The Most Environmentally Sustainable Bedding (and why it matters).
Want to sleep easy at night? Bring your eco-conscious values into the bedroom!
When you sleep on environmentally sustainable bedding, you can rest easy knowing you’re supporting fair environmental practices — and at the same time, these products tend to be healthier for sleep — win/win!
When searching for environmentally sustainable bedding, look for sustainable practices including minimal waste packaging, fair trade manufacturing, and certifications that indicate a company passes standards set by independent certification organizations.
We love Brooklinen, not only for their minimal, sleek design and easy shopping experience, but even more so because their products are 100% organic, and Oeko-Tex certified. They are direct to consumer, which means less fuel and waste with middlemen (and it keeps the cost down for consumers as well).
Bonus: their manufacturing facility in Israel is 60% powered by bio-fuel from landfills.
Double Bonus: everything is 20% off for their Black Friday bedding sale!
Courtesy of Pexels.com
Why Choose Environmentally Sustainable Bedding?
Bedding can be potentially very wasteful. Investing in high-quality products will help them last a very long time, if not forever! But if you do end up disposing of them eventually, think about their fabric content. Will they decompose over time? Or just add to the weight of ever-growing landfills? When you choose natural fibers such as wool or cotton, they break down faster after they’re no longer useful on your bed.
For everlasting bedding, we recommend Coyuchi. Sumptuous bedding, towels, and sleep accessories in timeless designs and neutral color tones. In their own words, the products are ‘born on farms made according to the strictest environmental standards’.
A comprehensive list of mattress suggestions can be found here.
What about WHO makes your bedding?
You might sleep better at night knowing that the bedding you’re resting on has a clean history (besides being freshly laundered!). That means no slave labor manufacturing processes, no dumping of harmful chemicals into the environment, or using excessive water in the production of your sheets. Primary Goods claims to have vetted their manufacturing facility in Qingdao for fair treatment of workers, and their pillows are made in the USA. As for materials, their French linen is sourced from flax fields in Normandy, France - and the plants require minimal water to grow, increasing the brand’s sustainability.
Environmentally sustainable bedding may benefit more than just your conscious. Your health is also at stake.
Be picky about what you sleep on — and breathe in — all night! Non-sustainable bedding may have chemicals and treatments that may be within acceptable ranges for government regulations, but aren’t ideal for your health. Off-gassing from mattresses, pillows, and other bedding items can bother you as you’re trying to sleep, be harmful for your respiratory system, skin or hair, and can also make you perspire excessively due to their lack of breathability- leading to less deep sleep and more wake-ups. natural bedding, on the other hand, should be free of these issues. For more information, check out this helpful article by Savvyrest.com
How can you know when you’ve found a good environmentally sustainable bedding product?
Look for sustainable factors practiced by the company. Often a simple google search will tell you where the bedding is made and who makes it. Reputable companies should also list all of this information on their website - and if it’s hard to find, it’s probably because they don’t want you to know! Working conditions, materials, manufacturing processes, and chemical content all matter when you’re choosing the right environmentally sustainable bedding, so treat yourself to a luxurious set of bedding that will feel good, AND do good. See below for a quick checklist:
Using alternative energy options for production
Sustainably sourced materials, such as renewable or recyclable materials
Products free of harmful chemicals, such as bleach, formaldehyde, silicone, pesticides, and herbicides
Organic products
Natural dyes
Partnerships with environmental protection groups and charities
Minimal water consumption, such as using rainwater and recycling production water
Social action, such as planting trees for purchases
Sustainable packaging, such as recycled cardboard
Ethical employment practices
Equal pay for employees
Safe working conditions
Cruelty free practices
Certified Organic
Certification by the Global Organic Textile Standard
Certification by CertiPUR-US
Certification by Oeko-Tex Standard 100
Green Business certification
Fair Trade Certified status