Cottonsafe® are proud to have been awarded ethy accreditation. Read more below about what ethy is and why we have been accredited.

Organic

At Cottonsafe® Natural Mattress we focus on good health and wellbeing. We pride ourselves in sourcing completely chemical-free mattress fillings.

Most organic mattresses available in the UK market are sprayed with toxic fire retardant chemicals (often pesticide based) to pass the fire regulations. Customers need to be aware that the label organic mattress does NOT mean chemical free or that they can safely be recycled. In addition, for a sprung mattress to meet the “organic” criteria only approximately 30% of its fillings have to be officially organic!   

We understand some people prefer an organic lifestyle – buying products which are which have no negative impact on their health and the environment. But we believe that everyone should be able to afford to sleep safely - we don't want to be exclusive.

Like all small family businesses, we find the cost of accreditation and certification of organic product considerable but still wish to give our customers the choice of organic produce if they wish. Our organic wool comes from a highly reputable wool supplier who produces the best grade organic wool in the UK, and are themselves GOTS and Soil Association accredited for this product. If we were to use accreditation logos we would have to add a further 20%+ onto the price, so we choose not to.

Our patented Cottonsafe® outer fabric is also a unique blend of organic cotton and standard British wool, which ensures fire safety without any chemicals.

Recycles

Cottonsafe® Natural Mattress products are completely safe for recycling and pose no health risk to operatives in this industry, the environment or aquatic life. The materials we use are either biodegradable or recyclable.  All Cottonsafe® mattresses are Stockholm Convention Compliant for recycling so nothing ends up in landfill. All of our products are despatched in recyclable polythene bags with a polite request to ensure the packaging is recycled when the product reaches the customer.

We are always looking to reduce our impact on the environment right down to our working practices in the office and factory. In our workshop we gather any offcuts of wool fibres which are donated to another business in the UK who focus on creating sustainable pillows and home décor instead of going into landfill. All other offcut filling materials such as cotton rich felt or polyester are recycled by the supplier. Plastic and packaging material from incoming supplies is separated and collected by a waste disposal and recycling company. Our office is dedicated to recycling and operate as a paperless office as much as possible with the use of white boards for notes and communication.

Reduced Plastic

Information linking the problems of plastic pollution and polyester use in furniture is often misleading and wrong. It makes customers believe that all ‘natural’ products are far superior to the synthetic alternatives and is not based on fact. Whilst we use both natural and man-made fabrics and fillings, we do use polyester in our Vegan and Hypoallergenic Ranges. Unlike the fashion industry, when used in mattresses polyester is not toxic, is highly breathable and does not contribute to plastic (microfibre) pollution.

At manufacturers, we have consulted academic research to help inform our Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of all the different materials we use. Our report can be found here: https://www.cottonsafenaturalmattress.co.uk/blogs/natural-mattresses/polyester-in-mattresses?_pos=2&_sid=f2461624c&_ss=r

We have studied the impact of each material on each of the damage categories of the LCA: human health, the ecosystem quality, climate change and resources. As with any material or fibre, some negative impacts can be found in each when looking across the whole Life Cycle Assessment – for example, there are large quantities of water required for growing cotton, polyester is not biodegradable and the impact of methane from wool production is significant. At Cottonsafe®, we feel it is necessary to balance the impacts to produce the most effective and sustainable choice for our customers, in line with the Circular Economy. 

Our products are despatched in recyclable polythene bags or cardboard with a polite request to ensure the packaging is recycled when the product reaches the customer. Any plastic or cardboard received in the factory is also professionally recycled.

Cruelty Free

Cottonsafe® Natural Mattress do not test any of our components or ingredients on animals. UK mattresses often use fire retardant chemicals, PFAS, glues and adhesives which contain ingredients which are bio-accumulative, causing aquatic toxicity and long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. Cottonsafe® Natural Mattresses are all completely chemical, adhesive and PFAS-free, so kinder to the environment as well as our bodies.

Our Vegan range are also Vegan Society Accredited as completely animal product free in every part of our manufacturing process. All our wool suppliers’ farms follow the 5 Freedoms act to ensure all animals who produce materials for our products are kept healthy and unharmed.

Living Wage

As a small family business, Cottonsafe® values each member of our dedicated staff team. Each staff member is paid above the Real Living Wage and their pay is regularly reviewed.