Organic cotton mattresses have many health benefits, from improving air quality to avoiding allergies. Yet, are they equally good for the environment? So, we had to ask: How sustainable are organic cotton mattresses?

Organic cotton mattresses are generally sustainable. Cotton crops sequester carbon and help mitigate climate change. Organic cotton mattresses are free of toxic chemicals and the associated negative health and environmental impact. They are also breathable and biodegradable. 

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

Here’s How We Assessed the Sustainability of Organic Cotton Mattresses

Organic cotton mattresses are generally sustainable. They are made with natural fibers harvested and processed without any added chemicals and are thus fully biodegradable at the end of their life. 

The Common Objective ranks organic cotton fiber in class B—the second most sustainable category of fibers—in their Made-By Environmental Benchmark for Fibres. 

“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 organic cotton 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 organic cotton mattresses!

Overall, we can say that organic cotton mattresses are sustainable. However, the actual environmental impact of a particular organic cotton 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 organic cotton mattresses more sustainably. 

How Sustainable Is the Sourcing of Raw Materials for Organic Cotton Mattresses

Sourcing organic cotton fibers for organic cotton mattresses is generally sustainable, mainly thanks to the carbon sequestration of cotton plants. Organic cotton cultivation can also benefit the health of the soil, the ecosystem, and cotton growers. 

What Raw Materials Are Used for Organic Cotton Mattresses

Organic cotton mattresses generally consist of the following components: 

• organic cotton batting or layers of organic cotton fabric for stuffing
• an outer fabric as the mattress cover, which could be made from organic cotton or other fabrics like linen or hemp 
• add-on design features, such as interconnected coils or pocket coils

In the following section, we’ll focus on the sourcing of organic cotton fibers from the cotton plant. 

How Do the Organic Cotton Fibers Sourced for Making Organic Cotton Mattresses Impact the Environment

Sourcing organic cotton fiber is sustainable because organic cotton farming improves the ecosystem’s health and mitigates the climate crisis. 

• Carbon Sequestration
  
  As cotton plants grow, they absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere while releasing oxygen. During their lifespan of around 150 to 180 days, cotton plants act as a carbon sink, taking greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere and helping to mitigate the climate crisis. On a global average, organic cotton cultivation absorbs just over 1.5 times more carbon dioxide than the GHG emissions from cultivating activities. 
  
• Free of Agrochemicals 
  
  Organic cotton farmers depend on natural methods rather than synthetic agrochemicals to improve the health of their soil and plants, which benefits the crop and field’s biodiversity. 

Where Are the Organic Cotton Fibers Sourced for Making Organic Cotton Mattresses Usually Sourced From

The various species of cotton are native to most subtropical parts of the world. The cotton plant has also been domesticated and grown in many parts of the world. There are cotton crops in over 80 countries. 

The following are countries that are among the top producers of organic cotton fibers in 2021, with India accounting for 50% of all organic cotton fibers: 

• India
• China
• Kyrgyzstan 
• Turkey
• Tanzania
• Tajikistan
• The US
• Uganda
• Pakistan
• Greece
• Benin

Though organic cotton crops don’t have as high a water demand as conventional cotton crops, they still require some irrigation using ground and river water. In countries under high water stress, including India, China, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and the US, organic cotton cultivation still potentially intensifies water scarcity (in contrast with growing rainfed fiber crops like bamboo or flax).

How Sustainable Is the Manufacturing of Organic Cotton Mattresses

Due to energy consumption, manufacturing organic cotton mattresses can have a high carbon footprint, which could have a knock-on climate impact if manufacturing depends largely on fossil-based energy. 

How Sustainable Is the Manufacturing of Organic Cotton Mattresses

The typical process of manufacturing organic cotton mattresses includes the following steps: 

1. Extract cellulose fibers from organic cotton bolls:
   1. Defoliate plants with matured organic cotton bolls using water and/or regulated defoliants.
   2. Separate the fibers from the seed—the ginning process.
2. Form organic cotton batting and/or organic cotton fabrics.
3. Form the mattress by stuffing a cover evening with organic cotton batting or fabric layer 

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

Manufacturing Organic Cotton Fabric and Batting Has Relatively High Carbon Emissions and Global Warming Impacts 

Manufacturing organic cotton fabric and batting is energy-intensive, especially with machine harvesting and yarn production. 

When manufacturing depends largely on fossil fuels, high energy usage leads to a high carbon footprint and global warming impact. 

Manufacturing Organic Cotton Fabric and Batting Doesn’t Include Toxic Chemicals 

Manufacturers of organic cotton fabric and batting don’t use synthetic chemicals, avoiding the associated negative impact on human health and the environment. 

Where Are Organic Cotton Mattresses Usually Manufactured

India and China are the world’s largest producers of cotton fabrics, including the organic variety. Other major players include the US, Brazil, and Pakistan. These five countries produce a combination of 75% of the world’s cotton. 

Energy Usage at Cotton Manufacturing Locations Varies Based on Each Country

Because manufacturing (organic cotton) is energy-intensive, using renewable energy (solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass) significantly reduces carbon emissions at this stage. 

According to Our World in Data, the share of renewable energy in primary energy in Brazil is 48.74%—the highest percentage in the five biggest cotton producers. 

The following is the renewable energy share in primary energy among cotton-producing countries:

• India: 10.4% renewable energy
• China: 16.2% renewable energy
• The US: 11.32% renewable energy
• Brazil: 48.74% renewable energy
• Pakistan: 10.96% renewable energy

How Sustainable Is the Transportation of Organic Cotton Mattresses

Transporting can be a carbon-intensive stage in the life-cycle of organic cotton mattresses because of the emissions associated with the transporting and delivering vehicles. Organic cotton batting/fabric typically travels from fields (where organic cotton plants are grown) to factories and then to sorting centers, shops, and consumers’ homes before going to recycling centers or landfills. 

In the life-cycle of organic cotton mattresses, transportation typically occurs as below: 

• From fields where organic cotton raw materials are grown to the processing factories where the fibers are turned into batting and/or fabric.
• From the organic cotton batting/fabric manufacturing location to the organic cotton mattress manufacturing location.
• From the organic cotton mattress manufacturing location to sorting centers/physical shops.
• From sorting centers/physical shops to the consumer’s home.
• From the consumer’s home to the centers for recycling/disposing of.

Traveling Distances of Organic Cotton Mattresses Vary Depending on Their Country of Origin

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

Here are some scenarios for transporting organic cotton mattresses: 

• Farmers grow organic cotton in Australia to be sourced and transported to a manufacturer in China. Organic cotton mattresses are then shipped to Europe to sell to consumers.
• Organic cotton fibers are harvested from fields in India and transported to Brazil for fabric production. Organic cotton mattresses are then sold to the US market.
• Manufacturers in the US source organic cotton fibers from crops grown in the US and turn them into organic cotton batting and mattresses before selling them to US consumers. 

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

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

During its life-cycle, an organic cotton 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 organic cotton mattress. 

How Sustainable Is the Usage of Organic Cotton Mattresses

The usage of organic cotton mattresses is relatively sustainable because they generally have a long lifespan. 

A well-made organic cotton mattress can last more than 10 years, meaning consumers don’t need to replace it too frequently. It helps reduce waste generation and conserve resources. 

How Sustainable Is the End-of-Life of Organic Cotton Mattresses

The end-of-life stage of 100% organic cotton mattresses is sustainable because they are biodegradable and can be recycled. 

Organic cotton is biodegradable, so when organic cotton mattresses reach the end of their lifespan, they break down naturally, returning to the earth without leaving a significant environmental footprint. In contrast, mattresses made with synthetic materials can take up space in landfills for hundreds of years. 

How Circular Are Mattresses Made of Latex

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

“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, it is, in principle, possible to produce recyclable and circular organic cotton mattresses. 

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. 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 organic cotton, 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

Organic cotton mattresses can be sustainable when made with 100% organic materials in relatively low-impact processes. The raw materials for organic cotton mattresses come from potentially renewable and carbon-negative sources, and the manufacturing process doesn’t involve toxic chemicals. Additionally, organic cotton mattresses are durable and biodegradable. 

To make your use of organic cotton mattresses even more sustainable, follow these steps:

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

Stay impactful,

Sources

• Common Objective: Made-By Environmental Benchmark For Fibres
• Science Direct: Life-cycle assessment (LCA)
• MIT SMR: Strategic Sustainability Uses of Life-Cycle Analysis
• Britannica: cotton
• Cotton: Crop Production
• Textile Exchange: LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF ORGANIC COTTON
• CFDA: COTTON
• Textile Exchange: Organic Cotton Market Report 2021
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• WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: Water scarcity is one of the greatest challenges of our time
• Science Direct: Handbook of Sustainable Textile Production
• MadeHow: Cotton
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• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Solar Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
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• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Hydropower Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Geothermal Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
• Impactful Ninja: What Is the Carbon Footprint of Biomass Energy? A Life-Cycle Assessment
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