Futons: Green or Grody?

We’ve all seen them. Many of us even owned them or used them frequently in our college heydays. Heck, I bet a significant proportion of us still have one around the house.

What I’m alluding to is the often utilized but frequently ignored futon. These masters of disguise make our lives easier as an in-home transformer, but how green are they and what happens when they get old, outdated or heaven forbid, gross?

Focusing on how to make our living rooms as earth friendly as possible, below are ways to make futon purchasing and disposal as close to full-circle as possible. To kick it off, let’s start at the point of purchase and name a few green-slinging futon makers and retailers.

Goodnight Moon Futon: Sporting 11 types of earth-friendly futons, mattresses and futon covers, this Internet market is a hotbed for the quasi-environmentalist looking to add some sitting and sleeping space. On the low end, the $319 “Stockbridge” offers the most economical futon with a “minimalist frame… made by one of the finest manufacturers in the Northeast from sustainably harvested lumber.”

On the pricier end, you can find the $750 queen/loveseat “Williston,” which also boasts the same sustainable wood construction. Three green futon mattresses range from the $189 “Athens,” to the 100% organic mattress at $639. (As a side note, there is a disclaimer indicating that the sale of these mattresses requires a doctor’s prescription.)

The Futon Shop: Self-proclaimed as the “home of the world’s greenest futons since 1976,” The Futon Shop offers a slew of futon frames, mattresses, covers, organic furniture, futon sets, platform beds and more. Like the futons mentioned above, the futon frames and platform beds are made from plantation wood sustainably harvested from certified Sustainable Forest Management, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ way of promoting sustainable forestry. Mattresses also do their part to conserve resources and promote ecology with organic and soybean memory foam, natural and CFC-free products

The next step in the eco-friendly futon cycle is finding ways to repair or recycle old, lumpy and well-loved college-esque sleeping devices. One manufacturer, Cotton Clouds Futons, wins this round of consumer- and earth-conscious practices by offering recycling options for its products. As stated on its website:

Futons manufactured by Cotton Cloud Futons can be recycled at the end of their useful life. All of the cotton including the cotton shell and wool is recovered and sent to various textile recovery facilities. Some recovered textiles become wiping and polishing cloths. Cotton can be made into rags or form a component for new high-quality paper. Other materials potentially found in futons [various types of foam for instance] can be reprocessed into fibers for upholstery, insulation, carpet pads and even building materials. Zippers are stripped off for reuse. Very little is left over at the end of the recycling process.

This company takes waste diversion and the psyche of its customers into consideration when offering such an impressive and forward-thinking service. No one wants to end up in the infuriating pit of despair like the Accidental Environmentalist when trying to find the most responsible way to get rid of a futon.

This brings us to the last option: donation. Going with the age-old wisdom that one man’s trashed futon is another’s treasured bedding, we must always consider donating our unwanted goods to a charity that can put them to good use. Before doing so, be sure to check with the chosen charity.

For instance, Chris Rummell, the Creative Reuse and Recycling Manager at The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County in California, informs us that his organization is unable to accept mattresses, futons or otherwise. The frames, however, are greatly appreciated if they are in working order.

On the other hand, The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in San Jose, CA, does welcome unwanted futon mattress, should they be free of rips and stains. So, look around and see which locations might want your old, unwanted shape-shifting futon.

The almighty futon isn’t for everyone. But some find their pragmatic characteristics somewhat appealing: couch mode for hanging out with friends or watching TV, bed mode when said friends decide they’re not leaving until the morning. Regardless, we need to look at ways to make their consumption a lot less stressful on the environment.