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Posts Tagged ‘GREENGUARD’

Naturepedic Crib Mattresses and Accessories Certified To New GREENGUARD “Select” Program

Friday, December 9th, 2011


Worried about emissions of potentially toxic fumes into your nursery and other parts of your home? GREENGUARD is an independent organization that tests for emissions. They also offer several different certification programs to manufacturers whose products qualify.

Per GREENGUARD, common household products (which would include crib mattresses) release hundreds of potentially harmful chemicals into the air. Poor indoor air quality is linked to asthma, upper respiratory problems and other complications.

Naturepedic crib mattresses have been certified by GREENGUARD for the last five years. But there is now a new certification standard called “Select.”

In addition to the GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification Program, GREENGUARD’s previously highest standard, Select certification meets the latest scientific and marketing requirements. These include:

• Volatile organic compound (VOC) content limits
• Lower formaldehyde emissions requirements (driven by California Air Resources Board and California Department of Public Health’s 2012 CA 01350 requirements)
• Lead and phthalate content requirements (as defined by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Information Act)
• Commercial furniture testing protocols (as defined by BIFMA)

According to GREENGUARD, “Participating in this elite program demonstrates market leadership in minimizing chemical exposures from products”.

We are proud to announce that Naturepedic is the first mattress manufacturer to achieve this new certification.

The Select certified products include all our crib mattress models, mattress pads for bassinetts, cradles, portable cribs, and so on, as well as all our bedding accessories.

As always, we have your best interests at heart and strive to give your baby a healthy start in life!

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GREENGUARD Contest Helps You Provide Clean, Non-Toxic Indoor Air for Your Child

Monday, October 11th, 2010


Click to Enter in Paragraph 2 of This Blog

There are several cities that provide a pollution index on news and weather stations. The index is used to let people know when the air is so polluted that it’s safer to stay indoors. But these indexes don’t take into account the studies that have shown indoor air to be potentially far more polluted than the air outside. Would you like a nursery for your child that is full of clean air? Here’s your chance. A new contest!


This new contest from GREENGUARD offers the winner a chance to hand-pick each item in their child’s nursery from a selection of GREENGUARD-certified (which means no off-gassing of harmful chemicals) items. All you have to do is enter the GREENGUARD Big Bundle of Joy $10,000 Nursery Giveaway. You don’t even have to buy anything!

This is a great opportunity. You’re not just getting $10,000 worth of ‘stuff’, it’s $10,000 worth of some of the best, healthiest, safest stuff available for kids. You can do your entire nursery in attractive, high quality goods and materials that will not off-gas potentially harmful vapors in the room. Your child’s room will look great – and you will have peace of mind!

You can win a crib mattress from Naturepedic, cribs and other furniture from Q collection junior, hardwood flooring from Anderson, and more.

Even if you’re not the grand prize winner, it’s still worth entering the contest: five second-place winners will get a Naturepedic mattress, and 30 third-place winners get Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaning System.

Although the GREENGUARD guys are probably full of heart, there’s another reason they’re doing this contest: they want to raise the awareness of indoor pollution. In the words of GREENGUARD’s Executive Director, Henning Bloech:

“Indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, and up to 100 times more polluted following renovation or new construction. Much of that pollution comes from chemicals called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which can off-gas from furniture, furnishings, cleaning products, and other materials.

“Exposure to airborne contaminants like VOCs can cause or exacerbate a multitude of short- and long-term health complications—including asthma, the world’s fastest growing incurable chronic disease among children. Other chemicals to which children are regularly exposed have not been thoroughly studied, so their potential health impacts are currently unknown. And because children’s bodies are still developing, and because they inhale more air more rapidly than adults do, children are especially vulnerable.

Really, this isn’t just about a game or a sweepstakes,” Mr. Bloech added. “It’s about the health of our children and the quality of the air they breathe.”

The contest is over 1/31/2011. Take advantage of it, and tell your friends!

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Posted in Contests!, Crib Mattress, going green, Green your home and nursery, GREENGUARD, Naturepedic, Non-Toxic Toys and Children's Gifts, toxic chemicals, toxic chemicals in kids' products | No Comments »

Going Green in 2010 – A Few Simple Things With A Big Impact

Thursday, December 31st, 2009


GoingGreenNew Year’s Day is the traditional time to turn over a new leaf. It’s that time when we decide to lose a little weight, go for that promotion at work, or make some investments that will pay off. This year, a lot of people will be putting more effort into going green. Getting your child a new toddler or crib mattress that has been certified by GREENGUARD is a good start, but there are many other things you can do for your children and your entire family. Here’s a brief list.

  • Buy organic products. Everything from food to bed linens and carpets. In addition to protecting your family, organic food and organic products made in green facilities cause much less damage to the environment than other products. No pesticides for the food, and the potentially harmful chemicals used in other products and in the production process are significantly reduced if not completely eliminated.
  • Throw out your cleaning supplies and replace them with non-toxic, biodegradable alternatives. There are many products available in health food stores; even regular supermarkets are now adding them to their shelves. But the labels can fool you. Read more about what to look for on a label in Cleaning Products for the Non-Toxic Nursery. Of course, all the information also applies to the rest of the house!

  • Replace your beds. Babies spend 12 to 15 hours a day in bed, toddlers not much less and, for adults, it’s about a third of their life! There are so many beds out there made with potentially harmful chemicals. Some have even been banned. And with the changes being made in the Environmental Protection Agency, there’s a good chance more will be banned in the future. Start with getting your kids crib or toddler mattresses to help them get a healthy start in life. Then move onto your own.

There are hundreds of other things you can do to go green, but these are a very good start! Going green in 2010 will help create a safer, healthier home for your family, and for families around the world.

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How Did Dangerous Chemicals Like Phthalates Slip Past Science?

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009


Test-Tube_250x250You can’t help but wonder how all these toxins are slipping by us. One after another, we find that chemicals we thought were safe are not. We use them in good faith, then find out they are implicated in very serious health conditions. You begin to lose your faith in science. How does this happen?

There are many reasons behind it, but one problem is the testing protocols: for the most part, the chemicals (when tested at all) are tested for high level exposure (a large quantity in a short period of time), or occupational exposure (the level isn’t as high, but it is continual for eight or so hours every day.)

What they have not traditionally checked for is the effects of continuous, low level exposure in a non-occupational setting. Which is one of the reasons why, after a chemical that has been tested with traditional protocols, found to be safe, and has even been on the market for years, it is found to cause serious health conditions.

Fortunately, it is now beginning to be widely recognized that the ‘standard’ approach to toxicology testing just doesn’t cut it. This recognition is, I believe, reflected in the changes being made at the EPA. The EPA knows they have not been providing the service we expect from them – to protect us and the environment – and they want to do something about it.

In the meantime, there are testing services that go beyond traditional protocol; testing done with the recognition that exposure other than high level or occupational can also be dangerous. These services are largely offered by companies and foundations that are considered ‘environmental’.

At Naturepedic, we have our crib mattresses tested and certified by GREENGUARD Environmental Institute. Our own kids sleep on them; we know they’re safe.

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Cleaning Baby’s Nursery Air with House Plants

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

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Years ago I read a book called “How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office.” The book is very informative. It covers the various factors that contribute to our poor indoor air quality – everything from the 1973 OPEC oil embargo to new materials used for building, furnishings, and so on – and tells us which plants absorb and help neutralize the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) being emitted from these materials. It’s very specific – tells you which plants are good for which compounds.

I lost my copy of the book in a move, and am definitely going to get another. The link above goes to Amazon.com if you’re interested in getting one.

What reminded me of this book is that I just read the results of a two-year study conducted by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) on house plants cleaning indoor air. They put each plant in sealed, Plexiglas chambers, injected chemicals into the chambers and monitored the results.

They came up with a list of the top 10 plants most effective in removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air. Here they are, with links to all but the most common few:

Of course, you also want to do everything you can to keep the offending substances out of your home in the first place. At Naturepedic, we help you address this with our crib mattresses, which are certified by GREENGUARD so you know they aren’t contributing to the VOCs in your household.

Check out the NASA study, read the book, and load up on the right plants. And make sure your children and the kids in your friends’ and family’s households are protected with Naturepedic toddler and crib mattresses.

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