According to Casper, the answer will always be a resolute no. Indeed, on their website, they state: “All Casper foams are CertiPUR® certified. This means they are made without formaldehyde, ozone depleters, mercury, lead, and other heavy metals. This certification also requires the foam to have low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million).” But can a mattress made from petro-chemicals truly be non-toxic? We don’t think so, here’s why…
Petrochemicals when synthesised into materials can be harmful to a person for a number of reasons. When they are in their liquid form, there is the risk of chemical spills. If released into the air, these chemicals can be corrosive and toxic. It’s not just that though; when synthesised into materials such as plastics or polyurethane foams we also have to take a look at what those products might leach into the skin.
Mattresses made from petrochemicals will never be truly non-toxic, simply because synthetic materials will always 'off gas' chemical nasties. But what is 'off gassing'? Off-gassing is the release of chemicals in a mattress or other furniture from foam, vinyl, plastics and paints or Volatile Organic Compounds (or VOC's for short).
What are VOCs? VOCs is an acronym for Volatile Organic Compounds. They are chemicals that evaporate off of the material and enter the air, sometimes in gaseous form but more often as tiny droplets or vapours.
How do VOCs affect you? We’ve all been told to be cautious about how much time we spend around people who smoke cigarettes for example but what a lot of people don't realise is that noxious fumes can be released by the everyday things that we wear, or, indeed, sleep on.
A Snoozel Green, non-toxic mattress is made of breathable, 100% natural latex, organic cotton and wool. It doesn't contain any harmful chemicals or VOCs that can affect your health in the long term. We believe intuitively that natural materials will always be best. Casper, and other mass-market brands construct their mass-produced mattresses with synthetic materials and they use a variety of chemicals in their production process that raises concerns.
The petrochemicals used in the production of many synthetic mattresses do not biodegrade, our landfill sites are full and our seas are full of plastic - too many synthetic products on the market are suffocating our planet, and we need to reconsider how much stuff is enough. That’s why we think that a Snoozel Green mattress is a smart choice for your health and the health of the planet too.