Gel mattresses are designed to draw heat away from the sleeper, creating a cooling effect for your sleep. Yet, are they also keeping the planet “cool”? Or is the opposite true? So, we had to ask: How sustainable are gel mattresses?

Gel mattresses made from 100% fossil-derived materials are unsustainable. Manufacturing such gel and memory foam, the key components of gel mattresses, uses a lot of energy, exacerbates the climate crisis, and causes environmental pollution. Sustainability can be improved by adding bio content. 

In this article, we’ll walk you through the life-cycle of gel mattresses. Then, we will evaluate their sustainability, potential, and shortfalls. And in the end, we’ll show you some tips for buying a sustainable gel mattress.

Here’s How We Assessed the Sustainability of Gel Mattresses

Gel mattresses are generally considered unsustainable because their manufacturing processes are energy-intensive and high-polluting. 

A gel mattress contains at least one layer of gel-infused memory foam or polyurethane foam in the comfort system. Generally found in the form of beads or swirls, the gel infusions are intended to help regulate temperature by absorbing heat and pulling it away from the bed’s surface.”

–Sleep Foundation 

The main factor determining the sustainability of gel mattresses is that they use petrochemicals.

“Sustainable: The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level | Avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance”

Oxford Dictionary

To understand the sustainability of gel mattresses, we must assess their life-cycle and each stage’s sustainability. This life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a method to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and materials. Over the years, companies have strategically used LCAs to research and create more sustainable products. So, let’s have a look at the LCA of gel mattresses!

Overall, we can say that gel mattresses are unsustainable. However, the actual environmental impact of a particular memory foam mattress depends on more specific factors, including: 

• the sourcing of raw materials
• the type of energy used in manufacturing and usage
• the distance and mode of transportation

Let’s dive deeper into each life-cycle stage and find out how you can buy gel mattresses more sustainably. 

How Sustainable Is the Sourcing of Raw Materials for Gel Mattresses

Sourcing fossil-derived materials for gel mattresses is highly unsustainable due to the nonrenewable nature of fossil fuels. The extraction and refining of these fuels not only creates a significant energy demand but also contributes to the climate crisis and environmental pollution.

What Raw Materials Are Used for Gel Mattresses

Gel mattresses generally consist of the following components: 

• a cooling layer or area made with gel-infused memory foam or gel on its own 
• one or several supporting layers made of denser memory foam or polyurethane foam, with or without innerspring
• covers made of textile materials, either natural or synthetic fabrics

It is important to remember that most gel mattresses are hybrid, containing various components. When evaluating the sustainability of a gel mattress, you will need to look beyond the gel. Consider the sustainability of all components, from the core to the covers, to make an informed and responsible choice. You can refer to our relevant articles for more information. 

In the following section, we’ll focus on sourcing fossil fuels for memory foam and gel.

How Does Sourcing Fossil Fuels for Making Gel-Infused Memory Foam Impact the Environment

Sourcing fossil fuels for gel and memory foam is not sustainable because extracting and refining fossil fuels depletes nonrenewable reserves, accelerates the climate crisis, and pollutes the environment. 

• Non-renewability: It takes millions of years and certain geological conditions to turn dead plants into fossil fuels, and the current depletion rate means replacement is not realistically feasible.
• Severe adverse environmental impacts: Extracting and refining fossil fuels causes air and water pollution, habitat degradation and destruction, mass deaths of marine species, and several other disruptions to wildlife. Additionally, it demands a lot of energy, exacerbating the climate crisis. 

It is important to note that some researchers and manufacturers are pioneering bio-content raw materials for flexible polyurethane foam, the base of memory foam, and gel, the add-on cooling factor made from SAP (Superabsorbent Polymers). Using bio-based polymers for these components will reduce the environmental impact of sourcing. Here are some examples of bio-based content that can be sourced for gel and memory foam: 

• Polyols—one of the two starting ingredients—can be derived from renewable plants such as soy and castor beans. 
• SAP has also been manufactured with natural materials by grafting acrylic acid onto the main chains of natural polymers derived from cellulose, starch, and chitosan. 

Where Are the Raw Materials for Gel Mattresses Usually Sourced From

Tracking the origin of the fossil-derived raw materials in a specific memory foam mattress is often very challenging. 

There are two reasons for this: 

1. The supply chain of fossil derivatives is extremely complex. 
2. A certain type of polymer used in memory foam can be made in many factories using various ingredients, depending on the manufacturer and desired properties.

How Sustainable Is the Manufacturing of Gel Mattresses

Manufacturing gel mattresses is generally unsustainable because of the intensive use of energy and chemicals. 

In this part, we will look at the manufacturing of gel-infused memory foam components in a gel mattress. This process typically includes the following steps: 

1. Make the starting monomers: Flexible memory foam traditionally starts with polyols and diisocyanates (toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate). These chemicals are conventionally made from cracking and refining crude oil and natural gas. 
2. Polymerization: Polyols and diisocyanates are mixed with water and a catalyst like dibutyltin (DBT), which triggers a chemical reaction to create flexible polyurethane foam. 
3. Foam Treatment: Polyurethane foam is treated with chemicals like polyether polyol to create viscosity and elasticity.
4. Infuse With Gel: Polyurethane foam is infused with gel beads or swirls for the cooling impact. 
5. Molding and solidifying: More chemicals, including stabilizers and flame retardants, are added to the mix to create the final foam with the desired properties. 

Let’s now dive into a few key sustainable issues of this life-cycle stage.

Producing Gel-Infused Memory Foam Is a Chemical-Intensive Process

The manufacturing process heavily relies on chemicals as raw materials and catalysts. Though the “chemical recipe” for a specific memory foam depends on the manufacturer, the estimation is around 60 chemicals. Its chemical-intensive nature underscores the need for careful management to mitigate potential risks. 

Specifically, TDI and methyloxirane are recognized carcinogens. The Centers for Disease Control advises limiting occupational and environmental exposure to TDI to the lowest feasible concentrations, as there is evidence of carcinogenicity. This prompts scientists and researchers, such as a team at the University of Liège, to study possible ways to make isocyanate-free memory foams. 

In addition, memory foam commonly contains the neurotoxin toluene and the catalyst dibutyltin, which can off-gas or end up in dust. Dibutyltin is a source of organotins. High concentrations are associated with growth abnormalities in mussels and oysters and mass mortalities of marine mammals. 

Many other chemicals, including styrene, antimony, formaldehyde, acetone, toluene, and methyl chloroform, are also present in the making of memory foam, all of which could end up in the dust that is produced when the foam breaks down.

Manufacturing Gel-Infused Memory Foam Uses a Lot of Energy

Polymerization is a highly energy-intensive process. Manufacturing the starting monomers also requires a lot of energy. 

According to a study of flexible polyurethane foam, the base of gel-infused memory foam, made in Europe, the primary energy demand for 1kg of flexible memory foam is from 85MJ to 95MJ, depending on the foam density (cradle-to-gate). 

This could have a serious knock-on environmental impact when manufacturing depends largely on fossil fuels. 

According to the same study, the global warming potential (GWP) of 1kg of flexible memory foam, the base of gel-infused memory foam, varies from 3 to 3.5 kg CO₂ eq, depending on the density of the foam (cradle-to-gate). Manufacturing and processing chemicals account for the highest percentage of GWP( 93%)

Using renewable energy (solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass) would significantly reduce carbon emissions at this stage. 

It is important to highlight again that memory foam varies in its components, especially regarding the types and quantities of petrochemicals used, which affect the sustainability of the manufacturing stage. 

Where Are Gel Mattresses Usually Manufactured

The top producers of flexible memory foam, the base of gel-infused memory foam, are based in the US, Germany, Canada, Japan, Austria, France, and Belgium. 

According to Our World in Data, Austria has the highest renewable energy percentage (40.05%) of all memory-foam-manufacturing countries. 

The following is the renewable energy share in primary energy in those countries:

• The US: 11.66% renewable energy
• Germany: 24.39% renewable energy
• Canada: 29.26% renewable energy
• Japan: 12.58% renewable energy
• Austria: 40.05% renewable energy
• France: 14.62% renewable energy
• Belgium: 12.53% renewable energy

How Sustainable Is the Transportation of Gel Mattresses

Transporting can be a carbon-intensive stage in the life-cycle of gel mattresses because of the emissions associated with transportation and delivery vehicles. Gel mattresses typically travel from mines to processing factories and then to sorting centers, shops, and consumers’ homes before going to recycling centers or landfills. 

In the life-cycle of gel mattresses, transportation typically occurs as follows: 

• from mines where raw materials are extracted to the manufacturing locations where gel-infused memory foam and mattresses are made and put together,
• from the manufacturing location to sorting centers and/or physical shops, 
• from sorting centers and/or physical shops to the consumer’s home, and
• from the consumer’s home to the centers for recycling and/or disposal.

Traveling Distances of Gel Mattresses Vary Depending on Their Country of Origin

It is uncommon for gel mattresses to have raw materials mined, processed, and sold in one town, country, or even continent. 

Here are some scenarios for transporting gel mattresses: 

• Fossil fuels are mined in Alberta, Canada, and transported to a factory in Canada to be made into gel-infused memory foam. The foam is then transported to a mattress manufacturer in the US, and the final products are sold across North America. 
• Manufacturers source petroleum mined in the Congo Basin and gel-infused memory foam in Japan before selling the material to mattress manufacturers in China to be turned into mattresses. The final products are shipped to the US to be sold to consumers.

You can reduce the transporting carbon footprint by choosing gel mattresses that travel a shorter distance from the mines and are made closer to your home.

The Carbon Footprint of Transporting Gel Mattresses Depends Largely on the Vehicle of Transportation 

During its life-cycle, a gel mattress can be transported using various types of vehicles, including: 

• large container ships 
• planes 
• freight trains 
• long-distance trucks 
• short-distance delivering vans 

And these various types of transportation vehicles have different carbon footprint impacts, as follows: 

• Large container ships are generally the most carbon-efficient option for international transportation of goods, while planes are the heaviest carbon emitter.
  Large container ships emit, per unit of weight and distance, half as much carbon dioxide as a train and one-fifth and one-fiftieth as much as a truck and a plane (respectively).
• Deliveries made by planes—for example, to fulfill fast shipping options—are the mode of transportation with the highest carbon footprint. 

To reduce the carbon footprint of your purchase as a consumer, you can choose not to pick a fast delivery option when ordering your gel mattress. 

How Sustainable Is the Usage of Gel Mattresses

The usage of gel mattresses is unsustainable because of their relatively short lifespan.

Polyurethane foam, the base of gel-infused memory foam, is not durable. Their lifespan depends on the material density but is generally only a few years long. Gel-infused memory foam is polyurethane foam treated to be denser (and cooler) and, therefore, generally more durable (lasting between 7 and 10 years). Yet gel mattresses tend not to last as long as foam mattresses made with natural materials like latex. 

It is also important to note that using and washing gel mattresses could release microplastic as the foam is typically made from plastic. 

How Sustainable Is the End-of-Life of Gel Mattresses

The end-of-life stage of gel mattresses is unsustainable because they don’t biodegrade. However, there are established ways of recycling polyurethane foam, the base of gel mattresses, to make new mattresses. 

Conventional polyurethane foam, the base of gel-infused memory foam, doesn’t biodegrade and will sit for a thousand years. It is thus less sustainable compared to natural mattress materials, such as natural latex, organic cotton, or hemp. 

However, in controlled biodegradation experiments, some partial bio-based polyurethane foams have shown significant degradation in much shorter timeframes (four weeks to twelve weeks).

How Circular Are Mattresses Made of Memory Foam 

As a principle, products made with one type of material, such as 100% memory foam, are easier to disassemble and recycle than products made with a blend of materials. 

There are several established ways to recycle flexible polyurethane foam, the base of gel-infused memory foam, in mattresses. The two main pathways are mechanical recycling and chemical recycling. 

• Mechanical recycling: Flexible memory foam is reused in its polymer form, recovered pre-industrial (production trims) or post-consumer (discarded mattresses). 
• Chemical recycling: Discarded materials (flexible polyurethane foam and other waste) are broken down in a reactor to recover the main raw materials it was made from. Various chemical recycling methods (glycolysis, hydrolysis, pyrolysis, hydrogenation) result in different chemicals, from polyols to gas and oils. 

“The circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting. The circular economy tackles climate change and other global challenges, like biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, by decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources.”

Ellen Macarthur Foundation 

Mattresses are bulky waste that take up significant space in landfills—often for a long time, too. Luckily, many companies have made great efforts to include recycled content in gel mattresses, moving toward circularity. 

Why Is It Important to Buy Mattresses Made of More Sustainable Materials

It is important to buy mattresses made of more sustainable materials because such materials generally have lower carbon footprints, put less pressure on natural resources, and are safer for both consumers and workers. 

Buying Mattresses Made of More Sustainable Materials Reduces Toxic Chemicals In Your Sleeping Environment 

Many mattresses are made with synthetic materials in chemical-intensive processes, exposing factory workers and end users to health risks, especially regarding the respiratory system. For example, one memory foam model was found to emit 61 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including the known carcinogens benzene and naphthalene. 

In contrast, mattresses made of more sustainable materials, such as plant-based latex or organic wool, are generally safer, as they don’t contain toxic chemicals and are produced in more responsible processes. 

Buying Mattresses Made of More Sustainable Materials Reduces Your Carbon Footprint 

Conventional synthetic materials used in mattresses are fossil-derived and, thus, have a high carbon footprint. On the other hand, mattresses made with more sustainable materials, either organic or recycled, have relatively low carbon footprints. 

Buying Mattresses Made of More Sustainable Materials Reduces Demand for Natural Resources and Waste Management

Buying mattresses made with more sustainable materials, such as organic or recycled ones, means that you can avoid fossil-derived mattress foams, which contribute to the depletion of nonrenewable resources. 

Additionally, using organic materials for mattresses lessens the pressure on landfill space. On that note, keep the following in mind:

• Mattresses are bulky waste that take up significant space in landfills.
• Over 50,000 mattresses are thrown out every day in the US and about 20 million of those end up in landfills annually.

Considering that synthetic materials don’t break down for hundreds of years, opting for organic mattresses that are biodegradable and recyclable significantly lowers the pressure on landfills. 

Buying Mattresses Made of More Sustainable Plant-Based Materials Encourages Sustainable Management of Forests and Ecosystems

Sustainable plant-based mattress materials, such as natural latex, are made with raw materials from forests and plantations that are sustainably managed. 

When you buy sustainable plant-based materials, you discourage unsustainable practices like clearing biodiverse forests for cattle raising. Furthermore, you help reduce deforestation, biodiversity loss, and the effects of climate change. 

Final Thoughts

Gel mattresses are generally unsustainable. The raw materials for memory foam and gel come from nonrenewable fossil fuels, and the manufacturing process is both energy and chemical-intensive. Additionally, gel-infused memory foam is not biodegradable. 

However, you can make your use of gel mattresses more sustainable by following these steps:

1. Buy recycled or upcycled gel mattresses.
2. Keep a gel mattress for as long as possible.
3. At the end-of-life of your gel mattress, upcycle the material to extend its usage and arrange for it to be recycled or properly disposed of.

Stay impactful,

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