The Essentia Blog

Have you ever wondered if the company you’re buying a product from gives a hoot about the Earth?

Well ClimateCounts.org has a scorecard which measures companies on their commitment to tackling global warming. Using this scorecard while shopping is an easy way make your purchase count in all the right ways.

Climate Counts use a 0-to-100 point scale and 22 criteria to determine if companies have:

• MEASURED their climate “footprint”
• REDUCED their impact on global warming
• SUPPORTED (or suggest intent to block) progressive climate legislation
• Publicly DISCLOSED their climate actions clearly and comprehensively

Among the Worst
35 Kellogg
25 Disney …. for shame!
22 Levis
21 ConAgra Foods (brands they make)
15 Clorox
15 Liz Claibourne
14 CBS
13 Sara Lee
11 Apple
1 Yum (brands they make KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut)
0 Jone Apparel Group (brands they make)
0 Wendy’s Intl
0 Burger King

Among the Best
82 Nike
78 Stonyfield Farm
77 IBM
75 Unilever (brands they make)
74 Canon
70 Toshiba
71 General Electric
69 Procter & Gamble
49 Starbucks

Download your pocket climate card here

Joe Alexander, the sales & marketing director over at San Francisco based Keetsa mattress store called me today.

He wanted some spec sheets on our products and we had a little chat. I guess he was fishing for some info on the competition. (no clue who he was until after the call when i Googled him)

He should have told me who he was. We’re not threatened by Keetsa in the least. As far as i’m concern there is no competition…lol….keep reading.

Keetsa sells spring mattresses…we’re not spring. Our natural foam mattresses start at $2000 which are his top-of-the-line spring mattresses. I’ve referred people who didn’t want to spend 2.5k on a sleep system over to Keetsa. I’d much rather they buy a Keetsa than a Sealy or Serta, hands down. The only thing we have in common is that our customers care about their health and the environment.

Bottom line, once people understand what we bring to the table and they can afford an Essenta, it’s very difficult not to want and buy one.

Keetsa seems to be doing pretty well. Quality products and they legitimately take the environment into account. Good stuff.

So Joe, don’t be shy to give me a call if you have any more questions.

I want one of these suckers so badly but it’s illegal to drive them in Canada.

The ZENN (zero emission, no noise) car is 100% electric. Made in Canada this little 2 seater is sold in the US, Mexico and EU but Transport Canada has yet to approve it.

What’s the hiccup? Find out here:
www.cbc.ca/national/blog/special_feature/green_rush/zenn_car_update_1.html

You’d think i would have read it earlier. Here’s a description for Toxic Bedrooms: Your Guide to a Safe Night’s Sleep.

Your bedroom should be a safe haven, but unfortunately more and more research is revealing that the bedroom may be one of the most toxic places in the home.

Consider that the average conventional mattress contains more toxic chemicals than a 50 gallon oil drum, and that our skin, the largest organ of the body, is also the most porous entry point. It is no wonder that chemicals found in mattresses, known to cause toxic reproductive effects, are regularly being found at significant levels in human blood samples.

Walter Bader outlines the dangers of the toxic threats lurking in the home so that, armed with knowledge, you can defend yourself and your family against them.

For a full list of chemicals found in mattresses visit the following link www.essentiadirect.com/research/glues-toxic-components

Watch this….just do it.

I’ve been looking into getting some FSC Certified mattress bases / box springs and came across a site that kept me busy for a good 30min.

In case you don’t know, FSC is a standard which promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. It outsources the FSC accreditation to accreditation bodies.

You can buy FSC lumbar or products made with FSC wood.

Well ww.fsc-watch.org is a group of people, FSC supporters and members among them, who are very concerned about the constant and serious erosion of the FSC’s reliability and thus credibility.

From what I’ve read so far the accreditation is losing face and I thought it deserved more awareness.

The Lux versions are no more. See that fancy quilted top… we’re giving it the boot.

We finally decided to get rid of the Lux Pillow Top. Everyone loved the look, but aesthetics should be the last thing on your mind when buying a mattress.

Mattress companies love to make a thick luxurious looking mattress because that what sells. The thicker the better right?

Our Lux version added that look and initial luxurious feel but served no purpose after 20 minutes of sleeping on it. The lux actually restricted our mattresses capabilities. For that reason we’ve decided to drop it.

People buy an Essentia because they want the best possible sleep, not because they look good or because they’re natural.

Chances are you know what that big jug is for.

Now imagine everyone in your neighborhood lining up to poor it in the river. Kinda dumb ay?

I contacted my local big box grocery store about this. In their 20 foot long wall of detergents not one was green. The closest they came to an eco-friendly detergent was President Choice’s concentrated laundry detergent which they considered green because it was concentrated therefore came it a smaller bottle. Need i say more?

I wrote them an e-mail about having alternatives. They never responded.

BTW phosphates are no longer permitted in laundry detergents in the U.S.

Here’s a list of eco-friendly cleaners or visit Mrs Meyers, or Seventh Generation.

Hello Everyone! Here’s the new Costco roadshow schedule. If you’re interested in checking out our PureFoam mattresses here’s you chance. See the dates below…….pay us a little visit

Want to know more about PureFoam?

April 15th - 29th
Terrebonne QC
Boisbriand QC
St-John’s NFLD

April 29th - May 13th
Halifax NS
Windsor ON

May 13th - 26th
Sudbury ON
Ancaster ON

June 10th - 23rd
Marche Central QC

Michelle from didn’t leave a city asks…..

“Would you have any information regarding what type of memory foam is used in an infant product designed to elevate and secure an infant from birth to six months in the crib as described in One Step Ahead (can be viewed online), a catalog of baby products? It claims to be safe but I purchased one and the odor is quite strong. I am reluctant to let my newborn sleep on this.
Thank you in advance for your time.”

Answer: Memory foams are made from petroleum based chemicals and a slew of others. The odor, or off-gassing has been a major complaint among many. www.chem-tox.com/guest/guestbook.html

Personally I would not place my infant in any mattress that had an odor let alone a strong chemical odor but i’m a no health professional.

I would go with a 100% natural latex, rubber or organic cotton mattress with organic fabrics for a baby or one of Essentia’s Bio mattresses for a toddler.

All mattresses sold in the U.S.A are required to pass fire tests.
Chemical fire retardants should be avoided at all costs because they’ve been linked to all kinds of things like SIDS, cancer, learning and memory deficit as well as heart, lung and kidney damage. www.peopleforcleanbeds.org or www.essentiadirect.com/research/fire-retardants. Wools are natural fire retardants and often used in mattresses as fire retardants. Another option would be to get a doctors note which allows you to purchase a mattress without FR.

Read reviews and take your time in choosing a baby mattress because their developing bodies are very delicate.