So many products with ‘green’, ‘natural’ or ‘eco’ labels are made with toxic or hazardous materials that it’s hard to tell what you’re really buying. Labeling laws and practices make it even more difficult – the manufacturers of some products are required to reveal very little; even if they make baby mattresses or other products for children that could affect their health.
Manufacturers of many products are not required to put all the exact information on labels, nor do they have to give you the information if you contact them privately.
This might be a great tactic for maintaining a competitive edge, but it’s not good for consumers.
‘Natural’ or ‘eco’ on labels is obviously going to lead buyers to think they’re getting just that. Unfortunately, that is often not the case.
Crib mattresses are a good example. Labels now say things like ‘Green’ or ‘Eco’ or that the products are made with ‘Soybean Foam,’ ‘Soy Foam,’ ‘Eco Foam,’ ‘Bio Foam,’ or ‘Plant-derived Foam.’
True – they’ve got some soybean oil (or whatever) in them. But, the actual amount of soybean oil is often only about 20% of the content.
What does the other 80% comprise? The same old polyurethane foam, probably with toxic fire retardant chemicals, that you were trying to avoid by buying a ‘Green’ or ‘Eco’ product.
It’s easy to get discouraged about all this. Who has the time to go back to school for a degree that will enable you to decipher all this double-talk?
But, in fact, there is an easy solution. You may not be able to find out what materials a manufacturer uses, but you can find out that a manufacturer will not tell you what’s in their products.
When they won’t tell you, you simply move on to a manufacturer who will give you full information. Some quick research, and you can then find out if the materials used are safe.
For the record, we at Naturepedic will give you all the information you need about our crib mattresses, organic cotton bedding and all our other products. Just check our website, or give us a call. If you live in the area, you can even come by and we’ll show you just how, and with what materials, our products are made.
