Farm to Bedroom Movement

Wool Mattresses Leads Farm to Bedroom Movement Fueled by the Futon Shop, Showing Their Dedication to Sustainable Living 

 

 

Farm to Bedroom is the newest concept in organic and local offerings in the wool mattresses and organic mattresses business. Never before has this concept been adopted by a company looking to make an impact in the health and well being of its consumers. http://www.TheFutonShop.com from San Francisco has made this their mission. 

 

 

Farm to Bedroom is the newest concept in organic and local offerings in the wool mattresses and organic mattresses business. Never before has this concept been adopted by a company looking to make an impact in the health and well being of its consumers. The Futon Shop from San Francisco has made this their mission.
Farm-to-table (or farm-to-fork) refers to food safety and the stages of production in food harvesting, storage, processing, packaging, sales, and consumption.
What is Farm-to-bedroom?
Farm-to-bedroom refers to a movement concerned with producing home furnishing and mattresses from organic materials locally harvested, naturally processed, and chemical free. Farm-to-bedroom is also associated with organic farming initiatives and sustainable agriculture in which the very furniture, sofa beds and mattresses you use is manufactured using these natural resources. This takes place in The Futon Shop's manufacturing plant located in San Francisco and distributed to their 10 showrooms throughout the state. The Futon Shop is a vertically integrated retailer that manufacturers 33 organic and green mattresses from start to finish. The company dates back to 1976 led by Suzanne Diamond and her team of specialists dedicated to producing eco friendly furniture and bedding.
What does this mean for the consumer?
Today it is not only “you are what you eat,” but "you are where you sleep" or in other words "you are where you live." Farm-to-bedroom brings locally made, natural and healthy furniture into America’s homes. In today’s fast paced world the bedroom is often overlooked although more time is spent in bed then on any other piece of furniture in a home.
How does Farm-to-bedroom work?
Here are some examples of how farm-to bedroom works. Farmers in the southwest herd sheep, and shear the wool in the spring. Sheep are harvested for wool not meat and the wool is harvested year after year. This wool is purchased by The Futon Shop in San Francisco. This natural wool is then felted into bats and layered into their Organic wool mattress collection. Organic cotton is harvested in cotton cooperatives and then brokered by The Futon Shop for use in their organic mattress collections.
Farm-to-bedroom by The Futon Shop offers consumers a back to basic alternative that is chemically free, naturally healthy and offers comfort as well as long term health benefits. The vibratory nature of our existence and surroundings shapes who we are on a subconscious level. A more natural existence will not only contribute to a healthy lifestyle but a more pleasant mental state.
Farm-to-bedroom can cause a ripple effect that will translate to a healthier and more peaceful society while supporting the local eco system. The Futon Shop hopes to spark this movement with their mattress collections designed for sofa beds and platform bed frames.
The home should not be a chemically produced separation from the natural habitat but rather an extension of the natural surroundings. There is no reason that you can’t live in style and feel good about your eco footprint.

Wordless Wednesday

Organic Mattress Collection

Organic Mattress Collection by The Futon Shop:

Organic Mattress and Organic Futon possibilities for your home. Organic cotton futons and mattresses hand made in San Francisco

is the very best of our eco-friendly organic mattresses & organic futons. Good for the planet... Good for your family... Good for your health... That's what our Organic Sleep Mattress Collection is all about.

Comfort: 
Organic mattresses are all made using our long-fiber USDA-certified Organic Cotton which is grown naturally to give your organic futon a soft pillow-like feeling. We compress our cotton batting cores to just the right density to maintain softness yet offer support. For many organic mattresses we add Virgin Wool for a cushier, softer feel; the light fluffy wool fiber has a crimped construction that acts like a spring. We use naturally long crimp wool grown in the United States, that does not have to be artificially crimped like New Zealand wool. Using our GOTS Certified Organic Cotton mattress protectors will add extra softness and pure protection that you deserve.
 
Support: 
Natural Organic latex mattresses have 100% pure Dunlop Latex in medium to extra firm depending on the models. Only Dunlop pure latex mattresses can offer densities of 80-100. We do not use the more common Talalay Latex because it is much softer then Dunlop processed latex and can never reach the extra firm densities that give the most support for the best mattresses made today. We also offer soy-based foam mattresses and soy-based memory foam mattresses in a variety of densities as an alternative, for those who want a lighter and less expensive sofa bed mattress while staying eco-friendly.
 
Durability: 
We use quality materials to make superior mattresses that should last 10 years or more. Remember that body weight is also a factor in durability. For people weighing 250 pounds and up, we recommend the Serenity or Eternity latex mattresses for even and comfortable sleeping with no break down, dipping or lumping. For everyone else the organic futon choices are endless!
 
Innerspring Mattresses with no motion transfer! 
 Bouncy inner springs are the cause of most motion transfer, in which the mattress moves around every time you or your sleeping partner shift in the bed. That’s why our innerspring Organic Collection uses only pocketed coils. Each coil is encased in its own fabric pocket rather than attached to the next coil; if you bounce on one coil, the row next to it does not move. Or, choose a mattress without innersprings for no motion transfer whatsoever.
 
Natural Sleep:
  As an active member of the Organic Trade Association, The Futon Shop cares about our planet earth and you! We take extra care to source and use American grown Organic cotton and wool in our mattresses so we can support American farmers. Organic agriculture protects the health of people and the planet by reducing the overall exposure to toxic chemicals from synthetic pesticides that can end up in the ground, air, water and food supply, and that are associated with health consequences, from asthma to cancer.


If you'd like to more about what you can do to promote organic beds and help save the environment, visit the Organic Consumers Action Center and get involved!

sleep positions

Your sleep habits may be more revealing than you think, according to a surprising new study. A body language expert has analyzed common sleep positions and reports that they can reveal how stressed you are. Sleep position also offers insights into such traits as bossiness, stubbornness, being self-critical, and whether people feel they’re in control of their life.

A study of 1,000 sleepers, commissioned by Premier Inns, suggest that there are basically four types of sleepers—the fetal, the log sleeper, the yearner and the freefallers. Here’s a look what your slumber habits may reveal about your personality. 

The Fetal Position

 If you curl up in a ball when you sleep (below, left), you are not alone. Over half of people in the study literally curl up into the fetal position when they hit the sheets.

Why? Phipps says that fetal sleepers are looking for comfort and are often constant worriers. While they are very conscientious during their waking hours, these are people who tend to overthink their tasks and daily lives.

Read more from Cascade News

The Log Position

Do you sleep straight in a vertical line (below, right), with arms at your sides? The study says nearly 30 percent of people sleep like a “log,” and may be a bit rigid when it comes to their personalities.

Those who sleep in this rigid position also often find themselves waking up stiffer and in more discomfort than when they went to bed. Their muscles may not be getting the proper rest while they sleep. Or it might mean that you have to find more of your waking hours learning how to relax.

The Yearner

If you reach for the stars (below, left), with outstretched arms, while you sleep you are among the 25 percent of sleepers who are yearners. The yearners are people who get up in the morning with an excitement to get out there and chase their dreams.  

But Phipps says these are also people who go after their dreams without a real focus. They can be chronic time wasters. Phipps also says that some of the yearners aren’t just chasing their dreams, some feel that they are being chased.

Visit the Insomnia Learning Center

The Freefall Position

If you sleep face down on your stomach (below, right), with arms and legs all over the bed in a freefall position, it might mean that you are seeking control of time and space in a way that you don’t feel you have in your waking hours. While only 17 percent of the people studied were considered freefallers, Phipps says these are the sleepers who may be getting the least restful night’s sleep.

7 Simple Tips for Better Sleep

What does other research say about sleep position?

Sleep researcher Professor Chris Idzikowskia, at the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, agrees that there are links between the way we sleep and our personalities. He also sees the links between our sleep positions and our overall health. For example, Idzikowskia says those who sleep in the starfish sleeping position, on their backs with arms and legs outspread, may be more open, and make better friends than the logs.

He also singles out the soldier sleeper, who is also a back sleeper. The soldier tends to be quiet and reserved, and sets high standards for himself and others. Both the soldier and the starfish often struggle with getting a good night’s sleep because they tend to snore and have other breathing problems throughout the night.

10 Best Insomnia Apps for iPhone and Android

The study also suggests that those who sleep on the left side of the mattress have a brighter outlook on life, “They tend to be more upbeat and able to handle the stresses of work and life better than those who sleep on the right,” Claire Haigh, a spokesperson for Premier Inns says. According to the study, 31 percent of the respondents who slept on the left side of the mattress love their jobs, compared to just 18 percent of those who sleep on the right side.

Both researchers say there is no one size fits all when it comes to sleep positions. According to Phipps the participants in his study of changed sleeping positions several times during the night.

Keys To A Healthier Lifestyle

Prevention is Key to Living a Healthier Lifestyle; The Futon Shop Reveals the Key to Staying Safe from Harmful Ingredients as a Consumer 

 

Factors that contribute to cancer can be viruses, radiation, environmental poisons, defective genes inherited from parents -- or a combination of all of the above. With the latter being hard to control, one can only control their environment. Consequently, consumers must be aware and notified in great detail what it is exactly they have purchased, labeled and defined. 

 

 

According to the Time Magazines article “Stopping Cancer in its Tracks,” J. Madeleine explains that, “The conceptual revolution that is just now sweeping into the clinic began in the 1960s, when researchers started to realize that cancer is a disease of DNA, the master molecule that encodes the genetic script of life.” Further explaining that factors that contribute to cancer can be viruses, radiation, environmental poisons, defective genes inherited from parents -- or a combination of all of the above. With the latter being hard to control, one can only control their environment. Consequently, consumers must be aware and notified in great detail what it is exactly they have purchased, labeled and defined.
It is explained clearly in a Madeleine article written by, Drs. J. Michael Bishop and Harold Varmus at the University of California San Francisco, that the causes of geneses to go cancerous from environmental and other factors came in 1976, is a startling observation. Madeleine summarizes that they saw that a viral gene known to cause cancer in chickens was practically a carbon copy of a normal gene found in animal and human cells. The virus had somehow stolen a perfectly good gene and put it to bad use. This finding helped lead to a general conclusion: cells become cancerous because their normal genetic machinery goes awry.
So what is the key to staying safe from harmful poisons as a consumer? Choose Organic.
According to Suzanne Diamond, CEO of The Futon Shop, “I believe that consumers, if informed, choose to go green because they want a better life for themselves as well as a better future for their children.” The Futon Shop along with many other companies and organizations have been coming together to inform consumers how to make more informed decisions when purchasing products, to make a positive change in their lives. As active citizens with knowledge and awareness, we can all make the right choices for our future and our health.
The Futon Shop, the largest organic mattress retailer in America, based in San Francisco California has been practicing sustainability since 1976. The Futon Shop believes in the Farm to bedroom movement. Farm-to-bedroom refers to a movement concerned with producing home furnishing and mattresses from organic materials locally harvested, naturally processed, and chemical free. The Futon Shop has been certified by Green America’s, Green Business Network, as an environmentally conscious socially responsible business. A few of the factors that have made The Futon shop a green company are: they have eliminated wood sourcing from areas where illegal logging is rampant, reduced emissions and exposure to toxins, use of components that have low to no voc’s (volatile organic compounds), Use of non-toxic finishes and adhesives in their core products (including varnishes, surface coverings, paints, and glues), as well as choosing composite woods that are made with non-toxic wood treatments. In this day and age, a consumer should always do research while shopping around to look for green companies that care about their customer’s health.
The Futon Shop is a vertically integrated retailer that manufacturers over 33 organic and green mattresses from start to finish. The company dates back to 1976 led by Suzanne Diamond and her team of specialists dedicated to producing eco friendly furniture and bedding. Their mission is to produce the best eco-friendly/chemical-free Organic and Natural futons, organic mattresses, futon covers for sofa beds, futon frames, and platform bed frames that promote better healthy living and a good night’s sleep for all.

 

Halloween Sale

Wordless Wednesday

Certified by the Green America’s Green Business Network

The Futon Shop

has been certified by the Green America’s Green Business Network as an environmentally and socially responsible business. This business has reached the Bronze tier by adopting principles and practices that demonstrate a strong commitment to conserving the environment and supporting social justice.
The Green America’s Green Business Network is proud to recognize their contribution to creating and growing a green economy by supporting the needs of their customers, workers, the environment, and the community. We appreciate your continued support of the futon shop and thank you for your commitment to sustainability.

Member Since: 06/19/2012
Seal Valid Until: 06/19/2013

The Futon Shop has completed the following initiatives:

• Building an Equitable, Supportive & Inclusive Workplace
• Make an explicit effort through your hiring process to attract a diverse pool of job applicants (i.e. religion, race, sexual and gender identity, etc.). (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Provide formal support to your staff and workers for dealing with work-related stress. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Offer employees flexible schedules to promote work life balance. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Pay living wages per community standard for your direct employees. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Offer eligible employees paid vacation days. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Offer eligible employees paid sick days. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Offer health Insurance or assurance of coverage to employees and their families. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Conduct regular safety inspections to ensure appropriate air ventilation, lighting, and safety for workers (including yourself).
• Develop and enforce clear procedures for working with dangerous machinery.
• Offer a scholarship program or subsidies to support employee continuing education. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Implement a process for regular employee performance evaluations from peers and subordinates.  (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Implement a process for regular employee performance evaluations from supervisors. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Offer a buying club or discounts for employees. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Institute grievance procedures to provide staff members with a process for addressing concerns or disagreements related to the violation of company policies. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Engage office teams to lead specific issues or projects within the office (i.e. event planning, health and wellness, space allocation, etc.). (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Offer eligible employees a retirement savings program. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Educating Employees, Customers & Vendors
• Include a statement on your website describing your business's environmental standards, goals, and objectives.
• Include a sustainability curriculum that raises awareness about general issues and personal choices and as part of your ongoing employee training program. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Provide training for employees on your business's social and environmental policies. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Include a sub-page on your website for green advocacy, education, information and resources links.
• Include a statement on your website describing your business's social standards, goals, and objectives.
• Ensuring a Fair & Responsible Supply Chain
• Identify country(ies) of origin and/or manufacture of your core products on the website.
• Develop a comprehensive labor plan to minimize the risk of worker mistreatment throughout supply chain.
• Actively support the cultural traditions of local communities in which your business operates along your supply chain (ex. offers regional and religious holidays off, and food that respects diets of workers).
• Make unannounced, at least annual, visits to your key production facilities and conduct offsite interviews with workers.
• Update supplier info regularly to keep track of potential problem areas in your supply chain.
• Elminate wood sourcing from areas where illegal logging is rampant.
• Reducing Emissions & Exposure To Toxins
• Use low VOC (volatile organic compounds) emitting paint on walls and ceilings in workspace.
• Use environmentally friendly cleaning products for daily use in the workplace, such as a non-toxic multipurpose cleaner or glass cleaner.
• Select office space in a LEED certified building or in a space with a clear track record of green building improvements. (If you work out of a home office, click 'Complete'.)
• Install a filtered water tap at your sink or a water cooler for drinking water, instead of purchasing bottled water. (If you work out of a home office, click 'Complete'.)
• Use natural pest management practices or minimize the use of toxic pesticide chemicals in indoor spaces. (If you work out of a home office, click 'Complete'.)
• Relax the office dress code to allow for attire that doesn't require drycleaning, and encourage employees to switch to non-toxic dry cleaners. (If you work out of a home office, click 'Complete'.)
• Use natural odor elimination methods, i.e. ventilating with open windows, air filters, carbon odor eliminators.
• Use air-filtering plants throughout the office to improve indoor air quality.
• Use washable electrostatic filters in HVAC units.
• Ensure your green cleaning company or housekeeping staff cleans your office using green cleaning practices.
• Ensure that workers are not exposed to toxins in the production process for your products (e.g. from dyes, paints, cleaners, etc.).
• Use non-toxic finishes and adhesives in your core products, including varnishes, surface coverings, paints, glues, etc.
• Choose composite woods that are made with non-toxic adhesives or resins; avoid urea formaldehyde.
• Use untreated wood or non-toxic wood treatments in your products; avoid pressure-treated wood.
• Use non-toxic water or plant-based (no or low VOC) paints, finishes, varnishes, lacquers, and shellacs on products.
• Minimizing Transportation Impacts
• Create incentives to encourage employee carpools, public transportation, or bicycling as a means of transportation. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Designate car pool and hybrid parking spaces that are in preferred areas of your parking lot. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Use clean or low-emission company vehicles (including hybrid or electric), and schedule regular maintenance.
• Use telepresence or other long-distance communication to replace travel when possible.
• Encourage creative scheduling and telecommuting possibilities for your employees. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Use ground shipping rather than air whenever possible.
• Source your ingredients/components locally or within 150 miles from your operation.
• Arrange for a single delivery, or try to group shipments of several items at once from your vendors.
• Required Actions
• Bronze: Based on your specific industry, describe to us the major area of social and environmental impact (pick one for each) of your business and how you're currently addressing it.
• Bronze: Establish a process to receive regular advice/mentoring on how to improve your business performance. For a business that hires employees or uses interns/volunteers, establish a process for providing clear feedback on performance.
• Bronze: After completing the GreenGain assessment, analyze your current sustainability performance and develop a plan that prioritizes initiatives based on your results.
• Bronze: Create personal goals to help champion green initiatives throughout your company, or designate a green leader or Green Team for your business.
• Bronze: Develop a social and environmental mission and vision statement for your business and post it on your website.
• Bronze: Create and publish a clear return/refund/cancellation process for products and/or service contracts for customers/clients.
• Silver: Recommend environmentally preferable products and services to all of your clients (If you are a product-based business, please click 'Complete').
• Silver: Establish practices to support the development and training of your employees and/or interns/volunteers. If you have 0-1 employees, develop and implement a yearly plan for professional growth and development.
• Silver: Complete at least three initiatives in the "Supporting Your Community" category below.
• Gold: Describe your biggest new opportunity around social and environmental sustainability and how you plan to implement it.
• Gold: Develop environmental criteria for the sourcing of materials, products, and/or vendors and describe them on your website.(For service-based businesses,apply criteria to office supplies and other materials used in the workplace)
• Gold: Develop a fair labor Code of Conduct and require written consent from your core suppliers (If you are a service-based business, please click 'Complete').
• Gold: Implement policies that encourage employee job flexibility and work life balance. If you have 0-1 employees, develop and implement a plan to build stronger work life balance.
• Gold: Take a leadership role in an organization that continually works to improve the environment or social responsibility nationally or in your area.
• Gold: List the date your business first opened (must be in operation at least six months to earn Gold status).
• Silver: Identify any potential labor concerns in your workplace (service business) or supply chain (product company) and address at least one with a clear action plan.
• Conserving Resources, Recycling & Minimizing Waste
• Maximize the percentage of products certified by Green Seal.
• Eliminate paper towels, styrofoam or plastic cups, plates and utensils in the breakroom or kitchen. Use re-usable mugs, dishes, and silverware instead.
• Place bins at print and copy stations to store unused printouts for scratch, draft paper, etc.
• Use recycled or re-used boxes, bags, and general packaging for office mailings, shipping, marketing, and promotions.
• Reduce outgoing mail by updating the contact information on your business's mailing lists regularly.
• Reduce incoming junk mail by removing your business' name from national direct marketing databases.
• Enroll in a waste exchange program where your waste can become another business's resource.
• Establish a paper recycling program for newspaper, office paper, direct mail, white and colored paper, cardboard, envelopes, magazines, and catalogs.
• Use printers that have a duplexing (two-sided copying and printing) function, and print/copy double sided when possible.
• Establish a recycling program that includes glass, plastic, and aluminum.
• Eliminate unnecessary paper forms for administrative functions and use electronic forms when possible (ie. digital faxes, electronic receipts, digital pay stubs).
• Establish a paperless billing program for your vendors or clients.
• Complete a solid-waste assessment to help identify and quantify the items in your business' waste stream.
• Responsibly dispose of hazardous items, such as CFL/fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, paint, and electronic waste.
• Develop a paper stewardship and reduction policy, and conduct a paper reduction campaign.
• Set up an office supply re-use center and encourage materials sharing (I.e. rechargeable batteries, scrap paper, markers, etc.).
• Sell or donate unneeded furniture and office equipment.
• Use reusable or compostable catering supplies for business meetings and events (i.e. digital handouts, re-usable dishware and linens, or biodegradable flatware).
• Recycle unwanted equipment and electronics, such as computer monitors, hard drives, cell phones, PDAs, toner cartridges.
• Implement a minimal packaging policy, based on industry best practices.
• Conduct a lifecycle analysis of your core products to map the impacts from sourcing of raw materials to ultimate disposal.
• Maximize the percentage of post-consumer recycled content in packaging for your products.
• Ensure that product packaging is operationally recyclable, biodegradable, or responsibly disposable.
• Use the most recyclable plastic available (lowest number inside the triangular recycling symbol), if using plastic packaging.
• Maximize the percentage of reclaimed or recycled wood in your product.
• If using plastics, design parts and use plastics that are easily recoverable in recycling streams.
• Design the product so as not to become obsolete (to the extent this can be anticipated).
• Purchase trash bins and liners made from 35-100% post-consumer recycled materials.
• Purchase paper towels and toilet paper made from 35-100% post-consumer recycled materials.
• Purchase folders, envelopes, notepads and other office paper products made from 35-100% post-consumer recycled materials.
• Reduce the amount of paper used in marketing materials by eliminating envelopes, using fold and mail, providing information electronically, etc.
• Eliminate use of virgin plastic, polystyrene, or any other petrochemical-based packaging for your products.
• Tracking Performance & Progress
• Regularly update your customers about your business' efforts to become more environmentally and socially responsible (i.e. through company newsletters, press releases, tweets, etc.).
• Submit to third-party audits of social and/or environmental performance and share the conclusions with the public.
• Work with core suppliers who have obtained a fair labor certification(s) for their operations (i.e. SA8000, GOTS, FLO).
• Publish an annual external report highlighting your performance on mission-related activities, including targets, results, and comparisons from previous year.
• Share verification successes/challenges in monitoring your supply chain with your consumers.
• Have an accurate and complete ingredient and/or species list on product labels and website.
• Identify the forest management practices employed by the forest management companies of the wood you source.
• Saving Energy & Using Renewable Energy Sources
• Set computers and monitors to enter automatic standby or sleep mode after 20-30 minutes of inactivity.
• Contact your local utility to conduct a commercial energy assessment (oftentimes offered free) to pinpoint specific areas of energy efficiency.
• Install an ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat to automate your HVAC or A/C system.
• Purchase ENERGY STAR qualified electronic equipment and appliances, an indicator of more energy efficient equipment.
• Install light switch occupancy sensors in proper locations to automatically turn off lighting when no one is present.
• Design your office with day lighting in mind (i.e., take significant advantage of natural light with sky windows, skylights, etc.).
• Reduce air leaks with weather stripping and caulking around windows and doorways.
• Change your HVAC or A/C filters every month or as required by the filter and HVAC or A/C manufacturer.
• Replace older light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLS), light emitting diodes (LEDS), and other more energy efficient light bulbs as they burn out.
• Develop an energy conservation policy or program that encourages employees to support energy conservation. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Use your lighting more efficiently with daylight dimmers and/or task lighting.
• Use ceiling fans and cross ventilation in place of air conditioning when possible.
• Add insulation and a timer to your hot water heater, or use a tankless water heater. (If you work out of a home office, click 'Complete'.)
• Purchase renewable energy credits to off-set your business' energy consumption.
• Switch to green power from your utility.
• Saving Water
• Test irrigation systems to ensure proper orientation (avoiding pavement) and water schedule.
• Obtain an assessment of your building's water use to identify specific water conservation ideas. (If you work out of a home office, click 'Complete'.)
• Install low-flow aerators on faucets and showerheads or sensor controls that turn faucets on and off automatically.
• Plant native, region-friendly plants to reduce irrigation and minimize the impact on the local habitat.
• Use high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, like high efficiency toilets (HETs) and urinals (HEUs) to minimize water use.
• Use water-conserving cleaning methods when possible (i.e. sweeping instead of mopping and hosing).
• Set up a greywater system to reuse sink water in toilet systems or outdoor irrigation.
• Supporting Responsible Industry Practices
• Regularly review your marketing and promotional materials to ensure there is no use of negative stereotypes.
• Identify each supplier of your core products on your Website.
• Regularly educate yourself on the progress of responsible environmental and social practices in your industry.
• Purchase supplies and/or materials from green-certified or Green America certified companies.
• Supporting Your Community
• Donate a fixed portion of your profits to a social or environmental cause.
• Become an annual sponsor of an event promoting sustainability and social justice in your area.
• Become an active member of an organization that continually works to improve the environment and social justice, nationally or in your region.
• Actively recruit from underserved or special needs communities. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Bank with a community development bank or credit union.
• Offer your office space as a meeting or events location to a community organization. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Serving Customer & Client Needs
• Include instructions for disposal of packaging or information on how to recycle.
• Provide an industry-leading performance guarantee/warranty for your product or service.
• Using Organic & Renewable Materials
• Use Fair Trade or organic coffee, tea, and sugar in the office.
• Use renewable fibers, such as hemp, linen, or bamboo, when organic fabrics are not available.
• Develop criteria for sourcing virgin wood that includes clear chain of custody and Forest Stewardship Council Certification (FSC).
• Maximize the percentage of wood components certified by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
• Identify and eliminate any petroleum-based products, or items with petrochemical derivatives additives that your business uses or offers.
• Operating With Transparency
• Determine a defined ratio between your business's lowest and highest paid employee. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Implement processes and policies to support active participation of workers in management (i.e. Board of Directors, Executive teams, etc.). (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Clearly disclose to all staff members any internal policies, practices or code of ethics that impact employees. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Implement profit-sharing plans with staff. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)
• Implement a democratic voting process or consensus approach for key business decisions. (If you have 0-1 employees, hit 'Complete'.)

Green America is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1982 (formerly "Co-op America" until January 1, 2009). Its mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.
Green America's Green Business Network™ is the first, largest, and most diverse network of socially and environmentally responsible businesses in the country. The Green Business Network serves to connect, market, and grow the green marketplace. The Green America Seal of Approval recognizes businesses that meet Green America’s rigorous certification standards and display a deep commitment to consumers, communities, workers, and the planet.

The Key To A Restful Night Sleep

The Futon Shop Unveils the Key to a Restful Night Sleep 

The Futon Shop is a vertically integrated retailer that manufacturers over 33 organic and green mattresses from start to finish using a variety of different materials. These materials come in a variety of different densities from extra soft to extra firm. Having this variety of mattresses allows the consumer to choose the right feel for their own personal situation. 

 

What’s the key to a restful night sleep?

Put it in neutral. When it comes to sleep, neutral means a position that supports the funky way your spine is shaped—forward curves at the neck and lower back and a backward sway in the middle. Just as there’s good standing posture, the neutral position is good sleeping posture.
That’s why there’s all the fuss over finding a mattress that keeps your spine correctly aligned and stress-free. “Imagine holding your wrist backward for a period of time. It’s unnatural and uncomfortable,” says Roger Smith, DO, a Harvard Medical School sleep expert. “Without the proper support, your spine feels the same way.”

In an article titled “Mattresses and Sleep Positions for Each Back Pain Diagnosis” by, Richard A. Staehler, MD, he states that “an important factor that can influence individual preferences for mattresses, beds, and sleeping positions is the specific back condition a person has.”
Osteoarthritis - Patients with pain from osteoarthritis of the facet joints may prefer to sleep on their sides with their knees curled up (in the fetal position). This helps open up the facet joints in the spine and can relieve any corresponding pressure. Alternatively, sleeping in a reclining chair or an adjustable bed that allows the head and knees to be elevated can also relieve pressure on the facet joints. For side sleepers the best mattress density is a soft to medium firm.

Degenerative disc disease - Patients with pain from degenerative disc disease may prefer to sleep on their stomach as this can relieve pressure on the disc space. Stomach sleepers may feel more comfortable using a relatively firm to extra firm mattress and placing a flat pillow under the stomach and hips, which can further reduce stress on the lower back.

Spinal Stenosis - People with pain from spinal stenosis may prefer to sleep on their sides with their knees curled up (in the fetal position). This helps relieve pressure on the nerve root. For this the best mattress density is also a soft to medium firm. Sleeping in a reclining chair or an adjustable bed that allows the head and knees to be elevated can also relieve pressure on the nerve.
Remember bedtime is a time to allow the distractions of the day to drop away. It is a time for relaxation. For the person living with chronic pain, it is unavoidable time alone with your pain. The pain is amplified because it is the only activity perceivable by the brain. This makes falling asleep fraught with pain perceptions.

The National Sleep Foundation reports that 2/3 of chronic pain sufferers experience sleep problems. Approximately 15% of all people have sleep problems. Compounding the problem of disturbed sleep in people who hurt is the fact that some chronic pain medications tend to disrupt sleeping patterns.
So where can you find the right mattress to alleviate your pain?

The Futon Shop is a vertically integrated retailer that manufacturers over 33 organic and green mattresses from start to finish using a variety of different materials. These materials come in a variety of different densities from extra soft to extra firm. Having this variety of mattresses allows the consumer to choose the right feel for their own personal situation.

 Long-fiber USDA-certified Organic Cotton Grown naturally to give a soft pillow-like feeling. The Futon Shop compresses cotton batting cores to just the right density maintaining softness yet offering support. Virgin Wool gives a cushier, softer feel; the light fluffy wool fiber has a crimped construction that acts like a spring. 100% pure Dunlop Latex in medium to extra firm, The Futon Shop does not use the more common Talalay Latex because it is much softer then Dunlop processed latex and can never reach the extra firm densities that give the most support for the best mattresses made today. Soy-based foam mattresses and soy-based memory foam mattresses in a variety of densities. Innerspring Mattresses with no motion transfer using only pocketed coils. Each coil is encased in its own fabric pocket rather than attached to the next coil. If you bounce on one coil, the row next to it does not move. The Futon Shop dates back to 1976 led by Suzanne Diamond and her team of specialists dedicated to producing eco friendly furniture and bedding.

 

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