This report is a companion to The Mattress Still Matters, which we released in July 2020. It highlights the ways crib mattress brands exaggerate and manipulate claims about the health and environmental benefits of their products. Of the 37 companies we analyzed for The Mattress Still Matters, 10 made claims we were concerned about. This report shares those findings. In preparing this report, we realized it was not enough to share the information. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has authority to require companies to stop “greenwashing,” and on the day we released this report, Clean and Healthy New York, a lead organization in the Getting Ready for Baby campaign, lodged a complaint against L.A. Baby with the FTC.
WHY A REPORT ON GREENWASHING?
Based on our conversations with friends, allies, and strangers, most people - including parents - assume that products on store shelves are safe for use, and rely on the claims on the packaging and websites. However, too many companies misdirect shoppers. We reviewed the websites of crib mattress makers from 2020’s The Mattress Still Matters and identified misrepresentations and overstatements, which because they are intended to overstate the health and environmental benefits of the product, are considered “greenwashing.” We then translated them into four Tiers of Greenwashing (below).
“Greenwashing” means the use of marketing claims to over-state or misrepresent a product or company’s efforts to be environmentally sound.
Using the information we gathered for The Mattress Still Matters, we identified 10 companies that appeared to be engaging in various forms of “greenwashing” and documented those concerns through screenshots. We sent dossiers of our concerns and grounds for objection to each company.
We asked that:
Eight companies more accurately describe and provide evidence of their certifications;
Two companies remove marketing claims and imagery that strongly suggest or state their products are natural when they contained lab-made substances;
Four companies remove claims that their products are non-toxic without providing sufficient evidence to state as such;
Two companies remove claims that their products are organic when the products contained some or mostly non-organic materials; and that
Three companies clarify or adequately disclose the materials used in their products.
FINDINGS
Two companies made sufficient changes that we identify them only as Company A and Company B in the body of this report.
L.A. Baby made the most greenwashing claims, and failed to respond to our outreach. They make inaccurate or unverified claims of “natural,” “non-toxic.” and “organic,” and their claims did not match prior product testing.
Babyletto and DaVinci Baby claim to offer “non-toxic” crib mattresses without verification. They also overstated the UL GreenGuard Gold certification. Both made changes to their description of GreenGuard.
Delta Children also made the claim that their crib mattresses are “non-toxic” and overstated the UL GreenGuard Gold certification meaning. They adjusted their language regarding GreenGuard but continue to use “non-toxic” on their website.
Nook Sleep misrepresented claims of both “natural” and “organic.” Previously, products produced under the same marketing claims had undisclosed PFAS in the cover. They did not respond.
Graco® misused “organic” claims, made public claims at odds with previous product testing, and misrepresented the UL GreenGuard Gold certification. They provided no response.
Colgate Mattress® and Dream on Me misrepresented UL GreenGuard Gold certification. Dream on Me disputed our findings and made no changes. Colgate Mattress® did not respond.
Tips for Parents
Get curious about words like “nontoxic,” “organic,” and “natural.” Look for verifiable certifications – not just logos – to confirm these claims.
Be wary of claims about what isn’t present: “BPA-free” or “PFOA and PFOS-free” items may have very similar chemicals, with similar impacts.
Watch out for misrepresentations about materials. Foam labeled as “plant-based” or “soy foam” are still polyurethane, with a little plant oil.
Remember: not all certifications are the same. Look for strong certifications like MADE SAFE®, GOTS, and GOLS, and for proof of the certification
Must-Dos for Brands and Manufacturers
Make products to meet consumers’ expectations for human and environmental health. Then document that by securing robust certifications.
When you have secured a third-party certification, include explanations and documentation wherever you share the certification.
Don’t use meaningless terms like “natural” or “eco-friendly.” Use third-party certifications to prove the benefits of your products.
Don’t use “non-toxic” unless every single component and process used to make your product from raw material to final products is free of all known or suspected harmful chemicals.
Stop confusing consumers by telling them what isn’t in your product. Be up front and provide full transparency about what is in your product.
Don’t mislead by focusing on a minor improvement in one component of your product, such as claiming polyurethane foam is “soy foam.”
That greenwashing has become such a prevalent trend is itself evidence that consumers demand products that are right for their health and for their environment. Manufacturers need to make safer products, not just to change marketing claims.
As consumers become more judicious and knowledgeable about their health, brands that authentically practice sustainability and safety will be rewarded and those that mislead and deceive their clients will be punished.
Retailer Advice
65% of consumers state they want to buy from purpose-driven brands that advocate sustainability. Think like a parent when stocking your (physical or virtual) shelves. When retailers earn a reputation for selling misrepresented or greenwashing products, customers learn to look elsewhere.
Urgent Requests of Regulators, particularly the Federal Trade Commission
Take a more proactive stance in pursuing manufacturers that engage in greenwashing. Manufacturers only misrepresent the sustainability and health of their products because they believe they can do so with impunity, or that any financial consequences from their behavior will be compensated for by increased sales. The Federal Trade Commission has all the legal authority it needs to punish bad actors, and it should do so more vigorously.
Disclaimer
The content of this report is intended to provide information about claims brands make about the qualities of the crib mattresses they sell, and includes a summary of findings about materials used in crib mattresses as reported by companies via their websites, via email and written communication, or identified through laboratory testing. We provide links to the websites we reviewed for the new information presented in this report on the date the website was reviewed using the “wayback machine,” a website that tracks older versions of information on the internet. We have made appropriate efforts to share our findings with the relevant companies, and have updated the information in this report based on their communications and changes made to their websites.
Any oversights were entirely unintentional and do not represent discrimination by the authors. We make no claim that a specific chemical or material of concern as identified in this report will cause a specific health outcome for a specific child, or that its absence would prevent any specific health effects. The information herein is intended solely as an educational tool, to provide parents with useful information to consider in their decision-making process. We also intend manufacturers, brands, retailers, child care providers, and government bodies to use this as guidance for best practices in crib mattress construction, ingredient transparency, and marketing.
Publication date: May 13, 2021