Wake-up call

Published on Friday 15 February 2008 13:10

I'M HAVING trouble finding an organic mattress," said an acquaintance in the pub the other night. "They seem to cost the thick end of a grand. Any ideas?"

Far from being able to offer assistance, I was left reeling at the thought that yet another corner of my home was about to be examined and found wanting. The image of a green auditor flashed before my eyes: "The verdict on your bedroom, Ms Pearson, is not good. The flame-retardant coating on your mattress is poisoning you, your bed is made with endangered wood from the rainforest and the amount of pesticides that went into your non-organic duvet cover has most likely killed off a cotton farmer in the developing world, leaving his seven children orphaned. I don't know how you sleep at night."

Until that moment, I'd always thought of my bed as a safe haven, a place I could retreat to when the crushing burden of trying to live an eco-friendly life became too much. Now an off-hand comment had left me wondering about the nightmarish environmental and health costs of my beloved orthopaedic mattress.

To start with, I decided denial was the most appropriate response. As a child of the 1970s I'd worn garishly dyed clothing made from horrible synthetic fibres and ingested tons of E numbers in the pursuit of the ultimate fizzing confectionery (a close-run thing between Wham bars and Space Dust). Surely there were already so many chemicals deposited in my fatty tissue that a few more wouldn't do any harm.

But I hadn't counted on the seductive appeal of the organic mattress. The leading manufacturer, Abaca (www.abacaorganic.co.uk), was established by Rhiannon Rowley. She'd spent 15 years working in the mattress industry and had concerns about the chemicals used in the manufacturing process. The mattresses she makes now, from organic Welsh wool, cotton and other materials, are certified by the Soil Association. There are two types – the pocket-sprung version or a natural latex option, using latex derived from the rubber tree. Both meet fire regulations because of the high quantity of wool used in the mattresses – wool is breathable, insulating and naturally fire-resistant, removing the need for chemicals.

These mattresses had wooed me. I was smitten. But what about the price? Well, a pocket-sprung double costs 795, meaning I'll have to wait until my current toxic mattress wears out to justify the spending.

Although there's no research to prove our non-organic mattresses are killing us, a quick trawl of the Greenpeace and WWF websites is enough to make a girl uneasy. In 2005 the flame retardants known as PBDEs were banned in Europe (they can build up in breast milk and increase the risk of neurological problems in children), but if your mattress is pre-2005, it might have been treated with them.

Other causes for concern might be polyester, polyurethane and synthetic latex – all legal in a mattress, but derived from petrochemicals – while the natural fabrics will have endured lashings of pesticides.

When the time comes to upgrade, my old mattress won't be going to landfill – thanks to FEAT Enterprises SpringBack. The Fife-based initiative was the UK's first mattress recycling centre and in 2007 it diverted 800 tonnes of mattresses from landfill. The recycled materials are used for all sorts of things, including underlay and industrial carpets. Five local authorities have signed up to use its services, so check with your council to see if it's one of them. Meanwhile, I'm off for a power nap.

BE GREENER

• Opt for eco-friendly bed linen. Good stockists include www.liv-uk.com, www.people-tree.co.uk and www.soorganic.com.

• Don't forget the pillow and duvet. www.dojoeco.co.uk and www.greenfibres.com have a good organic selection, including some rather intriguing millet-filled pillows.

Novel solutions

NOTHING beats curling up with a racy novel, but start thinking about the trees chopped down to make the book and you may lose the plot. You could switch to reading on screen through www.dailylit.com, which delivers books in digestible chunks to your e-mail – but, be honest, would you not just print it off? If you're into gadgets, you could load books on to your BlackBerry. A blogger at www. ecogeek.org shares: "Whenever I have to wait, I just pull out my PDA and start reading, and I can read many books simultaneously. One downside comes when I'm really into the story and I start running out of battery - that never happens with real books."

Posts at www.greenprinteronline.com/blog suggest an easier way: "Pick up an 'old school book thing' at your library – that's pretty green – and unplug yourself for the day."

If you don't mind used books, there are plenty of them on www.amazon. co.uk, while http://ecostreet.com/ blog recommends another way: "I've been swapping books with www.readit swapit.co.uk. You list the books you have that you no longer want. If someone wants to swap with you, they e-mail you a link to their book list."

Further ways for bookworms to save trees courtesy of ecostreet include www.greenmetropolis.com, offering donations to The Woodland Trust in return for selling your books, and www.ecolibris.com – an offsetting scheme that plants trees every time you buy a book.

HEALTHY PLANET

PLASTIC bags are a no-no where the environment is concerned, but these cool customers are an exception. Made from 100% recycled PVC advertising banners, their billboard days may be over, but in prime position on your arm they'll send out an important message. (From 18.50, www.bannerbags.co.uk)