turn those leaves into compost and save energy and space in the local landfill.

According to statistical information from the Environmental Protection Agency, homeowner yard waste is the second biggest trash item, behind paper and comprises about 25% of the whole community trash haul.  Dead leaves are rich in nutrients and minerals that can be used for landscaping and gardening purposes. There are many ways to make a home compost pile and it is one of the easiest ways a person can observe the “going green” trend and help protect the environment.

Leave and yard waste can be beneficial

Compost is a super rich pile of decomposing materials, which contains humus, carbon and nitrogen.  It is very simple to make your own compost heap at home and you can build or purchase a bin from your local hardware store.  If you live in the country, chances are good your compost pile will not be a bother to anyone, but if you are an urbanite, then purchasing a plastic compost container might be the better option to avoid upsetting any neighbors.

Once you have your compost heap container constructed or purchased, place it in a shady location if possible.  To begin your compost pile you should rotate layers of brown material like dried leaves, twigs, straw, weeds and vegetable trimmings and manure.  The next layer should be green and you can use such things as grass clippings and leaves.  It is very important to never use animal or dairy products, pet or human waste, diseased plants or those treated with harmful pesticides.  Water each compost layer as you build the next and ensure each one is saturated well before proceeding to the next layer.

After your compost pile has sat for a week or two, the next thing you want to do is stir the layers up.  Using a pitchfork or rake, mix the layers together, then cover the pile back up again and let it cook and decompose.  Allow time and nature to do the work to turn the compost in a nutrient rich mishmash which will be used to fertilize your garden next summer.  Often it takes 2-3 months for a compost pile to reach full maturation, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time if you plan on using it in the springtime on your flowerbeds or garden.

Almost anything can be used in a compost pile and not only are you cutting down on your trash load, but you are also getting the added benefit of using organic compost in your garden or home landscaping projects.  Composting can become a hobby, passion and for some, even like a religion, but it is a highly enjoyable and productive pastime which many homeowners participate in.  Composting is a great way to clean up the environment and is just one of many ways you can make the most of the “going green” trend.

Learn about Biodegradable Eco Friendly Mattress.

In this article, we will show you how to practice eco-friendly shopping with the following five tips which will help you become a savvy consumer and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.  Making conscientious “green” shopping choices can have an impact on our earth’s ecosystem and what you purchase is a tangible representation of societal values, needs and wants.

If people began purchasing “green” mattresses and bedding for example,

it would be incumbent upon the bedding industry to yield to consumer preference.  We, as consumers, have the power to change the world by making eco-friendly purchases and utilizing our consumer dollars to work for us.  One by one, the things we buy and the products we select can improve our quality of life and health, which is why it is so important to be selective and make the right choices.

What is Energy Star?  Energy Star is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products which originate in the US.  Devices and products which display the Energy Star logo generally use 20-30% less energy than what is allowable or required according to governmental standards.  Upgrading appliances, computers and televisions sets to Energy Star will be more energy-efficient and cut the cost of your utility bills.  This is just one small way of doing your part to conserve energy and is a great way to do your part to “green” your lifestyle a little bit more.

Another way of following the “green” concept is to purchase organically grown and local foods as much as possible.

By purchasing locally grown foods, it cuts down on chemical pesticides and fertilizers which result in upsetting the agricultural environment.  There is no need to transport the foods, which means it is less expensive to grow locally and helps reduce carbon emissions.

By switching to natural fibers for clothing, blankets and bedding, you are making a powerful “green” statement.  To make synthetic clothing, manufacturers must use harsh chemicals and excessive water which means introducing these toxins into the environment.  Very few people realize that using clothes organic cotton, wool, and bamboo, hemp and flax products do not require the use of harmful chemicals to manufacture, which means it is much better for the environment.

Using less energy is another way to go “green,” and because America is one of the biggest users of fossil fuels, every little bit of conservation.  To conserve energy you could pack a lunch, carpool or ride a bike to work, using public transportation, and turning off your lights, televisions, computers and other electrical appliances when not in use to reduce the amount of wasted energy.  Environmentally friendly shopping also extends to vacations and leisure activities; you can go camping, take a float trips and do other activities which do not require wasting precious natural resources.

Going “green” is a life changing choice and it not only benefits the environment, but everyone involved.  When we use less fossil fuel, fewer chemicals and waste less of our resources, and improve the quality of life we have and make the air we breathe cleaner.  If all industries are forced by consumers to adhere to a higher standard and people made conscious choices as to what types of products and services they used, the world would be a cleaner place and we could easily reduce our carbon footprint.

The Industry as a whole: The furniture retailers, furniture manufacturers, and interior designers must not blame anybody but ourselves. We’re not educating the public and making them aware of products that are available right now items like earth friendly safe mattresses, furniture, and accessories.

Interesting note, most manufacturers aren’t building alternative products. They say it is because retailers, designers, and the consumers are not asking for them. So we are leaving it up to the consumers to be our industry innovators? Really, we as an industry are going to wait for the consumer to ask for something they no nothing about? We are the ones with the means,  industry experience, and industry knowledge to bring these inovative product developments to market to buy.

3 years ago STL Beds took the lead in St. Louis Missouri by offering green alternatives in mattresses, bedding accessories and soon will offer bedroom furniture, with a goal to do it for about the same price as non earth friendly products.

We believe the public’s desire to be educated in the area of home furnishings. This belief has been backed by the Sustainable Furnishing Council’s own study which stated that 75% of the general public cares about indoor air quality to varying degrees. They went on to say that 60-70% of us are already purchasing environmentally safe cleaning products, paper products and energy efficient light bulbs. 25% are buying energy efficient appliances, yet only 8% are buying green home furnishings.

Primary reasons why consumers are not buying green home furnishings is due to consumers lack of awareness. They also believe that some products may not be available in stores to see or concerned their that green goods may be too expensive. This accounts for about 73% of those that would consider purchasing sustainable products.

It essentially all comes down to education. It seems that what we do not know will not hurt us, at least not until it is too late.
A number of things have been made available over recent years to make green furniture environmentally friendly.

•Low VOC finishes, sealers, and glues are safer alternatives such as clay based paints, whey, tung or linseed oil, bee’s wax
•Conserve by reducing waste and conserving materials while saving energy in the process
•Use of reclaimed woods
•Choose woods that are plantations grown, or rapid renewals these species grow to full maturity in approximately 10 years or less
•Consider water based finishes using 50g/L vs. EPA limit of 350. They dry faster and clean up is non toxic.
The removal of formaldehyde from furniture is a major health factor. It is claimed by researchers to be a major cause of childhood asthma by major studies. Minimal exposure can cause eye and skin irritation. Major exposure can cause death. Government is taking major steps to eliminate formaldehyde from furniture and even mattresses, and upholstery fabrics.
•PCB’s contained in many furnishings are a known carcinogen as well as plasticizers which make plastics softer and less brittle.

Simply offering consumers these environmentally and healthier choices instead of shoving the old ways of doing things down their throats will give the them the chance to show their interest by supporting these products with their hard earned dollars. If we educate the consumer in the ways of safe sustainable business practices and manufacturing methods, if we teach them that there are sustainable methods for growth of timber and harvesting textiles the educated public will recognize inflated costs from profiteers who are only green washing. They will choose competitively priced healthier earth friendlier and safe products instead.

The most powerful place a consumer can go “green,” is in the bedroom where we spend much of our time relaxing and sleeping. Consider the mattress you sleep on and the bedding you use to cover yourself up with at night. When we sleep, we breathe in and out deeply and this can make us vulnerable to the toxins and chemicals in our bedding and mattress. Particularly infants and small children, the lungs are vulnerable and still developing, which is why it is so highly important to use the safest bedding and mattresses available.
Our bodies come into direct contact with our mattress, for hours at a time and we can possibly absorb toxic chemicals while sleeping. A mattress made of natural fibers and cotton helps “green” our bedroom and makes for safe sleeping. A natural mattress surface helps prevent allergies and gives natural support to the spine and body contour which makes for a more comfortable night’s sleep.

What we use to cover our mattress with is also another component of “greening” the bedroom. The covering of a mattress should be made of organic cotton and wool, in order to pass the new flame retardant standards and to prevent you from coming into contact with toxic gasses released from some of the older synthetic covers. A cotton mattress pad also offers superior qualities of wool which transports moisture and helps regulate body temperature, helps distribute body weight and relieves pressure points and it is also resistant to mold, dust mites and bacteria.

Chemical free bedding is the next step to take when “greening” your bedroom and now it is easy to find 100% organic cotton labeled sheets and comforters. Wrinkle and stain free sheets are not a good choice because they are often treated with chemicals that can include formaldehyde and other toxings. Looking for bedding materials made without bleaching and organic cotton is not only better for the environment, but also health as well.

There is no plausible reason as to why someone must allow questionable chemicals to come into contact with skin, or be used in bedding, sheets or mattresses. Because our bodies are like big sponges, the chemicals given off by synthetic bedding can be toxic and dangerous and the cumulative effects on the health are unpredictable. When “greening” the bedroom you should make sure you are safe and not breathing in any dangerous chemicals while sleeping, for both your health and that of your family, it is important to find comfortable, all natural, organic bedding and mattress materials.

The top ten tips for going green at home

1. Gardening: Use natural compost instead of synthetic fertilizers. Compost provides natural soil organisms and the perfect balance of nutrients your garden needs and healthy soil helps minimize the number of weeds you have. It is easy to grow healthy plants and starting with natural, nutrient rich compost is the first step.
2. Healthier paint: Traditional paint contains harsh solvents, toxic metals and volatile organic compounds which can cause air pollution. Instead check into the low odor low voc paint which is manufactured by most companies today and do your part to reduce levels of harmful toxins in your home.
3. Green up appliances: Get rid of old, broken down appliances and replace them with energy efficient models which can help you save up to 20% on your annual electric bill. If just 1 in 10 homes were to use energy efficient appliances, it would help save 1.7 million trees each year.
4. Watch your temperature: Half of our home’s energy consumption comes from heating and cooling. Turning down the thermostat in cold temperature and keeping it a bit higher in the heat of summer can help save 3-5% on yearly electrical expenses. Installing a programmable thermostat, changing furnace filters and using ceiling fans all help to make you more comfortable and keep the air in the home moving, which directly saves money on power bills.
5. Conserve water: Put an aerator on all the faucets in the household and you may cut your water use by 50%. Install a low flow toilet, turn off running water while brushing teeth and limiting time for showers all directly impacts the costs you spend on your water bill and this is just one simple suggestion which saves countless gallons of potentially wasted water.
6. Use green cleaners: Use natural cleaning products and do not purchase ones which have potentially toxic chemicals which could harm your home, pets or family. Use products that have coconut or plant oil based formulations and use lemon juice, borax, baking soda, plain water and vinegar and save not only the environment, but also money at the same time.
7. Use energy efficient lighting: Newer light bulbs use 66% less energy than the traditional bulbs we are all familiar with. Changing and replacing bulbs with new energy efficient bulbs, saves you money over the lifetime of the bulb.
8. Use less paper: Purchase only “tree-free” 100% post-consumer recycled paper products and you not only save money, but trees as well. Paper with post consumer recycled products uses less virgin pulp and keeps more waste out of the landfills.
9. Bamboo hardwood floors: If you want to invest in a new floor in your home, use bamboo flooring which is considered environmentally friendly. It takes 6-8 years for bamboo to mature versus 50-100 for typical hardwood trees, also be sure to use formaldehyde free glue when installing the flooring to avoid toxic fumes being released into the air.
10. Reduce plastics: Each year, people in the US throw away more than 120 millions plastic bags from grocery stores, trash bags, diapers, soda bottles and sandwich baggies and other plastic products. By recycling products and plastics, we reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and directly impact our environment by not contributing to more consumer waste.

The more things you do naturally and the more you recycle, the better it is for the environment. Being “green” is not only environmentally friendly, but it also saves you money and protects the planet. By incorporating a few or all of the following simple tips into your daily life, you can reduce your carbon footprint and preserve the planet for future generations.

Personally, I am not entirely convinced global warming is man made, however I do believe that it’s important to make a sincere effort to preserve the Earth and it’s atmosphere. For as many years as I can count the mattress industry which supports my lively hood has not respected or supported the planet I live on that sustains my life.

I find it interesting how everyone points fingers including myself, when we are all to blame. Some believe being Eco friendly makes a difference while others do not. In the retail mattress industry I have had this question asked of me many times and people often giggle at the mention of an Eco friendly or organic mattress.

If history teaches anything is that we can learn a lot from past civilizations that knew the repercussions of being wasteful and for that very reason made use anything and everything. Those lessons are just as important today and somehow we have forgotten that in our throwaway society. I’m not talking about “go green” t-shirts you can by at a department stores, but rather real changes that can affect our personal health and our environments health.

Doug’s 5 reasons an environmentally responsible mattress is important

1. When my father started his water bed business I can remember coming home and my mom telling us that we smelled like a swimming pool store. Today I cringe at the thought of my exposure to the chemicals that was endured throughout those years of selling vinyl waterbed mattresses. I am pretty convinced that those chemicals from off gassing sometimes called VOC’s had not only permeated my clothing but my body.
2. As of July 2007 most people haven’t a clue that the way mattresses are being built was changed so radically. Today we all need to be very cautious to possible exposure to harmful PBDE’s in order. A mandated law that was designed to save the few people that were injuring or killing them selves by smoking in bed yet know we all live with a possible bigger risk.
3. The average mattress is 12 inches thick or more, half of which is foam that is chemically high in content and petroleum based. Foam the primary ingredient to build a makes us the average mattress buyer a part of the problem yet again by stripping the oil of earth of another luxury. Yet many of us haven’t a clue of how foam it is built or where it comes from.
4. The industry doesn’t want a mattress to last forever and builds mattresses for the consumer that don’t last but a few years for profits which could be made in other ways. The average consumer throws a mattress away with no real understanding of the environmental impact. They are typically unaware that 1 mattress set takes up to 25 cubic feet of landfill space and that in fact can take hundreds of years to break down.
5. Most of us are unaware that mattresses don’t compost well while even more is not aware that nation wide only a handful of mattress recycling programs exists.  This is because it is a very labor-intensive process to tear apart a mattress just like it is to build one.

Today Mattresses can be built with:

• Replaceable parts
• Biodegradable and sustainable materials
• Recycled materials
• Without or with minimal chemicals
• Eco friendly but human friendly too

It may not seem essential to the average person and some people will go so far as to say why make changes in the way mattresses are made, it will only make them more expensive and won’t make a difference.

The idea that it is to late to change or make a new start is not a ridiculous one. For example people stop smoking, eat healthier; they even start exercising all in the name of a better healthier lifestyle because they know it is better than the alternative.

I’ll just say this, while everyone is fighting over green house gases, global warming or cooling what ever the heck it is this decade, there are real controllable health and environmental issues each of us can control in our little corner of this world. This decision affects every one of us, 1/3 of our life, and is every bit as important if not more than diet and exercise. What is it? The mattress you choose to sleep on.

I always respect people’s opinions and even opposition to green mattresses as long as they have based their decision on educational facts not just some predetermined biased against anything and everything green.

A sustainable mattress industry can make a difference.

· Mattresses can be made from all natural latex rubber.
· It’s sustainable, biodegradable, very durable, and most importantly comfortable.

· Latex rubber can be virtually chemical free.

· As it stands polyurethane foams are the prominent building component of mattresses. It is not durable, petroleum based, and loaded with potentially harmful chemicals.

· Mattress covers and padding can be made using cotton / organic cotton very sustainable and virtually chemical free.

· The fact is today most mattresses are filled with polyester fibers and covers are synthetic blends.

· Beds can be made with zippers so that parts and pieces can be replaced when worn. This will free up space from entire mattresses that are disposed of because of a bad cover or a bad layer of padding. Building a mattress in such a way also allows for customization or the mattresses’ feel.

· Today’s mattresses are not customizable and worse yet are basically considered throw aways and can take up nearly 25 cubic feet of landfill space. They don’t compost well because they are not made from biodegradable materials.

· Today’s beds can be made with natural fire retardants like wool / organic wool

· Mattresses built after July 1, 2007 must meet new federal fire standards for safety. The ironic thing is that they loaded the mattresses with potentially harmful chemicals and some are know to even include carcinogens. To get one without requires a doctor’s prescription stating chemical sensitivity issues.

· Foundations can be built using untreated lumber and fast growing hardwoods.

Most people are going through life without a clue as to what is happening to many of the things we buy everyday. This one in my opinion is worth educating yourself on. You can make a difference in your personal health and the health of the planet we all share. So my answer to the original question, yes through informational blogs like this one Mattress Manufacturers Going Green will work and as people learn the facts and the truths, they will also learn the alternatives ways to buy beds and that a healthy green Eco friendly mattress and mattress industry can one day be the norm.

I wish I had a dime for every time someone asked us for a brochure concerning one of mattresses and or bedroom furniture pieces or sets we sell. Times are changing and handing out brochures on such items are quickly becoming a thing of the past. We are not against furniture and mattress brochures. We understand some people do not want or have the Internet.

Often I’m criticized and teased by my wife Kathy and close friend and sister in-law Kim for living on the computer. Both have pointed out on many occasions that they work on a computer all day and the last thing they want to do when they get home is to be on computer. Such conversations often take place while her husband Bob and I are surfing the web and pecking away on the laptop.

Where to find the information

Like most people I don’t think Kathy or Kim choose the limited information found in a handout brochure to the vast world of information found shopping via Google Search. Often the first thing Kathy says to me each day is “good morning computer” a sign of how much I am on it. Personally I’m in awe and captivated with the amount of information I can gather about people, places, and things. As a salesman I have heard the lines and really don’t need a sale pitch. Just give me the truth with complete information, and the most bang for my buck. Brochures seem to come across as sales pitchy to me very often light on substance and very heavy on feel good fluff information.

I can’t tell you how many times I went to the St. Louis Home and Garden Show or Boat and Sport Show spoke with a salesperson and took their booklet or brochure only to throw it into a bag that would later end up thrown away weeks later when my enthusiasm has faded. The thing is the products I was interested in usually had manufacturer or retail websites that included the same information, actually in most cases a lot more information. Not only that but I could do a search to see how other people like the item or if there is something better or comparable available for less money. They don’t tell you that in a brochure.

Customers can shop our competition too?

I am concerned about the environment and I believe most everyone else is as well. I love trees but I don’t hug them and I save paper when I can, especially when I’m asked for a hand out or brochure on a bed or bedroom set. Because of my passion to not waste and be more Eco friendly when I’m asked for a brochure on a certain bed or bedroom set I look for an earth friendly alternative to the wasted paper and ink. Instead I ask them if they have access to the Internet. If they tell me no, we simply go to computer and print the information off that they are requesting and hand them a brochure. For those having access to the Internet the STL Beds website offers hundreds of pages with very specific and very detailed about the items they are interested in. In addition to that they can visit manufacturers’ websites, forums, chat rooms, and review sites where people just like them give their opinions good, bad, or other. They can even research all in one place competitors and competing products.

Recently STLBeds in an effort enhance the look of the store decided to spruce the showroom up with a fresh coat of paint. As you may or may not know the terrible smell of a freshly painted room can expose you to harmful VOC’s Volatile Organic Compounds. For some people the VOCs common in paint smell may be nothing more than a mere annoyance, while others can have severe reactions. Make no bones about it the emissions are not good for anyone. Having sold organic mattresses now for over 2 years we have been awakened to the fact of both minor and severe reactions due to things like chemical sensitivity. We have also learned problems can be as simple as a minor cough or irritation to an all out full blown hospital visit due to severe reactions and repertory issues.

With this in mind if you have been following our previous blogs to keep you informed on our efforts to green up our business STLBeds, we mentioned several things we are doing and are looking to do to make STLBeds more earth friendly. One project we did not mention was how to paint the walls without the obnoxious smell that comes along with painting and takes weeks and even months to fully dissipate. The idea was to not only limit exposure to our shoppers, but the mattresses they would test rest and purchase.

With the average house being well under 2000 square foot I am sure you can only imagine what a 3000 square foot mattress showroom would smell like after umpteen gallons of paint. The truth is the painting project was stretched out over a 2 week period of time because our painter Zack was only working for us on a part time basis. During this period we have had hundreds of visitors through our store through out the painting process. The amazing thing is that not one person commented on the smell. The truth was when we asked them if the store had an odor of paint, nearly everyone didn’t even realize that Zack was painting even though he was often with in just a few feet of them.

The paint we used for our painting project was from Sherwin Williams and is called Harmony® Interior Latex No VOC paint. The Harmony® Interior Latex was a natural choice for us and went along with our efforts to protect the environment. Sherwin Williams claim is that their Harmony Paint is very low-odor which we are happy to vouch for. They say it will allow you to immediately move into your newly painted area. Well as I mentioned we were working in our showroom through out the entire painting process and the smell or should I say the lack of smell did not disrupt our business in any way. Sherwin Williams claims their paint contains less solvents and zero-VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), which is what we really like about it. They also say because of that what is emitted into the air, what we breathe is safer than ever before and is truly more environmentally friendly. Thanks Arnold Sherwin Williams for the help. I hope this blog helps you sell more earth friendly Harmony paint. If any of your customers are looking for an Organic mattress, hope you’ll send them to STLBeds. Thanks SW.

Where can you buy an organic mattress in Arkansas?

Call STLBeds at 1-888-STL-BEDS

STLBeds, your neighbor to the north in Missouri, would like to introduce you to a virtually chemical free non-toxic mattress. It is a healthy alternative to today’s chemically treated fire retardant mattresses.

Click on any of the links below to learn more!

Where can I try an organic mattress?
How about in your home with our 90 day comfort guarantee or take a short drive north and visit our showroom and test rest an all natural organic mattress before you buy it.

Arkansas Organic Mattress Choices Include

All Natural Dunlop Latex (Customize your feel)
Certified Organic Cotton
Certified Organic Wool
Choice or Zippered or Non Zippered (Customize your feel)
Easy to Set Up and to Move.
Take a moment and click to learn more about the organic and natural components of our healthier mattresses from Land and Sky.

We are also Arkansas Choice for Organic Sheets and Organic Mattress Protectors. They not only protect your new mattress but they feel good too.

What Organic Mattresses do we carry?
· Heaven and Earth Organic Mattress
· Rainforest Organic Mattress
· Meadow Organic Mattress
· Mountain View Boxtop
· Mountain View Eurotop
· Mountain View Plush
· Acorn Baby Mattress
· Aurora
· Eco Coil

Please feel free to click on any of the links to learn more about our beds.

All natural and organic mattresses built from Dunlop Latex are some of the most durable and longest lasting mattresses available today. They are also customizable, naturally comply with the federally mandated laws for fire safety using now dangerous or toxic chemicals, and come in a variety of firmnesses and comfort levels.

STLBeds is located on the South side of St. Louis County and offers the best selection of green, all natural, and chemical free mattresses to be found. It’s worth the trip and we look forward to meeting or speaking with you.

Call Dave or Doug at 1-888-STL-BEDS