‘How does your mattress impact the planet?’ is perhaps not a question that you have ever considered  – but it is an important one. With many of us are trying to make more environmentally-friendly choices, whether you’re a lifelong defender of the planet or taking your first steps towards being more eco-conscious, working out how to find an eco-friendly mattress can be a tough problem to solve! 

Though many of us have taken steps towards making environmentally friendly choices in the rest of our lives, from the clothes we wear, food we eat and the ways we commute to an from work, the bedroom – and particularly your mattress – can be a more difficult part of your life to ‘decarbonise’.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide detailing the most eco-friendly mattress fillings, so that you can choose from our range of standard eco-friendly mattresses, or opt for a bespoke mattress, safe in the knowledge that the product you purchase is an environmentally-friendly choice which has the most limited impact on our planet. Let’s dive in: 

Are mattresses bad for the planet?

As you’ll know if you’ve read our latest blog on the topic, mattresses aren’t necessarily the most planet-friendly piece of furniture we use in our homes. 

Memory foam mattresses are a hugely popular choice for many consumers today. These mattresses however, are manufactured from petroleum-based chemicals – which, in addition to causing the mattress to retain body heat – giving you a hot and stifling night’s sleep, makes it one of the least eco-friendly mattress materials.

Memory foam mattresses which you find on the high street and online, are made from polyurethane, a plastic polymer which is also found in products like garden hoses, trainer soles and home insulation. Polyurethane will normally take around 1,000 years to decompose naturally, meaning many of us are contributing to the planet’s plastic pollution problem without even realising it.

What mattress fillings are environmentally-friendly?

Fear not – all is not lost! There are environmentally-friendly mattress fillings which exist and can help you ensure that you’re being a friend to the planet wherever possible. 

Most eco-friendly mattress manufacturers opt for comfort fillings such as cotton, wool, horsehair, flax, silk, and hemp. These materials are natural, typically hypoallergenic and biodegradable – as well as having a range of qualities which make it perfect for a sleeper’s comfort. 

Odd uses natural mattress fillings which are all 100% biodegradable: our top picks are curled horsehair, cashmere, cotton and lambswool. As well as returning to the earth at the end of their lifespan as nature intended these fillings create a soft and luxurious feel to our mattresses, are breathable and help regulate body temperature.

That’s not all! The spring systems we use in our fully sprung mattresses can also be recycled allowing the steel to have a new lease of life in other manufactured product.  Once your mattress has reached the end of its life the spring system can be removed, processed and bailed. These bails enter the circular economy where they will eventually be melted down and re-forged. 

 

Are bed frames environmentally friendly?

It can be tricky to find bed frames that are good for our planet. Most divans will be constructed from a timber frame which is then upholstered in the customers choice of material. However where this timber comes from, and whether it has been forested legally can be a blind spot for consumers. We believe that customers who opt to use a divan or bed base in their bedroom deserve to be able to do so safe in the knowledge that the wood used in the construction of these products comes from sustainably-managed forests.

At Odd, we extend our eco-consciousness to our bed frames. Each of our bed bases and divans is made with ash and pine timber which is FSC approved. FSC timber originates from well-managed forests which are socially beneficial, environmentally appropriate and economically viable. Win-win! 

 

Eco-Friendly Mattresses From The Odd Company 

Choosing a mattress from The Odd Company, especially when paired with an eco-friendly bed base, allows you to gain a supportive night’s rest – helping you sleep better at night in every sense of the term! Browse our range of standard eco-friendly mattresses here, or speak to our experts about creating your own made-to-measure mattress that’s kind to the planet.