Since I've very into natural health it struck me as kind of odd that I had a traditional mattress - which by law is bathed in a mix of fire-retardant chemicals. I've tried to reduce chemicals from other areas of my life, yet I was spending 8+/- hours a night exposing myself to ones that are known carcinogens.

So I went on search of a more organic solution and everything was pointing in the direction of natural latex. I was a bit shocked at the prices, but I'm a firm believer in, 'you get what you pay for". I wanted to try these natural, organic latex mattresses out in person so my next step was to find a store nearby which carried them.

This led me to a place in Eugene, OR called Riley's Real Wood Furniture.

Long story short, the guy's at Riley's were awesome and I ended up getting a totally organic, chemical free new mattress. 

On a somewhat unrelated note, my company (JV Media Design - http://www.jvmediadesign.com) just redid their website for the mattresses and I thought I'd post some info from the site here for anyone else interested in one of these mattresses....

"Did you know that natural latex foam mattresses, made from the latex sap of the rubber tree, are a much safer alternative to the popular memory foam mattresses?

Memory foam mattresses, like most commercially available mattresses, are made from petroleum based polyurethane foam, an extremely flammable material. Known as "solid gasoline: by firefighters, the polyurethane foam in most commercially available mattresses burns so furiously that strict new fire resistance standards have been written into law, which started with California in 2005 and went nationwide in 2006. These strict new fire resistance standards are being met by tripling the amount of fire retardant chemicals, called PDBEs, which are added to manufacture memory foam mattresses and mattress toppers.

Most mattress purchasers are unaware of the fire danger posed by polyurethane mattresses. But the greater danger may be the higher concentrations of PDBEs used to help prevent combustion in memory foam mattresses. PDBEs build up in the body in ways similar to banned PCBs, and they have been linked to cancer and other illnesses. PDBEs have already been banned in Europe, but not in North America. Some medical researchers believe that the extra load of PDBEs in newly made mattresses will cause millions of cancer cases in the coming decades. Because you lie directly on your mattress for 8 hours every night, your body has its greatest contact with the dangerous PDBEs while you sleep, and they pass right through your skin.

The solution to the PDBE problem is to do what the Europeans already do, sleep on natural latex mattresses. Natural latex mattresses are made from the sap of the tropical rubber tree. Natural latex foam does not burn well, and most natural latex mattresses are also quilted with organic cotton and wool which makes them very fire resistant, complying with all current fire codes.

Compare a regular mattresses with a natural latex and you will "feel" and "live" the difference. Made from natural rubber derived from the milk of rubber trees, there are no synthetic blends in a 100% natural latex mattress. In a natural, organic mattress there are also no pesticides, chemical fertilizers or dyes, which make them perfect for anyone with allergies or anyone wanting a healthy nights sleep.

Natural latex is inherently hypo-allergenic, anti-microbial, dust mite resistant, mold and mildew resistant, making it perfect for anyone with chemical sensitivities or allergies.

The body AND the mind will experience the luxury of total sleep comfort as you breathe fresh, clean air while sleeping on an all-natural fiber mattress.

You can also be assured of a rest full sleep on the natural latex mattress as it provides proper alignment of the spine, in any sleeping position, relieving all pressure points. Natural latex dynamically conforms to you, providing superior back support. This helps guarantee an undisturbed, regenerative nights sleep. A natural latex mattress also absorbs approximately 85% of normal sleeping movements. It is renowned for its durability for up to 30 years."

If you're in the area of western Oregon, check out http://www.oregonorganicmattress.com

This month I've happened upon a number of websites that can help your business or your home become more environmentally friendly.

With the popularity of "being green" at what seems like an all time high, it's a great time to make some of these small changes that can make a big difference for the environment.


RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES
I admit this is one area our business needs to improve on. Things like digital cameras, flashlights, stereos, and other small electronics run on batteries and re-buying them every time they get used up is not only wasteful but also impractical. There are a number of options now for rechargeable batteries. Many can be found at stores like Target and others. You can also find them online at http://www.greenbatteries.com. Yes, they will cost you more than the regular batteries, but it will save you from having to buy them for years. And all the old regular batteries can still be recycled. Target, Radio Shake, and Sears offer drop offs to recycle your old batteries. If you don't live near one of those stores, check out http://www.earth911.org.org for more recycling information.


GREEN YOUR PHONE
Earth Tone (http://www.earthtones.com) donates 100% of its profits to environmental organizations and causes. I found their rates to be fairly reasonable (for instance $4.95 per month and $.07 a minute rates). All their plans also give you free calls to government numbers such as congress and decision makers so it's easier to make your voice heard. E-billing and "Green Alerts" are also offered with their plans. They even offer internet (dial-up) service.


GET MORE INVOLVED
There are literally thousands of organizations out there working to help the environment. During the month of March, organized tree-plantings occur in many major cities across the country. To find out more, check out http://www.arborday.org. If you can't make it to personally help plant some trees, you can always make a donation to help continue the effort at the Arbor Day website.


CLEAN UP
It's not very hard anymore to buy environmentally friendly, non-toxic cleaning products (even target carries a line called Method). I recently found out about a line that donates all proceeds to environmental conservation, education, and research, Epic (http://www.products4causes.com). What I personally liked about the products beyond the eco-friendly aspect was the affordability and the variety.

About the Author:
Sherry Holub received her degree in design from UCLA in 1995. She is now the Lead Designer and Creative Director at JV Media Design (http://www.jvmediadesign.com).

"Going green" is one trend we're happy to see becoming more and more popular. Even if you are still uncertain about global warming, practices that can make your business greener can also save on your bottom line.

Here are more simple ways your business can help lessen the impact on the environment and potentially save a dollar or two.

Reduce and Reuse

Some may not consider plastics to be earth-friendly because of the way they are made, however, with certain business supplies plastic might have the advantage. For instance, you can purchase paper file folders that have a percentage of post-consumer waste in them, but unless you also recycle those when they've served their purpose, they will likely end up in the landfill as opposed to another file cabinet. As an alternative, you can purchase plastic file folders that can be reused over and over again, simply by using peel off labels on them. Three-ring binders are another product that can be re-purposed many times before their usefulness comes to an end. These can be purchased at almost all the larger office supply stores.

Such items like staplers, scissors, drawer and file organizers, tape dispensers and more can all be purchased recycled and serve you for a long time.

Try the Recycled Products Cooperative at http://www.recycledproducts.org as a source for all your recycled office needs.

Rethink

Many offices now are going paperless. That is, they're forgoing all the usual forms of paper creation such as memos, faxing, invoicing, etc. All these things can be done via electronic means now. A paper-driven office can enjoy more organization as well as less waste by converting to electronic files.

Re-purpose

Does your office receive magazine subscriptions? If so, what do you do with the magazines once everyone has read them? I happened to find a great little article on different ways to reuse magazines here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/83785/6_ways_to_recycle_old_magazines.html

Recycle

Just about every town has some sort of recycling program for items such as paper, plastic, aluminum and glass. Recycling at your place of business might seem like a hassle, but consider the advantages of recycling:

-Saves on natural resources
-Reduces landfill waste
-Saves energy (it takes less energy to make recycled products than it does new ones)

Another thing to try is to rotate recycling responsibilities in a company. Each week designate a different person to take on the duties.

Finally, try calling your waste management company to see if they already offer a recycling program for your area.

About the Author:
Sherry Holub is the Creative Direction and JV Media Design in southern Oregon. http://www.jvmediadesign.com

Environmental issues and eco-friendly business practices are important to us at JV Media Design. Several years ago we made a conscious effort to, "reduce, reuse, & recylce" and we believe that it's not very difficult for other businesses to do the same.

Here are some quick tips on how your business can become more environmentally friendly, without too much effort or expense. These same principals can be applied to other areas of your life and home as well as your business.

Recycle

Recycling can take many shapes and forms. For instance, you can start purchasing recycled paper for your office machines such as printers, copiers, and faxes.

Recycled paper is now widely available at office supply and paper stores.

If you have a large office with many employees, set up recycling bins for soda cans, plastics, glass, and paper and find a nearby recycling service that you can take these items to.

When equipment or computers become obsolete, consider donating the items to a local charity or school (check out the Computers for Schools Program for instance) instead of setting them out by the dumpster (many computer items contain hazardous materials and should never just be thrown in the trash). When you upgrade your cell phones, be sure to recycle those as well. If you can't find a local drop off point, you can visit RecycleMyCellPhone.org.

If you need to upgrade your office furniture, consider purchasing used furniture or donating your old furniture.

Buy other recycled products (aka "post-consumer waste" products) for your business such as recycled paper towels, packaging materials and other supplies.

Offer or Ask For Alternatives

If your business involves manufacturing or the sale of products, explore environmentally friendly alternatives. Non-toxic, recycled, or organic alternatives are available. Often times, recycled materials can even be less expensive that new raw materials.

Even services companies like ours can offer alternatives. For instance, we offer eco-friendly printing (printing using recycled paper and vegetable based inks) to our clients as well as a web hosting alternative that is powered by wind and sun (renewable) resources.

Consider the Commute

Although not every business can be a home-based one, there are ways to reduce the effects of commuting on the environment.

If you have employees, try to organize a car pool. If you live close to the workplace, considering walking, riding a bike, or taking public transportation (in many large cities, some bus lines run on natural gas or electric).

Consider buying a TerraPass (http://www.terrapass.org) for yourself or your employees.

If you're in the market for a new company vehicle, look into purchasing a hybrid.

If you are part of a large company or corporation, try to institute breaking up the work shifts to help reduce the amount of traffic on the road at peak hours.

Go "Paperless" & Get Online[/b]

Make your office paperless by converting to electronic billing or invoicing, sending electronic faxes and email, and even selling online.

Having a website is an important marketing tool, but you can also offer your clients and customers a way to grab things like forms or documents online by having them on your website. You can also collect and store data by having a database programmed into your site and send your clients an electronic newsletter instead of a paper one.

Evaluate Your Environment

Can your business be using less power? Two simple ways to reduce power consumption is to install energy efficient lighting/light bulbs and to power down equipment or computers when they are not in use (weekends, evenings, holidays).

If you have a small business, considering opening windows and doors and using low-power fans instead of the air conditioning on warm days.

Large businesses and corporations in high-rise buildings can research becoming part of an energy management program such as The Energy Coalition (http://www.energycoalition.org) in California.

You can also help to improve your indoor air quality by using a hepa or ionic filter or even adding some live plants to your environment. More information on indoor air quality can be found on the Environmental Protection Agency website at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/is-imprv.html.

Get Involved

Consider researching and either volunteering or making a contribution to a non-profit environmental organization. A good place to start your research is CharityEvaluator.org (http://www.charitynavigator.org) and Give.org (http://www.give.org/reports/index.asp). Both sites can help you make intelligent decisions on finding and supporting charities.

Some of the environmental charity/non-profit organizations we support include:
Co-Op America (http://www.coopamerica.org)
The Conservation Fund (http://www.conservationfund.org/)
Environmental Health Coalition (http://www.environmentalhealth.org)
Coalition For Clean Air (http://www.coalitionforcleanair.org)
Sustainable Northwest (http://www.sustainablenorthwest.org/)
The Sierra Club http://www.sierraclub.org/

As you can see, "going green" doesn't have to be difficult and can make a big difference.

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Article source: http://www.jvmediadesign.com