The Eco-nomical Bedroom

Last fall, when I moved into a bigger apartment, I sold my old stuff to a friend and applied the proceeds to an eco-friendly bedroom upgrade--on a budget. While I couldn't afford to go all-organic, I did find some ways to sleep more lightly on the planet. Following are my greener, if not greenest, choices--along with some items I've put on my wish list for my next eco upgrade.

Mattresses

Conventional mattresses are often made of petroleum-based polyester, nylon and polyurethane (PU) foam that, especially when new, may give off harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with upper respiratory problems. Some mattresses are also pretreated with formaldehyde-emitting stain- and water-repellants whose manufacture releases perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a likely human carcinogen according to an EPA advisory panel.

On the up side, there's been a phaseout of the most worrisome fire retardants in the class of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), linked to developmental harm in animal studies and found in high levels in American women's breast milk. "The companies are telling us, unilaterally, they are not making penta [BDE] and octa [BDE], and to the best of my knowledge, they aren't," says Carol Kraege, P.E., persistent bioaccumulative toxins manager at the Washington State Department of Ecology.

A new U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission standard, effective July 1, 2007, requires that mattresses resist ignition when exposed to open flames, in addition to lit cigarettes. "I am unaware of any mattress producer that is using any type of flame-retardant foam to meet the new standard," says Ryan Trainer, executive vice president of the International Sleep Products Association, a non-profit industry group. Instead, "they are using a variety of barrier materials...made from synthetic and natural fibers," he adds. Unfortunately, conventional mattress companies called by The Green Guide would not reveal the exact composition of these fiber barriers, claiming trade secrets. This raises concerns. For instance, melamine, one less-toxic material used for fire retardancy, may be mixed in mattresses with a chemical that emits formaldehyde during its application, according to the Leopold Center for Sustainable Development in Massachusetts.

PRODUCT CHOICES

Greener

Ikea's affordable $159-and-up mattresses contain alternative flame retardants that, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, haven't raised significant consumer health or environmental concerns. But I settled on a conventional Sealy Posturepedic full mattress/ box-spring set (about $399), which is free of Teflon stain- and water-resistant treatment and uses the new fiber-based flame-retardant barriers. I also chose a coilspring mattress, which contains less PU foam. To further reduce my exposures to VOCs, I'm saving up to buy an organic-cotton mattress encasement, which will also block allergenic dust mites (see Resources).

Greenest

A Natural Home's "Simply Affordable" furniture line includes twin- and full-sized organic cotton and organic wool mattresses ($450 and $500, respectively). Savvy Rest has two styles of natural latex mattresses (with organic wool quilting and organic cotton casing) that, starting at $1,049, cost less than most made with these materials.

Bed Frames

For my bed frame I chose metal, which resists bed bugs--a growing problem in New York City. When it comes to wood, the most verifiably green products are those that bear the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label, such as If Green's Sleigh Bed (from $1490) and Tamalpais's Eco-Styler bed kit. The latter includes unfinished wood and hardware for twin through king beds from $400 (some assembly required). Choose solid wood wherever possible, as glues that bind plywood and particleboard cores can emit formaldehyde and other VOCs.

The following, more affordable frames aren't FSC-certified, but the companies assured us that the wood is responsibly harvested from well-managed forests. A Natural Home says that their bed frame is made from locally sourced, non-clear-cut solid oak and finished in tung oil, which is petroleumfree and made from nuts. If you buy one of their mattresses, they'll knock $100 off the $525 frame price. The Bedworks of Maine makes a solid North American ash hardwood Freeport frame with low-VOC finish ($230/twin). Also check out the Pecos Lite Bamboo Platform Bed with a tung oil finish from Abundant Earth ($221.95).

Bedding

To counterbalance my not-quite-eco-friendliest mattress, I bought as much organic cotton bedding as I could afford. Conventional cotton accounts for up to 25 percent of the insecticides used worldwide, and the runoff from nitrogen- spiked synthetic fertilizers, as well as heavy metal dyes, kills aquatic life. Chlorine bleaching releases carcinogenic dioxins. Permanent-press and stainand water-repellant finishes can offgas formaldehyde, and their manufacture releases PFOA into the environment.

I purchased an Under The Canopy full-sized sheet set for $100 at my local Whole Foods ECO Home store, but nearly cried when I saw a similar set two weeks later on sale for $50 in the Spiegel catalog! A sale at ECO did, however, afford me a good deal on an organic-cotton thermal blanket from The Dutch Mill, $87 for a king size, which I'll double up on cold winter nights. I found a fairly traded quilt from Tilonia for $89.95. Though made of conventional cotton, it's unbleached and colored by hand with vegetable- based dyes, free of potentially carcinogenic azo.

I bought Greenfeet's recycled polyester-filled "Eco Basics" pillow for a mere $18.50/standard (for others, see "It's Not All Fluff," GG #115). Buckwheat-and millet- hull pillows conform to your head and reduce neck strain. Organic Rejuvenation Pillows from Serenity Pillows muffle the noise of shifting hulls with wool ($69.99).

Bedroom Furniture

Used wood furniture spares old-growth and endangered forests. My favorite find: a pristine quality solid maple dresser on sale for $320 at a vintage furniture store.

Upholstered PU foam furniture, along with mattresses, contained PBDEs until the phaseout. "If you're buying a new piece of furniture," says Carol Kraege, "it's unlikely to have penta[BDE] and octa[BDE], but it might have something that's just as bad, such as another brominated flame retardant," such as Tris, a possibly carcinogenic chemical. Kraege recommends that consumers ask for petroleum-free fills.

The Simply Affordable line includes an organic cotton-covered natural latex chair for $1,000, along with their locally sourced, unfinished oak nightstands for $275. You can match your Abundant Earth bamboo bed frame with a bamboo bedside table ($113.95) and cloth/bamboo dresser ($249.95).

Rugs

Conventional wall-to-wall carpeting will definitely not be covering my floor. It collects dust, allergens and toxins carried in from outdoors. Its finishes, adhesives and foam paddings can emit numerous VOCs, including formaldehyde and toluene. I prefer area rugs, which can be washed and kept in place with a natural rubber pad. I'm waffling between jute, hemp, or FLOR recyclable modular carpet tiles that contain recycled materials, and which look and feel great on the floor of The Green Guide's creative director, Julio. They don't use VOC-laden adhesives, either.

Rugmark-certified rugs are made in factories that don't employ child labor and have agreed to random inspections (see "Take Action" sidebar and www.rugmark.org).

Conclusion

Ultimately, my eco bedroom is only moderately green, but a few fish may be thankful that my sheets didn't poison their water with cotton pesticides, and somewhere, I hope, a tree is still standing thanks to my used dresser. Plus, my bedroom is a comfortable place in which to dream of future eco renovations.

RESOURCES/FOR MORE INFORMATION

*Blankets and Comforters, Carpet, Mattresses and Box Springs, Paints, Sheets and Pillowcases, Pillows, Wood Furniture and Wood Finishes product reports at thegreenguide.com/reports
*Mattresses and Pillows Smart Shoppers' Card
*Non-food Labels Smart Shoppers' Card

COMPANIES

A Natural Home (www.anaturalhome.com, 866-239-4142)
Abundant Earth (www.abundantearth.com, 888-51-EARTH)
FLOR (www.florcatalog.com, 866-281-FLOR)
Greenfeet (www.greenfeet.com, 888-562-8873)
IF Green (www.ifgreen.com, 503-771-5730)
Ikea (www.ikea.com; 800-434-IKEA)
Savvy Rest (www.savvyrest.com, 866-540-6444)
Sealy (www.sealy.com, 800-MY-SEALY)
Serenity Pillows (www.serenitypillows.com, 800-340-0506)
Spiegel (www.spiegel.com)
Tamalpais (www.tamalpais.com, 415-454-9948)
The Organic Mattress Store (www.theorganicmattressstore.com,484-851-3636)
Tilonia (www.tilonia.com, 888-759-8175)
Under the Canopy (www.underthecanopy.com, 888-226-6799)
White Lotus (www.whitelotus.net, 877-HANDMADE)
Whole Foods ECO Lifestyle Stores (www.wholefoodsmarket.com)