Did you know that most cushions are filled with petroleum products? That high-end reupholstery job may have just brought harmful toxins into the home.

We sleep on foam pillows, curl up and snack on foam upholstery (with plastic fabric covers to prevent stains no less). Add flame-retardant to those cushions, and we have a serious risk of cancer in our most intimate spaces.

Foam is fluffy, resilient, lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to work with. Foam meets flammability standards (amazingly, since it actually causes more deadly fires!) No wonder it is used so often.

Additionally, it is not unusual for these petroleum-based products to be toted as eco-friendly. I was doing some hunting for floor cushions today, and came across the following product descriptions:

High-density foam is made of a polyurethane blend and off-gasses. Polyurethane is toxic to aquatic life, can cause breathing problems, irritate the skin, and can cause cancer. Additionally, polyurethane products burn faster making them a fire-safety hazard in our homes. These products are anything but eco-friendly.

This one was perhaps the most upsetting. Pp Cotton is “polypropylene” cotton or not cotton at all.

Beware of “soy-based foam” products which are very little soy! Only 10-20% of these products are soy and the other 80-90% are the same old polyurethane foams.

There are healthy, environmentally friendly alternatives!

The good news is that we do have some really great options- though they may be a bit tougher to find.

FSC-Certified 100% Natural Latex

My personal favorite is FSC-Certified 100% natural latex. It is important that any latex product is specified as FSC-Certified to ensure that it is harvested in a sustainable manner and that it is 100% natural because there are quite a few imitation products out there using the name ‘latex’.

Latex is resilient, cool, and molds to our bodies. I have latex pillows and mattresses (referral link) in my home and am thrilled with the way that it supports fully and bounces RIGHT BACK when I move.

Organic Wool

This one I am uneasy on, as a vegan (read this article on sheep treatment when harvested for wool) Look for undyed, organic wool products. Organic wool ranchers are more likely to treat their animals humanely simply because the process of organic ranching typically requires smaller scale farms where animal cruelty is less of a concern.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat is used in its shell form to fill cushions to provide a stable body-conforming solution. The hulls allow for completely flexible use, something that a stomach sleeper can adjust to be flatter, and a back sleeper can adjust for more neck support.

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