SSA green effort misses mark by including safety issues
David Perry -- Furniture Today, September 13, 2010
David Perry
A funny thing happened to the green initiative launched, with much fanfare, by the Specialty Sleep Assn. 15 months ago. The program, which sought to bring clarity to the marketplace on green issues, has now morphed into the "Safety and Environmental Program." This is not a good development.
The SSA got off to a promising start with its green summit in May 2009, which attracted significant support from the industry. While I give SSA credit for attempting to bring order to the green marketplace, the association has gone seriously astray with its foray into the safety arena. Frankly, the challenges of defining green terms and fostering consumer understanding of those terms are major ones, and the SSA has more than enough work on its plate just to tackle those issues.
But adding safety issues to the program complicates SSA's task immeasurably and seriously undermines its credibility. I know from years of experience that the mattress industry has little interest in discussing safety issues. Safety is a non-starter when it comes to mattress marketing and educational programs.
Yet the new Safety and Environmental Program unveiled by the SSA at the Las Vegas Market puts safety front and center. The very first point on the SSA's mattress label states that the mattress "meets all federal safety flammability requirements."
But the mattress already carries a label elsewhere that attests to that fact, as required by the federal FR standard. And why bring up the FR law in the first place? Are retail sales associates ready to discuss an issue that most consumers aren't even aware of? Are consumers clamoring for more information on the FR standard? We think not.
The SSA continues down the wrong road with the next point on its mattress label: A warranty is provided for the product. Well, warranties are already provided for virtually every mattress on the market. And warranties are a lousy way to sell beds.
Green issues are on the bottom of the labels, and the messages there aren't compelling. The manufacturer states that it has done an environmental assessment of its processes, has a continuous improvement program to reduce its carbon footprint, and meets an international standard "when applicable, for reduction or elimination of ozone depleting substances." The self-certification by manufacturers leaves far too much wiggle room.
This Safety and Environmental Program is not ready to bring to market. The SSA should drop its misplaced emphasis on safety and focus instead on green issues. As the program exists now it is a confusing mish-mash of issues.
Contact David Perry at dperry@furnituretoday.com
www.furnituretoday.com
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