Thinking about making your living space more sustainable? Now is the best time to get started, with more eco-conscious products becoming readily available and stylish enough to fit in anyone’s home. And while it’s easy to get carried away from overusing green-hued decorations, there are more shades to choose from in the color palette.
To start off, the bed should be the main focus of attention. It is the biggest piece of furniture, and the center of everything else within your room, so it’s best to have an environmental option.
The first part of this arrangement is to source out quality bed frames made from sustainably sourced wood. So, look for eco-friendly sourced bed frames. Like those made from reconstructed Douglas Fir, meaning other trees are safe from being cut down to manufacture it. Pro tip: make sure they’re treated using non-toxic zero-VOC finishes (also helping us to stay safe from breathing problems and skin irritation.)
After the frame, comes the mattress. While most traditional mattresses use synthetic fillers and petroleum-based polyurethane foams that not only affect the environment but can also potentially harm our health, there are more eco-conscious alternatives. Like one made of 100% natural latex made from pure rubber saps from Hevea Brasiliensis trees, which creates a durable, biodegradable and breathable cushioning base. And as for the filler how about organic certified cotton batting and/or organic certified wool to fill the mattress for their natural insulating properties, helping us to stay cool during summer and warm during the winter months. Pro tip: If you’re vegan then skip the wool, both options very sustainable.
You can take the same approach when it comes to your pillows as well, as traditional foam pillows produce VOCs and harmful chemicals, while down and polyfill hurt our animal friends and can use petrochemicals which harm the environment. Plus, over time, traditional pillows also lose their form and start to break down, becoming uncomfortable, flat and lumpy.
Nowadays you can even find eco-friendly pillowcases and other bedding options. Sheets and covers that have been certified organic by organizations like GOTS or USDA and fair trade are the best way to go. This will ensure that the people involved in the manufacture of your products have been paid and treated fairly.
Improve your air quality
According to EPA, the air inside our homes can be two to five times more polluted than the air outside. This is significant, considering that we spend more than a quarter of the day inside our rooms, so the quality of our air can make a big impact on how it makes us feel and on our surroundings.
A big step towards breathing healthier is to invest in an air purifier. The best options are the ones with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration, which strips the air of even the most minuscule of impurities, even pollen, and smog. Another important factor is the square footage indication on your air purifier to make sure that it is fully equipped to clear your entire room space. A good example is from RabbitAir, which can be wall-mounted to save on space and clean up to 700 square feet.
Green Light
Saving on energy is another way to take care of the planet and even your pocket, and it’s not hard to see electric greening opportunities within the bedroom. LED lights are a perfect way to start the move from traditional incandescent bulbs and fixtures and are also great for bedtime reading.
It may seem more expensive at first, but LED bulbs use anywhere between 25% to 80% less energy compared to the traditional incandescent bulbs and can last around 25 times longer, saving you not just money and energy but also time, since you no longer have to replace the bulbs every time they burn-out.