Organic Mattress Retailing Series – Part 4: Toxic Chemicals Q&A

Furniture World News Desk on 7/2/2023

by Barry A. Cik, Naturepedic

1. Is there a standard for organic mattresses?

YES. In part three  of this series we introduced The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). GOTS certifies the complete mattress as “organic” if it meets all the GOTS criteria. The GOTS criteria include organic fiber requirements (for example, organic cotton fabric, organic cotton filling and organic wool). It also allows organic mattresses to include other materials that meet the GOTS non-toxicity standards (for example, latex and steel coils). Mattress manufacturers that make certified organic mattresses have certificates from GOTS that they generally show on their websites. You can verify if a manufacturer is GOTS certified by visiting Certified Suppliers and entering the manufacturer’s name in the “Free Text” field.

2. Do organic mattresses eliminate toxic chemicals?

Yes. Organic mattresses eliminate many questionable chemicals and materials. Commonly used materials and chemicals in typical conventional mattresses include polyurethane foam chemicals (expressly prohibited in certified organic mattresses), flame retardants, formaldehyde, pesticides, glues/adhesives, vinyl/phthalates, perfluorinated compounds (including PFAS), various GMOs, and more.

3. Does the GOTS standard remove all chemicals in mattresses?

NO. It’s essentially impossible to remove all chemicals from mattresses. There are approximately 85,000 chemicals used in industrial process and found in products. When the word “chemicals” is used in this series of articles, it refers to toxic or questionable chemicals. The GOTS organic standard certifies mattresses that do not include the vast majority of questionable chemicals.

4. Can I rely on any of the “Top 10 Organic Mattresses” websites on the internet?

NO. There are numerous internet websites that promote the “Top 10” or the “Best” organic mattresses. In many if not most cases, mattress manufacturers simply pay to get listed and are not certified organic.

5. What if the certificate on a mattress manufacturer’s website is a supplier’s certificate?

 Some mattress manufacturers buy some organic raw material from a GOTS certified raw materials supplier and display that supplier’s certificate on their website. This is essentially worthless because: 

• Only that specific material was actually certified by GOTS, not the entire mattress.
  

• It’s not certain that the specific material the supplier’s certificate refers to, was actually used in the mattress being promoted on the website.
  
  

6. Who regulates organic mattresses?

NOBODY! There are no laws that regulate the marketing, materials or construction of organic mattresses, which is one reason why so many questionable practices exist. The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) has no regulatory authority over non-agricultural products, including mattresses. However, the USDA-NOP  recommends the GOTS certified organic program. As well, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is working on updating its “Environmental Claims Green Guides” and will be addressing this issue at some point.

7. Can certified organic mattress manufacturers also make non-organic mattresses?

UNFORTUNATELY, YES. Many organic mattress manufacturers who have been certified to make organic mattresses also make non-organic mattresses (sometimes under different brand names) with questionable materials and chemicals. There are just a few organic mattress manufacturers who do not make any mattresses with GOTS prohibited materials (Naturepedic included).

See more information on certifications at the Naturepedic website  including a comparison of materials and chemicals used in typical and certified mattresses.

About Barry A. Cik: Barry A. Cik is a Board Certified Environmental Engineer and founder and technical director of Naturepedic Organic Mattresses & Bedding. Since 2003, Naturepedic has been on a mission to protect the lives of families through safer, healthier organic-based products that have a positive impact on the environment. A brand with purpose, transparency, and ethical practices, Naturepedic is the recipient of many certifications and is highly respected by numerous health and environmental organizations (https://www.naturepedic.com/certifications) and is an EPA Green Power Partner. Since its inception, Naturepedic has been a consistent and generous advocate and supporter of NGOs and nonprofits advocating for the “Right to Know” about what is in the products that people bring into their homes.

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