Tip of the Day - Make Your Next Mattress a Green One
Posted on May 22, 2008 by
When we bought our house, we had a moving mishap and had to dump our old mattress. We ended up sleeping on an air mattress in our living room for about a month before we bought a bed. With our bodies bent at unnatural angles, we went to the bed store and bought the biggest, cushiest bed we could afford; full of foam padding and guaranteed to off-gas like crazy (this was before I knew about VOCs and off-gassing). The next time around, we won’t do that again.
Keetsa mattresses are really cool! Made with recycled scrap and sustainable materials, they compress to fit in an easy to ship box that greatly reduces the carbon footprint of delivery. Keetsa uses a green tea extract to control odor and silver to inhibit bacterial growth.
For more information on eco-friendly mattresses, and reviews of green mattress brands, check out this article in The Green Guide.
When you do purchase a new mattress, make sure you recycle your old one. Keetsa has a list of companies who recycle old mattresses on their website.
And you know, even if you have to spend considerably more for a green mattress (and I don’t know that you would, but I’d bet on it), how often do you buy a matress? Paying a little extra for something that lasts a decade or two shouldn’t be a big deal.
I was so lucky when we got our mattress. I was wandering through the thrift store when I saw a mattress set with a tag on the top that said “Wool”. I stopped to take a look, surprised that a mattress would be wool. I looked further and saw that this mattress was made of latex, with wool on top. I went home and researched it, and found out that latex mattresses are really amazing– they are super good for posture, they last forever, they don’t need to be flipped, they don’t hold dust mites or mold. They are super expensive to buy, but I got ours for $150! It holds our weight nicely and doesn’t bounce, and it is really comfortable, so we’ve slept really well since we got it. The only problem is I don’t know if it is natural or synthetic latex, and I know there is a difference. So it may still be creating health issues for us. If anyone is considering a natural latex mattress, BUY IT!
Here’s a website with some info on latex beds.
I’m actually in desperate need of a new mattress, I’m just not quite sure a green one could fit into my tight budget. These look really great though, I guess I need to weigh the options and figure out how much my health is worth, hehe.
When I move, I’m going to have to get a new mattress, since there is no way my old one will be leaving the loft. We had to fold it like a taco to get it up there.
I am so very in need of a new mattress and had already decided I would get an organic cotton one and put it on a wooden board or such… but now I am intrigued by Keetsa, and especially by the latex ones that you mention Jessica. I can’t see your link for more info on latex mattresses, but google’s good for that, right?
ehaeh
Try http://www.sustainablefurniturecouncil.org for a realiable green matress source.