NATIONAL REPORT—In the auto industry the “Big Three” most generally has been Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. In the world of mattress manufacturing there has also been a big three of sorts—Serta, Sealy and Simmons Bedding. These three companies have historically been the primary suppliers of mattresses to the U.S. lodging industry. Green Lodging News contacted each of these companies to participate in this article on mattresses but for different reasons they chose not to participate (they never responded or said the timing was bad). These companies, in varying degrees, have sustainability initiatives in place. Their websites provide some details.
Outside of Serta, Sealy and Simmons Bedding, there are many companies that have come along to offer what they say are more sustainable mattress options. Each of these companies has their own take on what is sustainable or not sustainable. This article will take a look at some of these companies and what makes their mattresses uniquely green, or at least greener than what has previously been offered to lodging. What it most often comes down to is materials but design and manufacturing operations also come into play. In some cases, sustainable mattress options are cost-competitive. In other cases they are cost-prohibitive for most hotels.
One company that has made inroads in hospitality with its mattresses is Sterling Sleep Systems. Sterling’s mattresses are designed to more than double the service life of the mattress. Mattresses consist of parts that can be replaced, prolonging the recycling or landfilling of mattresses for many years. All upholstered bed components are available individually including sidewall assemblies, foam overlays and choice of zippered mattress top panels. Mattresses come apart for proper cleaning. If there is a bed bug problem, they can be dealt with without throwing away the entire mattress. Mattresses come in different styles—from Plush Top to Euro Top. A full line of component-based innerspring and foam mattresses and component-based memory foam and latex luxury mattresses are available. According to Sterling, its approach can reduce the cost of mattress ownership by 50 percent. Sterling Hospitality Mattresses help earn two LEED points—one point for recycled content (steel springs) and one additional point for sustainable design.
“We designed our mattress system to be successful,” says Tony Hochschild, President of Sterling Sleep Systems. “We start with high-quality components that last a long time before you even have to worry about replacing parts.”
Mattress System Offers Flexibility
Hochschild says that because his company offers different mattress tops, a hotel owner may choose to offer a more premium sleep system in certain rooms. “There are a lot of properties that offer two levels of rooms,” he says. “You can have a different zip-on cover system.”
One Sterling Sleep Systems customer recently ordered 57 replacement covers and some foam overlays. This saved the owner significantly and kept those mattresses on property for years to come.
Hochschild says it makes a lot of sense to design a mattress in a component-type fashion.
“The springs last for 20 years,” he says. “It’s the upholstered and covered materials that give up.”
Sleep on Latex will be launching a new mattress line in the next few months. According to Karl Shevick, president of the company, mattresses in the line will be made with all-natural latex foam. The mattresses will include several pieces of latex foam so they can be assembled or disassembled easily.
“The natural latex foam is a lot cleaner than a lot of the polyurethane foam,” Shevick says. “It is really comfortable and does not absorb heat. The mattress covers will be an organic cotton quilted to wool. Wool is a natural fire barrier. The mattresses will not have any fire retardants.”
Shevick explained that latex foam is a natural, renewable resource that is easily biodegradable whereas polyurethane foam is a derivative of petroleum.
Shevick says the latex foam used in his company’s mattresses will come from Sri Lanka. “They will be assembled in the United States and the covers will be made in the United States,” he says. “The wool will come from the United States.”
Coconut Fiber Layer Instead of Springs
Sleep On Green offers several mattress styles and includes materials including wool, natural latex, organic cotton, coconut fiber, and bamboo fiber. The Dolce Vita, for example, consists of three layers of support beginning with a thick layer of natural latex. Below the latex is a thick layer of coconut fiber used in place of springs. Lastly is a thinner layer of natural latex to give the mattress extra support. All materials are enclosed in a removable bamboo quilted cover that is lined with organic cotton and wool.
“All the products we make can go back into the earth,” says Christian Bizzotto, Executive Director, Sleep on Green.
Sleep On Green has developed a mattress specifically for hospitality that incorporates natural latex foam and all-natural cotton ticking. “It comes apart and the entire ticking is machine washable,” Bizzotto says, adding that lemon, eucalyptus and lavender added to the material makes the mattress naturally bed bug resistant. “We are also working on a hemp version of the mattress,” Bizzotto says. “It is naturally fire retardant.”
Bizzotto’s father was inspired to make healthy mattresses in 2007 when Bizzotto was in a serious motorcycle accident and needed to be in bed 20 hours a day.
“I had a broken back, neck, right arm and left leg,” Bizzotto says. “My doctor asked what kind of mattress I sleep on. When he found out I would be sleeping on memory foam, he told me it is unhealthy. As soon as my dad could do something, he made it his life mission to find mattresses that do not have retardants or memory foam.”
For every mattress sold, Sleep On Green makes a donation to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation.
Natura World offers a group of mattresses made with plant-based foam, organic cotton, Talalay latex, and wool.
Green Tea Included in Foam
One of the mattresses available in the KEETSA Eco-Friendly Mattresses line, the Tea Leaf Supreme, is a memory foam mattress that incorporates EverGreen into the foam. EverGreen is made from all-natural green tea and helps keep the mattress fresh. The cover for the Tea Leaf Supreme is a soft, hemp blend fabric.
All Savvy Rest natural latex mattresses are made of natural latex foam rubber—not synthetic, bio-hybrid or blended foam. The casings are made of certified organic wool and certified organic cotton. The company uses no chemical flame retardants (wool batting ensures that products meet federal requirements).
The Pure Performance Collection from Cozy Pure features solid natural latex (no foams or petroleum) plus a 100 percent pure organic cotton and wool zipper cover. The mattresses are available in a variety of comfort options and heights.
Organic Mattresses offers a large selection of different types of mattresses. One, the OrganicPedic Duo, is made from organic rubber latex and allows one to change the firmness of the mattress by unzipping the quilted cover.
Latex is Naturally Anti-microbial
Many of the mattresses made by Diamond Mattress feature organic cotton covers. All of the innerspring components are made from recycled steel. Diamond uses plant based Eco-Flex Foam which is produced using renewable materials. Also used is Natural Talalay Latex that is naturally healthy and anti-microbial. Diamond uses fire retardant barriers that are made primarily from cotton or other cellulosic renewable fibers. No harmful chemicals or processes are used.
Essentia makes what it says is the only natural memory foam in the world. The company mixes Hevea milk, the milky white sap of the rubber tree, with essential oils like grapefruit seed, cone flower essence and jasmine essence. Plant extracts and water are added. Essentia also uses compressed organic cotton for added support, as well as an organic cotton cover.
Not yet available in North America, Switzerland’s SWISSFEEL AG has developed a bed system that includes a mattress made with a washable Swiss Mineral Foam. Philipp Hangartner, a spokesman for the company, told me that about every 12 to 18 months the mattress can be machine washed to bring it back to a like-new condition. The fabric covering the headboard and other parts of SWISSFEEL’s bed system can be removed for washing as well. Special machines are required to wash the mattresses and would have to be operated by an outside company as the frequency of mattress washing would not justify the investment cost by an individual hotel.
Also be sure to check out Amerisleep, Natural Form Co., Best Rest USA, and Suite Sleep.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
