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by Emily Mai
Last fall, when I moved into a bigger apartment,
I sold my old stuff to a friend and applied the
proceeds to an eco-friendly bedroom upgrade--on
I did find some ways to sleep more lightly on the
choices--along with some items I've put on my
wish list for my next eco upgrade.
Mattresses
Conventional mattresses are often made of petroleum-based polyester, nylon and
polyurethane (PU) foam that, especially when new, may give off harmful volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) associated with upper respiratory problems. Some mattresses are also
pretreated with formaldehyde-emitting stain- and water-repellants whose manufacture releases
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA,) a likely human carcinogen according to an EPA advisory panel.
On the up side, there's been a phaseout of the most worrisome fire retardants in the class of
polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs,) linked to developmental harm in animal studies and
found in high levels in American women's breast milk. "The companies are telling us,
unilaterally, they are not making penta [BDE] and octa [BDE,] and to the best of my
knowledge, they aren't," says Carol Kraege, P.E., persistent bioaccumulative toxins manager at
the Washington State Department of Ecology.
That mattresses resist ignition when exposed to open flames, in addition to lit cigarettes. "I
am unaware of any mattress producer that is using any type of flame-retardant foam to meet
the new standard," says Ryan Trainer, executive vice president of the International Sleep
Products Association, a non-profit industry group. Instead, "they are using a variety of barrier
materials...made from synthetic and natural fibers," he adds. Unfortunately, conventional
mattress companies called by The Green Guide would not reveal the exact composition of
these fiber barriers, claiming trade secrets. This raises concerns. For instance, melamine, one
less-toxic material used for fire retardancy, may be mixed in mattresses with a chemical that
emits formaldehyde during its application, according to the Leopold Center for Sustainable
Development in Massachusetts.
PRODUCT CHOICES
Greener
Ikea's affordable $159-and-up mattresses contain alternative flame retardants that, according
to the U.S. Green Building Council, haven't raised significant consumer health or environmental
concerns. But I settled on a conventional Sealy Posturepedic full mattress/ box-spring set
(about $399), which is free of Teflon stain- and water-resistant treatment and uses the new
fiber-based flame-retardant barriers. I also chose a coilspring mattress, which contains less PU
foam. To further reduce my exposures to VOCs, I'm saving up to buy an organic-cotton
mattress encasement, which will also block allergenic dust mites (see Resources).
Greenest
A Natural Home's "Simply Affordable" furniture line includes twin- and full-sized organic cotton
and organic wool mattresses ($450 and $500, respectively.) Savvy Rest has two styles of
natural latex mattresses (with organic wool quilting and organic cotton casing) that, starting at
$1,049, cost less than most made with these materials.
Bed Frames
For my bed frame I chose metal, which resists bed bugs--a growing problem in New York City.
When it comes to wood, the most verifiably green products are those that bear the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) label, such as If Green's Sleigh Bed (from $1490) and Tamalpais's
Eco-Styler bed kit. The latter includes unfinished wood and hardware for twin through king beds
from $400 (some assembly required). Choose solid wood wherever possible, as glues that bind
plywood and particleboard cores can emit formaldehyde and other VOCs.
The following, more affordable frames aren't FSC-certified, but the companies assured us that
the wood is responsibly harvested from well-managed forests. A Natural Home says that their
bed frame is made from locally sourced, non-clear-cut solid oak and finished in tung oil, which
is petroleum free and made from nuts. If you buy one of their mattresses, they'll knock $100
off the $525 frame price. The Bedworks of Maine makes a solid North American ash hardwood
Freeport frame with low-VOC finish ($230/twin.) Also check out the Pecos Lite Bamboo
Platform Bed with a tung oil finish from Abundant Earth ($221.95.)
Bedding
To counterbalance my not-quite-eco-friendliest mattress, I bought as much organic cotton
bedding as I could afford. Conventional cotton accounts for up to 25 percent of the insecticides
used worldwide, and the runoff from nitrogen- spiked synthetic fertilizers, as well as heavy
metal dyes, kills aquatic life. Chlorine bleaching releases carcinogenic dioxins.
Permanent-press and stain and water-repellant finishes can off-gas formaldehyde, and their
manufacture releases PFOA into the environment.
I purchased an Under The Canopy full-sized sheet set for $100 at my local Whole Foods ECO
Home store, but nearly cried when I saw a similar set two weeks later on sale for $50 in the
Spiegel catalog! A sale at ECO did, however, afford me a good deal on an organic-cotton
thermal blanket from The Dutch Mill, $87 for a king size, which I'll double up on cold winter
nights. I found a fairly traded quilt from Tilonia for $89.95. Though made of conventional
cotton, it's unbleached and colored by hand with vegetable- based dyes, free of potentially
carcinogenic azo.
I bought Greenfeet's recycled polyester-filled "Eco Basics" pillow for a mere $18.50/standard
(for others, see "It's Not All Fluff," GG #115.) Buckwheat-and millet- hull pillows conform to
your head and reduce neck strain. Organic Rejuvenation Pillows from Serenity Pillows muffle
the noise of shifting hulls with wool ($69.99.)
Bedroom Furniture
Used wood furniture spares old-growth and endangered forests. My favorite find: a pristine
quality solid maple dresser on sale for $320 at a vintage furniture store.
Upholstered PU foam furniture, along with mattresses, contained PBDEs until the phaseout. "If
you're buying a new piece of furniture," says Carol Kraege, "it's unlikely to have penta[BDE]
and octa[BDE,] but it might have something that's just as bad, such as another brominated
flame retardant," such as Tris, a possibly carcinogenic chemical. Kraege recommends that
consumers ask for petroleum-free fills.
The Simply Affordable line includes an organic cotton-covered natural latex chair for $1,000,
along with their locally sourced, unfinished oak nightstands for $275. You can match your
Abundant Earth bamboo bed frame with a bamboo bedside table ($113.95) and cloth/bamboo
dresser ($249.95.)
Rugs
Conventional wall-to-wall carpeting will definitely not be covering my floor. It collects dust,
allergens and toxins carried in from outdoors. Its finishes, adhesives and foam paddings can
emit numerous VOCs, including formaldehyde and toluene. I prefer area rugs, which can be
washed and kept in place with a natural rubber pad. I'm waffling between jute, hemp, or FLOR
recyclable modular carpet tiles that contain recycled materials, and which look and feel great on
the floor of The Green Guide's creative director, Julio. They don't use VOC-laden adhesives,
either.
Rugmark-certified rugs are made in factories that don't employ child labor and have agreed to
random inspections (see "Take Action" sidebar and www.rugmark.org).
Conclusion
Ultimately, my eco bedroom is only moderately green, but a few fish may be thankful that my
sheets didn't poison their water with cotton pesticides, and somewhere, I hope, a tree is still
standing thanks to my used dresser. Plus, my bedroom is a comfortable place in which to
dream of future eco renovations.
RESOURCES/FOR MORE INFORMATION
*Blankets and Comforters, Carpet, Mattresses and Box Springs, Paints, Sheets and
Pillowcases, Pillows, Wood Furniture and Wood Finishes product reports at
thegreenguide.com/reports
*Mattresses and Pillows Smart Shoppers' Card
*Non-food Labels Smart Shoppers' Card
COMPANIES
A Natural Home (www.anaturalhome.com 866-239-4142)
Abundant Earth (www.abundantearth.com 888-51-EARTH)
FLOR (www.florcatalog.com 866-281-FLOR)
Greenfeet (www.greenfeet.com 888-562-8873)
IF Green (www.ifgreen.com 503-771-5730)
Ikea (www.ikea.com 800-434-IKEA)
Savvy Rest (www.savvyrest.com 866-540-6444)
Sealy (www.sealy.com 800-MY-SEALY)
Serenity Pillows (www.serenitypillows.com 800-340-0506)
Spiegel (www.spiegel.com)
Tamalpais (www.tamalpais.com 415-454-9948)
The Organic Mattress Store (www.theorganicmattressstore.com 484-851-3636)
Tilonia (www.tilonia.com 888-759-8175)
Under the Canopy (www.underthecanopy.com 888-226-6799)
White Lotus (www.whitelotus.net 877-HANDMADE)
Whole Foods ECO Lifestyle Stores (www.wholefoodsmarket.com)
Last fall, when I moved into a bigger apartment,
I sold my old stuff to a friend and applied the
proceeds to an eco-friendly bedroom upgrade--on
I did find some ways to sleep more lightly on the
choices--along with some items I've put on my
wish list for my next eco upgrade.
Mattresses
Conventional mattresses are often made of petroleum-based polyester, nylon and
polyurethane (PU) foam that, especially when new, may give off harmful volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) associated with upper respiratory problems. Some mattresses are also
pretreated with formaldehyde-emitting stain- and water-repellants whose manufacture releases
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA,) a likely human carcinogen according to an EPA advisory panel.
On the up side, there's been a phaseout of the most worrisome fire retardants in the class of
polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs,) linked to developmental harm in animal studies and
found in high levels in American women's breast milk. "The companies are telling us,
unilaterally, they are not making penta [BDE] and octa [BDE,] and to the best of my
knowledge, they aren't," says Carol Kraege, P.E., persistent bioaccumulative toxins manager at
the Washington State Department of Ecology.
That mattresses resist ignition when exposed to open flames, in addition to lit cigarettes. "I
am unaware of any mattress producer that is using any type of flame-retardant foam to meet
the new standard," says Ryan Trainer, executive vice president of the International Sleep
Products Association, a non-profit industry group. Instead, "they are using a variety of barrier
materials...made from synthetic and natural fibers," he adds. Unfortunately, conventional
mattress companies called by The Green Guide would not reveal the exact composition of
these fiber barriers, claiming trade secrets. This raises concerns. For instance, melamine, one
less-toxic material used for fire retardancy, may be mixed in mattresses with a chemical that
emits formaldehyde during its application, according to the Leopold Center for Sustainable
Development in Massachusetts.
PRODUCT CHOICES
Greener
Ikea's affordable $159-and-up mattresses contain alternative flame retardants that, according
to the U.S. Green Building Council, haven't raised significant consumer health or environmental
concerns. But I settled on a conventional Sealy Posturepedic full mattress/ box-spring set
(about $399), which is free of Teflon stain- and water-resistant treatment and uses the new
fiber-based flame-retardant barriers. I also chose a coilspring mattress, which contains less PU
foam. To further reduce my exposures to VOCs, I'm saving up to buy an organic-cotton
mattress encasement, which will also block allergenic dust mites (see Resources).
Greenest
A Natural Home's "Simply Affordable" furniture line includes twin- and full-sized organic cotton
and organic wool mattresses ($450 and $500, respectively.) Savvy Rest has two styles of
natural latex mattresses (with organic wool quilting and organic cotton casing) that, starting at
$1,049, cost less than most made with these materials.
Bed Frames
For my bed frame I chose metal, which resists bed bugs--a growing problem in New York City.
When it comes to wood, the most verifiably green products are those that bear the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) label, such as If Green's Sleigh Bed (from $1490) and Tamalpais's
Eco-Styler bed kit. The latter includes unfinished wood and hardware for twin through king beds
from $400 (some assembly required). Choose solid wood wherever possible, as glues that bind
plywood and particleboard cores can emit formaldehyde and other VOCs.
The following, more affordable frames aren't FSC-certified, but the companies assured us that
the wood is responsibly harvested from well-managed forests. A Natural Home says that their
bed frame is made from locally sourced, non-clear-cut solid oak and finished in tung oil, which
is petroleum free and made from nuts. If you buy one of their mattresses, they'll knock $100
off the $525 frame price. The Bedworks of Maine makes a solid North American ash hardwood
Freeport frame with low-VOC finish ($230/twin.) Also check out the Pecos Lite Bamboo
Platform Bed with a tung oil finish from Abundant Earth ($221.95.)
Bedding
To counterbalance my not-quite-eco-friendliest mattress, I bought as much organic cotton
bedding as I could afford. Conventional cotton accounts for up to 25 percent of the insecticides
used worldwide, and the runoff from nitrogen- spiked synthetic fertilizers, as well as heavy
metal dyes, kills aquatic life. Chlorine bleaching releases carcinogenic dioxins.
Permanent-press and stain and water-repellant finishes can off-gas formaldehyde, and their
manufacture releases PFOA into the environment.
I purchased an Under The Canopy full-sized sheet set for $100 at my local Whole Foods ECO
Home store, but nearly cried when I saw a similar set two weeks later on sale for $50 in the
Spiegel catalog! A sale at ECO did, however, afford me a good deal on an organic-cotton
thermal blanket from The Dutch Mill, $87 for a king size, which I'll double up on cold winter
nights. I found a fairly traded quilt from Tilonia for $89.95. Though made of conventional
cotton, it's unbleached and colored by hand with vegetable- based dyes, free of potentially
carcinogenic azo.
I bought Greenfeet's recycled polyester-filled "Eco Basics" pillow for a mere $18.50/standard
(for others, see "It's Not All Fluff," GG #115.) Buckwheat-and millet- hull pillows conform to
your head and reduce neck strain. Organic Rejuvenation Pillows from Serenity Pillows muffle
the noise of shifting hulls with wool ($69.99.)
Bedroom Furniture
Used wood furniture spares old-growth and endangered forests. My favorite find: a pristine
quality solid maple dresser on sale for $320 at a vintage furniture store.
Upholstered PU foam furniture, along with mattresses, contained PBDEs until the phaseout. "If
you're buying a new piece of furniture," says Carol Kraege, "it's unlikely to have penta[BDE]
and octa[BDE,] but it might have something that's just as bad, such as another brominated
flame retardant," such as Tris, a possibly carcinogenic chemical. Kraege recommends that
consumers ask for petroleum-free fills.
The Simply Affordable line includes an organic cotton-covered natural latex chair for $1,000,
along with their locally sourced, unfinished oak nightstands for $275. You can match your
Abundant Earth bamboo bed frame with a bamboo bedside table ($113.95) and cloth/bamboo
dresser ($249.95.)
Rugs
Conventional wall-to-wall carpeting will definitely not be covering my floor. It collects dust,
allergens and toxins carried in from outdoors. Its finishes, adhesives and foam paddings can
emit numerous VOCs, including formaldehyde and toluene. I prefer area rugs, which can be
washed and kept in place with a natural rubber pad. I'm waffling between jute, hemp, or FLOR
recyclable modular carpet tiles that contain recycled materials, and which look and feel great on
the floor of The Green Guide's creative director, Julio. They don't use VOC-laden adhesives,
either.
Rugmark-certified rugs are made in factories that don't employ child labor and have agreed to
random inspections (see "Take Action" sidebar and www.rugmark.org).
Conclusion
Ultimately, my eco bedroom is only moderately green, but a few fish may be thankful that my
sheets didn't poison their water with cotton pesticides, and somewhere, I hope, a tree is still
standing thanks to my used dresser. Plus, my bedroom is a comfortable place in which to
dream of future eco renovations.
RESOURCES/FOR MORE INFORMATION
*Blankets and Comforters, Carpet, Mattresses and Box Springs, Paints, Sheets and
Pillowcases, Pillows, Wood Furniture and Wood Finishes product reports at
thegreenguide.com/reports
*Mattresses and Pillows Smart Shoppers' Card
*Non-food Labels Smart Shoppers' Card
COMPANIES
A Natural Home (www.anaturalhome.com 866-239-4142)
Abundant Earth (www.abundantearth.com 888-51-EARTH)
FLOR (www.florcatalog.com 866-281-FLOR)
Greenfeet (www.greenfeet.com 888-562-8873)
IF Green (www.ifgreen.com 503-771-5730)
Ikea (www.ikea.com 800-434-IKEA)
Savvy Rest (www.savvyrest.com 866-540-6444)
Sealy (www.sealy.com 800-MY-SEALY)
Serenity Pillows (www.serenitypillows.com 800-340-0506)
Spiegel (www.spiegel.com)
Tamalpais (www.tamalpais.com 415-454-9948)
The Organic Mattress Store (www.theorganicmattressstore.com 484-851-3636)
Tilonia (www.tilonia.com 888-759-8175)
Under the Canopy (www.underthecanopy.com 888-226-6799)
White Lotus (www.whitelotus.net 877-HANDMADE)
Whole Foods ECO Lifestyle Stores (www.wholefoodsmarket.com)
The Eco-nomical Bedroom
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