How to Avoid Greenwashing and Get a Real Organic Mattress

When you’re an environmentally conscious shopper, you’re keeping a close eye on the products you buy. This includes your mattress, as you’re looking for a product that’s both comfortable and organic. However, manufacturers are beginning to take notice and adjust their practices to appeal to green consumers’ sensibilities. 

Unfortunately, some of these practices involve adjusting their advertising, not their actual materials and manufacturing processes. This means you need to be on the lookout for companies that attempt greenwashing instead of working to create a more eco-friendly product.

What Is Greenwashing?

Greenwashing is when a company makes false or misleading statements about the environmental benefits of a product or practice. While it’s nearly impossible for any product or practice to be 100% green and ethical, greenwashing is a gross exaggeration or outright false claim that a company makes to fool consumers who are trying to be more environmentally conscious.

Do Your Research

The best way to catch attempts at greenwashing and false advertising is to do your research. The Federal Trade Commission actually has a Green Guide which is “designed to help marketers avoid making environmental claims that mislead consumers.” They’ve been updated several times since they were first issued in 1992, and the most recent version includes not only updates to the existing Guides, but new sections on the use of carbon offsets, “green” certifications and seals, and renewable energy and renewable materials claims.

When shopping for a mattress, check what kind of language a manufacturer uses. Are they making broad, general claims regarding the mattress’ eco-friendliness, such as saying “made with recycled materials”? Or do they get specific, like listing exactly which layer is made from such materials? For example, we specifically point out that our densified insulator pads are made out of recycled materials, rather than leaving the statement vague and implying that the whole mattress is made of recycled materials. By being transparent with our materials, we take accountability and avoid greenwashing.

We also point out that several of our materials are organic, specifically labeling certain materials as such but not others. This way we give consumers an informed choice on what materials they might prefer to use. We also back up our claims with our own research, keeping consumers informed of the organic properties and benefits of materials featured in certain mattresses.

Buy An Organic Mattress From A Reputable Seller

An issue with some mattress sellers is that they buy their products from an outside manufacturer, who could very well be greenwashing them. A business could believe that they are sourcing their mattresses from a manufacturer who claims to have green practices, only for the reality to be much less eco-friendly. 

That’s why you need to buy your mattress from a seller who cuts out the middleman. At Gardner Mattress, we make all of our own mattresses. This means we know exactly what materials are going into each layer of our mattresses as we build them. For example, we can back up our claim that our Organic Vegan Mattress is exactly as it says on the label, as we not only carefully sourced the materials but built it ourselves. You can even come directly to our Massachusetts showrooms to meet the craftspeople and ask questions. This way we can confidently say that it’s made with sustainable, eco-friendly materials like organic cotton and flax.

Greenwashing can be a tricky thing to avoid when shopping for a mattress, but when you do your research and find the right seller, you can rest easy knowing that you’re in the clear. Come visit our showrooms and see for yourself that our mattresses are as green as we claim.