, Answers to Nagging Chemical Toxicity Questions

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:36:00 -0600

By Dan Shapley

Next year will mark a milestone in the health of the nation's children, and the effort to protect them from the dangers of toxic chemicals in the environment. The National Children's Health Study is on track to begin in 2009. The massive $3.2 billion study will track 100,000 U.S. children from birth to age 21.

In the process, it will develop the best set of data ever assembled about what causes disease, answering controversial questions about the origins of autism, diabetes, cancer and other significant health problems that keep parents up worrying at night about everything from nutrition to the toxicity of household cleaners.

The study is a milestone effort in the nation's ability to understand the effects of chemicals on children. For years, it was assumed — where the regulation of chemicals was concerned — that children were no more than small adults. But scientific studies — not to mention common sense — have shown that children are uniquely susceptible to damage from toxic substances and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. They are not only exposed to more because they breathe and drink more of a chemical per body weight, but they are in closer proximity to many potential environmental hazards at ground level. Additionally, their growing organs are susceptible to damage at critical times in their development.

Researchers have fought off political challenges that have sought to undermine funding and support for the study before, and those challenges remain. Concerned citizens should be aware of this study, and make sure their representatives — who have to approve funding for the program every year — fight to maintain support throughout the long years of the study.

The value of the study's results will be measured in the health and longevity of our children.

It's Not All Fluff: Sleep On a Sound Decision

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:35:00 -0600

Emily Main/National Geographic Green Guide

Who knows what dreams may come during a night's sleep on off-gassing conventional pillows? If not filled with petroleum-based polyester or polyurethane foams, which deplete non-renewable resources, "natural" pillows can be made with conventional cotton, which is responsible for billions of pounds of pesticides and synthetic nitrate fertilizers. Synthetic fillings also absorb moisture, providing an optimal breeding ground for dust mites: Ten percent of the weight of a two-year-old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings. As for moisture- and stain-resistant finishes, they employ everything from perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA (also used in Teflon) to formaldehyde, both likely human carcinogens according to the EPA.

Buckwheat

Asian cultures have used buckwheat-hull pillows for centuries, and many doctors recommend the body-conforming filling to patients with neck pain and insomnia. Buckwheat is a pesticide-free crop and requires very little fertilizer. "It's a really sensitive plant—any type of pesticide will kill it," says Tom Bilek of the Buckwheat Growers Association of Minnesota. It's also naturally pest-resistant, good news for sufferers of dust-mite allergies, but be sure to ask merchants whether the hulls have been thoroughly cleaned, as lingering dust can trigger asthma attacks.

Kapok

Kapok pillows provide a similar loft to down, and, because the fibers are very water-resistant--they've been used as fill for life preservers--they are inhospitable to mites and mildew. Kapok also avoids the cruelty issues posed by down, which, according to United Poultry Concern, is frequently gathered from maltreated, factory-farmed birds. Instead, this fiber comes from the seedpods of the tropical kapok tree.

Traditionally, the seedpods naturally break open and fall to the ground, then the fibers are gathered. "The harvest of kapok is only potentially damaging if the tree is cut down to get the fruits or if all the fruits are taken, seeds and all," says Catherine Woodward, president of the Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation.

Wool

Also water-resistant, wool wicks moisture off your skin and dries quickly. Look for the "Pure Grow Wool" label, representing 200 farm families in California who conduct humane sheep ranching without pesticides.

Natural Latex

Help support tropical rainforests—and your neck—by choosing this product of tapped (not logged) rubber trees.

Emily Main is The Green Guide's Senior Editor.

Keeping Your Bedroom Green

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:27:00 -0600

Going green is an important concept in all areas of our lives. We are unable to determine the exact cause of increases in autism, asthma, hyperactivity and other developmental disorders. However, more and more evidence seems to support concerns about the toxic chemical environment in which we live. The proliferation of chemicals used to aid in controlling pests, fighting germs, fertilizing food and in growth hormones has left us surrounded by residual toxins that we ingest through our food sources, inhale in the air we breathe, or absorb through our bodies.

A powerful first choice for going green is the bedroom, where most people will spend a third of their lives. Consider the proximity of your mattress and bedding when you are sleeping, and it makes good sense to error on the side of caution when chemical off-gassing is concerned. We breathe more deeply as we relax and sleep, making us even more vulnerable to toxins in our mattresses and bedding. This is particularly true for infants, whose lungs and bodies are still developing. Of course, we are in direct contact with our bedding, and in almost direct contact with the mattress surface, for hours at a time, absorbing measurable amounts of chemicals while we sleep.

A latex mattress has become the most popular solution for a green bedroom and safe sleeping. Natural latex is a sustainable resource harvested from rubber trees and for those who struggle with allergies, a latex mattress present a safe haven that is naturally hypoallergenic and anti-microbial. This means that molds, mildew, and dust mites that may help trigger allergies will not be waiting for you in your mattress, where they can be the most frustrating. A latex mattress provides support where it is needed most by contouring to the body's natural nuances. Latex relieves pressure points, particularly at the shoulders and hips allowing for better circulation, and in consequence, less tossing and turning for a deeper more restful sleep.

The covering of your mattress is particularly important as it can contain fire-retardant chemicals in the mattress ticking or in “fire socks” that are used to pass the federal open-flame standards. Fortunately, all natural latex mattresses can be found with organic cotton and wool sleep surfaces. Properly configured, a mattress cover of wool and cotton provides sufficient protection to pass the new open flame standards. A latex mattress covered in wool and cotton is free from toxic off-gassing and offers the superior qualities of wool for moisture transport and regulating body temperature. A latex mattress gently distributes your body weight and relieves pressure points. Natural latex and wool will also naturally resist mold, bacteria and dust mites.

The next step in creating a green bedroom is chemical-free bedding. Most textile manufacturing is now done outside of the country, making it even more difficult to determine chemical residues that might be present in the mattresses or bedding. Wrinkle and stain free sheets are generally treated with chemicals that include formaldehyde, and many fabric dyes contain heavy metals. California is currently considering legislation to apply new fire resistant standards to mattress pads, blankets and comforters by treating the bedding with topical chemical fire-retardants. Instead, look for bedding produced without bleaching and wool that has not been chemically treated. Sheets from organic cotton, cultivated without polluting pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, not only benefit the environment, but also your health.

There is no reason to have questionable chemicals in direct contact with your skin, or in your bedding and mattress surface, less than an inch away. Our bodies absorb many of these chemicals and the cumulative long term effects can be dangerous to your health. You owe it to yourself to make your bedroom a safe refuge, as free as possible from toxic chemicals, for both your health and peace of mind. Sleep safely, successful solutions for your mattress and bedding can pay significant dividends for your health.

Sleeping Better! On Chemical-Free Bedding

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:35:00 -0600

By Diane di Costanzo/The Green Guide

A good mattress should give you a good night's sleep—and keep you safe. Since 1973, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has required that all mattresses meet its standards for "cigarette ignition resistance," meaning that when a lit cigarette is applied to its surface, the fabric will not ignite or show more than a 2-inch char. Since then, the majority of mattresses have been treated with fire retardants, typically polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), close chemical cousins to long-banned polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), high levels of which have been shown to harm children's development. This January, California has added a more demanding open-flame test.

Recent animal tests show the damaging effects of PBDEs in utero and on thyroid function, which can impair brain development. Studies also reveal just how prevalent PBDEs are in fatty tissue of humans, animals and fish. Levels in breast milk of American women are thought to be the highest in the world, at 40-60 percent higher than those of women in Sweden, for example, where bans on these chemicals are in effect. It also appears that among 5 percent of the U.S. population, body concentrations are nearing levels linked to the serious health effects revealed in the animal studies.

In California, two PBDEs are being phased out, with a total ban to go into effect after 2008. And the Great Lakes Chemical Corporation, the only manufacturer of penta- and octa-varieties of PBDEs, agreed to stop production in 2004.

In the meantime, there are several PBDE-free bedding choices. Look for mattresses wrapped in wool, which is naturally fire-retardant, whose labels say they meet the CPSC's and California's flammability-resistance standards. To support the environment as well as your health, go with organic cotton that has been cultivated without polluting pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Check labels to make sure that bedding is also produced without bleaching or stain- or water-resistant "finishing" (a process that uses offgassing chemicals such as formaldehyde). Undyed linens are free of the heavy metals found in conventional fabric dyes.

Green Mattresses
Cores are made from natural latex, derived from the sap of the rubber tree, or from cotton batting. Fabrics that cover and bind mattresses are cotton and/or wool that has not been chemically treated (look for the Pure Grow label). Note: Any mattress that does not use fire-retardant chemicals or the requisite composition and thickness of wool cannot be purchased without a doctor's prescription attesting that you have sensitivities to chemicals. Your best assurance of safety in any case is a working fire alarm for every bedroom.

Green Cleaning Protects Our Water

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:27:00 -0600

By Michael de Jong/ Source: DailyGreen

"Water, water, everywhere / Nor any drop to drink." - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Water is our single most treasured natural resource, encompassing more than two thirds of our Earth's surface. It's vital for all of nature's flora and fauna -- amphibians, birds, fish, invertebrates (snakes and other wiggly critters), insects, reptiles, mammals, plants, trees and flowers. Water is critical to sustaining life everywhere, and for everything nature provides.

We humans enjoy water too, by swimming, sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, singin' in the rain, running through a lawn sprinkler or playfully splashing in what we just assume is the cleanest and clearest stuff we can find. And we love the convenience of turning on the tap and drinking or bathing in it or simply brushing our teeth. It's good to give a thought to the importance of water this week, since March 20 is World Water Day 2008.

As human beings, H20 is essential to our lives and well-being. Our muscles are 75% water and our blood contains 83% water. If we're healthy and hydrated, we keep ourselves at peak performance physically and mentally. An ancient Chinese proverb tells us, "When drinking water, think of its source." And although we know its importance as the finest beverage available, we also selfishly squander it away by unconsciously polluting it in all its forms: rivers, streams, creeks, groundwater, reservoirs, lakes and oceans. Our collective carelessness threatens our species, and animals too, by altering water's drink-ability.

As I write, more than 1 billion human beings are hopelessly resorting to drinking and cooking with unsafe water. The end result is that across the planet, just from water-borne diseases or dehydration, nearly 3,900 children die every day. (Imagine what that frightening number means -- it's greater than the populations of many small towns across America!)

In our own country and across the developed world, in our quest for "whiter whites" and in our nutty and newly promoted obsession with the eradication of household bacteria, countless household items we use day after day contain pollutants that actually endanger our well-being, the public's health and the environment. Think about it: in home after home, when we clean, we are actually adding toxic chemicals to remove the dirt, and then finish the process by sending it all down the drain -- meaning back into the water supply.

There are countless household cleaners and detergents, that, out of necessity, we use day after day. Without even thinking about it, we use commercial products that contain toxins that endanger public health and the environment. By using stuff that's so much safer, we collectively will create tiny ripples that will become powerful tides of change for the good of the planet, just by using natural alternatives in our homes.

Try using baking soda, borax, salt, lemon and white vinegar, alone, or experiment with them together in remarkably safe yet effective combinations. Then, just from cleaning, you'll also become a hands-on global citizen.

New Open-Flame Mattress Standard Under Fire

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:44:00 -0700

Consumers Offered an Alternative Through Chiropractic Prescription

By Victoria Houghton, Communications Manager

American Chiropractic Association/Member Information Center

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has implemented a new federal standard, effective July 1, 2007, that requires all mattresses and mattress foundation sets sold in the United States to withstand a 2 ft.-wide, open-flame blowtorch test for 70 seconds.

Some consumer groups have expressed concern that chemicals manufacturers may use to meet the standard could be toxic to humans; however, a loophole in the regulation allows consumers to order untreated mattresses with a prescription from a medical doctor, osteopath or chiropractor.

CPSC proposed the “Standard for the Flammability (Open Flame) of Mattresses and Mattress/Foundation Sets” on Oct. 11, 2001, following its assessment of data on U.S. fires. According to findings, a burning mattress provides the greatest source of fuel in a typical bedroom fire, accelerating the spread of flames and making escape nearly impossible.

“There are hundreds of residential mattress fire deaths and thousands of injuries every year,” said Patty Davis, CPSC public affairs representative. “CPSC thought it could reduce these deaths and injuries by addressing the issue and implementing a national standard.”

In their National Fire Incident Reporting System, the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Administration estimate that mattresses were the first items to ignite in 19,400 residential fires from 1995 to 1999, resulting in 440 deaths, 2,230 injuries and $273.9 million in property loss each year.

CPSC has had a mattress flammability standard for 30 years for fires caused by cigarettes, but there was no regulation directly addressing open-flame ignition from lighters, candles and matches. “This addresses the other half of the equation,” Davis told ACA News.

The new regulation faces strong opposition from consumers and small-mattress retailers. According to Mark Strobel, president of Strobel Technologies, a specialty mattress company in Jeffersonville, Ind., and director of PeopleforCleanBeds.org, there is no nontoxic system available to make mattresses flame retardant to the extent that the new CPSC standard requires.

“Treating these mattresses to pass the blowtorch, open-flame test would require that mattresses be treated with known acutely toxic and cancer-causing chemicals—particularly boric acid, also known as roach killer, as well as antimony, which is a heavy metal almost identical to arsenic,” said Strobel.

According to Strobel, CPSC predicted that every night consumers would absorb .081 mg of boric acid and .802 mg of antimony, in addition to smaller amounts of several other potent chemicals. “This amount of antimony is 27 times more than the Environmental Protection Agency says is safe: .03 mg,” he said.

CPSC has stated that mattress manufacturers aren’t required to use these flame-retardant chemicals to meet the new standard. “Manufacturers can use any number of means, including natural fibers and treated fibers, which are inherently flame-resistant, high-performance, and rayon-based,” said Davis. “Our scientists at CPSC, as well as outside experts, evaluated and tested the chemicals currently used. We looked at all kinds of scenarios. In the end, the test proves that there is no appreciable risk to consumers.”

According to a Serta Mattress sales representative, Serta mattresses have met the requirement for the past three years. “We use a fiber-like material around the mattress as a barrier around the inside cover to keep the open flame from getting to the foam, which is the most flammable [part],” explained the rep. “We use no topical chemicals, but the fiber itself has dried chemicals in it from where it’s manufactured. Our factory workers haven’t had any problems.”

Strobel maintains, however, that mattress manufacturers will still use these toxic chemicals at dangerous levels, and that consumers won’t know because there are no chemical-labeling requirements for mattresses. “That’s a Federal Trade Commission issue,” said Davis. “There will, however, be a label on mattresses stating that they meet the new standard.”

Consumers may purchase untreated mattresses if they have a physician’s prescription. According to the Federal Register, “The term physician shall mean a physician, chiropractor or osteopath licensed or otherwise permitted to practice by any State of the United States.”

CPSC continues to urge consumers to never smoke in bed and to be careful with candles. “Keep working smoke alarms on each level of your home and one inside each bedroom,” advised Davis. “Change the battery at least once a year and test it monthly. It’s important to realize that increased fire resistance does not mean that there is no fire risk.”

Why Your Mattress May Be Killing You

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:17:00 -0700

The organic movement, which started with organic food, is moving to the bedroom in a big way. "The bedroom? " you say. Yes, my dear, the bedroom, where organic mattresses and organic bedding are becoming an important new trend in the quest for a healthier lifestyle.

The organic bedroom trend is motivated by some very recent disturbing discoveries about the petroleum-based foam mattresses most of us sleep on every night. Studies of household dust have confirmed that your mattress is likely one of the most significant sources of cancer-causing chemicals in your home. The average mattress consists of petroleum-based foam covered in petroleum-based polyester fabric. During its 10-year average lifetime, a foam mattress loses up to half its weight, and the lost weight goes on your bedroom floor in the form of toxic dust and in the air in the form of formaldehyde gas which is a by-product of the foam breakdown. Those dust bunnies under your bed could be a real threat to your health, unless you use an organic mattress which does not break down into these toxic by-products.

The foam mattress story gets even more scary. The average petroleum-based foam queen-sized mattress is soaked in about a pound of fire retardant chemicals called PDBEs, which have already been banned in Europe, but not in North America. PDBEs are chemicals which are similar to the banned PCBs, and they build up in the body like DDT and PCBs. The PDBEs are used because they are the simplest and cheapest way to conform to United States mattress fire resistance codes. They are also promoted by the chemical industry, which recently sponsored tightening of the mattress fire resistance codes, which will cause even greater quantities of PDBEs to be used in the manufacture of mattresses beginning in 2006. While these new codes will save an estimated 27 lives a year from fires, these new regulations play Russian roulette with the future health of the 285 million Americans that sleep on these petroleum-based foam mattresses. Those calling for a ban on PDBEs say the greater danger is not the lives lost in fires, but the potentially millions of cases of cancer caused by exposure to these chemicals over the coming decades.

The solution to this problem is to remove petroleum-based bedding from your home, and this has spawned the burgeoning organic bedroom movement. The cornerstone of this trend is the organic mattress, which is the same kind of mattresses our ancestors used before the rise of the petrochemical industry after World War II. It is also interesting to note that current cancer rates are more than 5 times higher than before World War II, when everybody was sleeping on organic mattresses by definition, because there was no petrochemical industry during those times.

Examples of an organic mattress include:

1. Organic cotton and wool batting innerspring mattresses with an organic cotton fabric cover. Wool is naturally fire retardant and meets all US fire codes.
2. A Natural latex mattress, whose foam is made from the latex sap of the rubber tree and which require no fire retardants because natural rubber does not burn well.
3. Luxury organic mattresses which use combination of all three materials, organic cotton, wool, and latex, to produce maximum comfort mattresses that rival any non-organic mattresses.
4. All organic cotton mattresses. Although cotton does not burn well, it requires a doctor's prescription because cotton does not meet US fire resistance codes.

Organic mattresses also have comfort advantages over traditional petroleum-based foam mattresses. They wick away moisture from the body much more thoroughly than clammy polyester and man-made foam, stopping night sweating and cutting down on problems like athlete's foot and jock itch. Wool also regulates body temperature very well, which is important for a restful sleep. Natural latex foam and wool are resistant to dust mites, which cause allergies in many people, and organic cotton and latex foam are both hypoallergenic materials. Organic mattresses are also considered a must for people with chemical sensitivities.

By: Mark Sweiger

Big Increases in Cost of 100% Natural Latex

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 13:22:00 -0600

David Perry -- Furniture Today, April 3, 2011

AT THE MARKET - Mattress producers showing here say they have raised prices or are considering price hikes as they respond to rising raw material costs.

"We are anticipating that the bedding industry will see inflation on material costs during 2011 similar to other industries," said Jodi Allen, chief marketing officer at Sealy. "The bedding industry will be forced to deal with these higher costs and at this stage, a price increase has to be part of the consideration."

Gold Bond President Bob Naboicheck says the industry is in a time of turbulence. The cause, he says, is that "we're in the highest inflationary period for raw materials our industry has seen in decades."

"We are seeing price increases on most all fronts," said Kurt Ling, CEO of a supplier of latex beds. "All increases are significant with some extraordinary. The largest price increases we are seeing are the price of latex (natural formulation and even more so the all natural formulation) and freight. Some are as much as 20%, where other materials are up more in the 7% range."

Choosing A Quality Latex Mattress

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:23:00 -0600

A latex mattress is an investment in the quality of life for you and your family and it is not unusual for a quality latex mattress to outlast even two or three conventional innerspring mattresses. The value of the sleep comfort associated with latex mattresses extends into all your waking hours in the form of revitalized energy for work, play and relationships. The quality of the latex utilized in your mattress, whether it is a latex blend or all natural latex, determines the quality of your investment.

When you begin the process of purchasing a latex mattress, first determine the origins of the latex and its composition. You will probably already have decided if you are looking for an all natural latex mattress, usually with an organic cover, or a mattress using blended latex. Both offer the excellent weight distribution and relief of pressure points that have made latex such a popular sleeping surface. If you are making your purchase online, make certain that you have the opportunity to discuss the details of the latex with a knowledgeable salesperson.

A Natural Solution for Safe Sleep

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:18:00 -0600

The proximity of harsh or toxic chemicals while you are sleeping is best to avoid. Pollution, in all its forms, has become a justifiable concern in our modern life. Studies have shown that our indoor air is often 3-5 times more polluted in than the air outside. Often it is the very chemicals we use to clean that contribute to air quality problems inside the home.

The popularity of the latex mattress, using natural materials in the cover instead of chemical fire-retardants, should come as no surprise. Most bedding and mattresses are treated with a variety of chemicals and fire-retardants. Formaldehyde is commonly used to create wrinkle free sheets, and most conventional inner-spring mattresses make heavy use of chemical fire-retardants. When we consider that a full third of our life is spent in the bedroom, it makes sense to choose the most careful approach in creating a safe refuge that is as chemical and toxin free as possible.

The other important components for safe sleeping are chemical free sheets, blankets and pillows. The best materials are free of synthetic dyes, bleaches and wrinkle proofing treatments. Organic cotton and wool are great choices, and can easily found on-line. Natural pillows filled with buckwheat, natural latex and cotton or wool provide safe sleep comfort free of chemical and dust mites.