“Last fall, I began work for my first client in the “green” mattress industry, Spaldin Sleep Systems. To familiarize myself with their products and the current state of sustainability in the sector, I researched Spaldin’s materials and certifications and developed a competitive landscape matrix. I dug into the websites of over a dozen top green mattress brands and read peoples’ blog and forum questions and comments about green mattress motivations. I also led a team that staffed Spaldin’s booth at Green Festival in San Francisco, where we heard dozens of green mattress questions and concerns first-hand.
What I’ve learned is that while there are many exciting advances happening in what’s historically been a polluting industry, the mattress sector is drowning in the same kind of greenwash that plagues other industries. The marketing language on mattress makers’ and retailers’ websites too often features vague, unsubstantiated claims, resulting in confusion about what these claims really mean in terms of measurable, verifiable benefits to the health of ecosystems and people.”
What’s Really ‘Green’ in the Confusing World of Mattresses? Part I via Jonathan L. Gelbard, Ph.D. – Triple Pundit