Spring Air ECO-Responsible

Be an educated environmental Consumer!

Don't be a victim of mattress Green-Washing!

The term is generally used when significantly more money or time has been spent advertising being green (that is, operating with consideration for the environment) rather than spending resources on environmentally sound practices. Green-washing is often portrayed by changing the name or label of a product to evoke a natural or environmentally friendly product.

A new mattress is a major investment that you will live with for up to eight hours a night for the next 10-15 years. Make sure that you are making a healthy, informed, decision. It's easy to put photos of plants and trees on the label and claim that a mattress is environmentally safe.

Here are some tips to help you make the wise choice:

(1) Beware of common mattress "green-washing" tactics like heavy use of the words natural, green, or organic on the fabric or in the name of the mattress.

Ask if the product has a content list attached to the product.

(2) While product components like latex or cotton can be considered eco-friendly, there are many of ways to process these materials that can be harmful to the environment.

Look for certifications that substantiate the total product's environmental impact.

(3) Watch for phrases like "plant based" or "high natural content" as many companies use single digit amounts of bio-based ingredients yet portray them as totally natural.

Ask your sales associate for the percentages. In the case of polyurethane foam you should be looking for 10% or more. In the case of latex the majority of the material should be natural content and certified eco-safe.

(4) You should know if the foam used off gases!

Many of the foams used can emit harmful gases. Look for certifications like Certi-Pure* to know that the foam in your new mattress is environmentally friendly.

(5) What about the foundation?

Since most of today's specialty products are highly flexible and durable the best bases for these products are wood based. Be sure to look for woods that are certified from sustainable forest.

	SSA Environmental & Safety Program is designed to help consumers understand the safety and environmental attributes of mattresses.		Home furnishings items that carry the CertiPUR-US seal certify low VOC's , no ozone layer depleters, no PBDE's and no formaldehydes.
	The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 tests for harmful substances which are prohibited or regulated by law. It also tests for chemicals which are known to be harmful.		The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Our patented Eco-Base foundation is made from wood grown in Canadian FSC certified forests.