Have you got an eco-friendly mattress yet?

Choosing an eco-friendly mattress hasn't always been easy, but we're getting there, and now you're going to sleep even more soundly, knowing that your mattress isn't having a negative impact on the environment.

The main issue with mattresses is that most of them are still sent to landfill – around 20 million every year in the US alone. When they reach landfill, mattresses don't compact well, meaning they take up a lot of space. Plus, many of them don't biodegrade.

Should you ditch your foam mattress right now? Of course not. However, when your current mattress wears out and it's time to buy a new one, you should consider switching to a more sustainable solution.

There's particularly troubling news for those who prefer memory foam mattresses: the foam is made from polyurethane, which is a by-product of petroleum. This, of course, makes the production of memory foam mattresses dependent on fossil fuel extraction. If you like the supportive, bouncy texture of foam, you should definitely consider a latex mattress which is usually produced using natural and biodegradable materials of plant origin only. Do be sure to check whether it has organic certification and that it's been sustainably produced too. 

Not a fan of memory foam? You'll be pleasantly surprised that a lot of the most traditionally made mattresses are also the most sustainable, because they use sheep's wool, which is a natural, recyclable product. For example, the Natural Comfort range from Hypnos uses 100 per cent sustainably produced New Zealand wool. 

Some mattress ranges, notably the Eco Comfort range from Silentnight, do use synthetic products, but they do it in a more responsible way. The SIlentnight mattress in particular uses recycled plastic bottles to make some of its innovative filling.

Ultimately, sustainably made mattress are no longer an exotic or unaffordable option, with many rivalling foam mattresses for comfort. So, it's totally worth testing them out for comparison before buying your next mattress, you will be impressed!