There’s a lot of concern about a chemical called styrene-butadiene being used in bedding products, a compound which has been declared carcinogenic, toxic, and other terms by many regulatory agencies and bloggers, and has had an explosive, viral presence recently on the web. Lots of our customers ask about this material, and whether or not it is in our latex mattress “recipe”. Since everything we do is botanical only, this compound is not found in our material at all. However, if you are shopping for natural latex, and you don’t specifically ask for botanically derived material, or if you choose to purchase synthetic latex, or a blend of natural and synthetic, it is possible you could be exposing yourself to SBR.. what is this stuff, and where does it come from? Styrene-Butadiene (also known by trade names as “GRS” or “Buna-S”) is an elastomeric copolymer (very flexible, squishable) which was developed during World War II to replace natural rubber, and was used to make tires. During wartime, necessity was the mother of invention, of course. It is widely used in pneumatic tires for cars and trucks, shoe heels and soles, bedding products, even chewing gum! It is also used in coated glossy paper. It is totally unnecessary in any bedding product, and in fact, adds stiffness and coarseness to the feel of latex..if you’re looking for all natural, make sure you ask lots of questions…SBR is widely know and discussed in the bedding industry and any respectable salesperson should be aware of the material and the public concern with it.