Question from Katie Hines
Hi Debra,
www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2015/03/five-couches-without-flame-retardants-you-can-buy-right-now
Is the flame retardants what make polyurethane toxic or is it something else?
Debra’s Answer
Some organizations are making a big deal out of companies that are removing flame retardants from sofas.
Removing flame retardants is a great step in the right direction, but there are more toxic chemicals in a sofa than flame retardants.
Here’s a list of materials in the Extorp sofa from IKEA that was mentioned on the list from EWG that you sent.
Back and seat frame:
Fiberboard
Moisture resistant particleboard
Plywood
Solid pine
Polyurethane foam 1.2 lb/cu.ft.
Armrest:
Hollow fiber polyester wadding
Solid pine
Fiberboard
Moisture resistant particleboard
Cardboard
Polyurethane foam 1.2 lb/cu.ft.
olyurethane foam 1.5 lb/cu.ft.
Seat cushion:
Non-woven polypropylene
High-resilience polyurethane foam (cold foam) 2.2 lb/cu.ft.
Polyester fiber balls
Fiberboard is a type of engineered wood product that is made out of wood fibers. Types of fiberboard (in order of increasing density) include particleboard, medium-density fiberboard, and hardboard. So we don’t know exactly which fiberboard it is or what type of resin was used. Could be emitting formaldehyde.
Then there is particleboard, which for sure is emitting formaldehyde, and plywood, which probably is emitting formaldehyde as well.
Polyurethane foam also emits many chemicals all by itself, even without the fire retardant.
This is why I always look at ALL the materials in a product to determine if it is toxic or safe, and not just think it’s OK because one toxic element has been removed.
Can you give some economical suggestions for new, not used? This is beyond frustrating.
I’d love to, but I don’t know of an economical couch that is safe enough to recommend.
We searched for years for affordable non-toxic sofas to sell, and finally found two. One is called an Eco Sofa, which has a solid wood frame and kapok cushions (or several other options). And the second is a futon-couch that combines a solid wood frame that’s available with a water-based finish topped with an organic futon. See photos and details: https://www.organicandhealthy.com/organic-sofas.html. I know that some people prefer a fully upholstered sofa, but we have not found an affordable organic upholstered sofa.