Hi there - I have been very impressed with this site and have referred to it frequently as I searched for an environmentally friendly mattress, by which I mean a mattress that does the least harm to the planet as well as me! The conclusion seemed to be organic Dunlop latex - until I researched the effect that conclusion is having on biodiversity in South Asia. The western appetite for latex rubber - driven as is often the case by millions of well-intentioned consumers seeking an eco-friendly alternative, is having an effect similar to the palm oil boom, with ecosystems and biodiversity being decimated to make room for monoculture plantations. So I’m stumped - if you’ll pardon the pun! I’m now wondering if recycled steel coils covered in organic, humanely produced wool is the way to go, but it doesn’t sound comfortable and how much forest is cut down to graze sheep anyway?! Perhaps it’s just not possible to be a consumer and eco-friendly. However, in my mind, this also points to a need for a certification that I haven’t seen yet, which is indication of on-the-ground impacts for biodiversity and ecosystems. This is not covered by the GOLS and GOTS labels, nor OETek, as far as I know? I would be grateful for any feedback.
Thanks very much for all the great info and reviews - I just wish I knew what mattress to buy that would feel truly planet friendly!
Hi Dandylion,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
Your question is a very difficult question to answer because there are many different definitions of green, biodiverse or environmentally friendly. In addition to this … much of the information on the web is as much “greenwashing” as it is factual.
Most of the many questions involved in “how green is green” are almost impossible to answer because you would have to evaluate each step of the production process from the beginning to end (cradle to grave) and somehow “measure” or assign a “value” to every step in the process in terms of harm done to the environment, how renewable and sustainable the raw materials are, how they break down, whether they can be re-cycled and what is involved in the recycling, the energy and resources used in every step of production, the energy used in transportation, and many other factors … many of which are impossible to accurately quantify.
I think though that it would be “safe” to say that natural latex, natural and/or organic fibers, and innersprings (recyclable) would probably be the most “green” or “natural” of all the different mattress materials. Recycled PET would also be a candidate (made from a mix of recycled food grade plastic and virgin plastic) although it can only be recycled once and then you are left with the same problem that it needs to go into a landfill and doesn’t break down and it can still be energy intensive to make.
Polyfoam and memory foam don’t break down in landfills nearly as well as natural latex or other natural materials either (they just break down into smaller particles). There is an interesting article here on polyfoam including the new “plant based” versions which introduce a whole new level of issues into the equation including the effect of GMO soy and the destruction of the rainforest that is a direct or indirect result of soy production. There’s another short article here from Latexco (which produces latex cores) which indicates that 100% natural latex has a smaller carbon footprint than other materials. Having said that … there are also some who are concerned about the effect of natural latex production on biodiversity (as more latex plantations are planted).
In terms of Talalay vs Dunlop (assuming that both are 100% natural) … Talalay uses carbon dioxide as a gelling agent and Dunlop uses sodium silicofluoride and both use various, curing agents, accelerators, antioxidants, mold release agents, and other additives depending on who is making the foam (all of which is generally proprietary information and a closely guarded “secret”). If green was my only criteria though … then organic Dunlop latex would probably be my choice in spite of the premium price because of it’s higher latex content (compared to Talalay) and even though it’s questionable whether it is really much different from 100% natural Dunlop that isn’t certified as organic. I have seen no evidence that 100% natural Talalay uses more or less chemicals than 100% natural Dunlop except for claims on the web that don’t seem to have any facts (or comparative testing) behind them and are often based on what someone is selling.
The FTC also has a green guide summary here and their more detailed green guides here that outline requirements for “green” claims or marketing.
There is also more information about recycling mattress materials in post #1 here (with thanks to Sleep On Latex) and in post #2 here that each person can also use to help make their mattresses a little less harmful to the environment and keep them out of landfills.
Outside of the certifications mentioned in post #2 here … Oeko-Tex also has some additional certifications here that also certify for environmental and social issues and FSC also has a certification that includes environmental and social issues and the Rainforest Alliance also includes biodiversity and social issues and Eurolatex Eco Standard also includes a certification for harmful substances and VOCs and TUVRheinland also has a certification for harmful substances and VOC’s and there are a few others as well but these are much less common in the mattress industry. A PDF of the Global Organic Latex Standard 3.0 standard is available for download here and does address some social and environmental issues.
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Finding out the “truth” of all of this and going to levels of fine detail about every step of the process is like going down a rabbit hole where there are really no black and white answers and ultimately each person would need to decide based on their best judgement and their own personal opinion of what they consider to be “planet friendly”.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
Thanks for this - you really are amazing!! I wish there were more people like you to help consumers make decisions. I hope you’re getting paid somehow??!
Your points about the “greenness” of products ring very true. For me personally, the ideal is buying items that do not destroy or pollute water- and land-based ecosystems, because we now know that humans have destroyed about 60% of the species on the planet and are on track to do a lot more damage. The sad part is that much of this is happening to service consumer markets, when many consumers would not choose to support such destructive processes if informed and given the choice. For instance, palm oil production (and now latex production apparently) is destroying Indonesian forests and threatening orang utans with extinction, as well as creating major health problems for locals, yet most of us have no idea that this substance is in our cake mix, bread, cookies, etc. Trying to choose less problematic products can be really hard work given the research required and then the searching for alternatives. But hey, that’s my choice!
Having looked at your comments and researched this some more, I have come to the conclusion that there is no mattress available in Canada (at least within my price range) that has any kind of biodiversity certification. The most eco-friendly approach would likely be one that uses all recycled materials, but I don’t see this out there either. I was hoping to have a mattress within the next week, which is also proving problematic - most retailers seem to take 2-5 weeks to deliver! I’m looking at the GOLS certified organic latex options locally (Vancouver, BC), and seem to have the choice between the Essentia Bionda bed ($2K for a queen, but they do free 36-month financing if you qualify - takes 2 weeks to arrive), or the Sleeptek Kama range (much more expensive at $3.5K up for a queen). (I know from Forum posts that Essentia has some issues with their marketing, but also that as this bed is basically only organic latex that should not be an issue?) It’s that or I go an grab an off the shelf option from IKEA.
This is a lot of work, but that’s what it takes to be an informed consumer - I am grateful for your help!
All the best!
HI Dandylion,
Thank you very much. You’re always welcome to make a donation to the site here.
This all really comes down to your own personal definition of “pollution” and “biodiversity”, and as you stated the selection of what product to use is certainly one’s own choice and there’s nothing wrong with holding true to your own personal beliefs. There is a large scale of course from minimal regulation, to man and capitalism are the enemy and any changes are evil. I personally find much fear mongering on each side of these arguments (like in many cases) with more accurate information in the mid-ground. But these topics (and some of your forward-looking statements and opinions) tend to get a bit political, and while I certainly don’t mind discussing them in my personal life, they are a bit off-topic and outside of the scope of the forum, so it’s an area I tend to avoid on the site. But I certainly respect your beliefs and reasons for them .
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around Vancouver, BC are listed in post #2 here. There is also a list of some online mattress sources for Canadians in post #21 here.
There are quite a few choices there (many of which I know don’t meet your requirements), but some of which you may not have already investigated. There are a few vendors on these two lists who do cater to more “natural” offerings, and they may be worth a phone call or a visit.
Yes, there have been issues with some of the claims made on the Essentia site (a forum search on Essentia will bring up information about that), but they do offer some products using better quality materials and latex would be a good quality material. The Sleeptek would also be a high quality choice.
I hope that helps expand you options!
Phoenix