The Clever Guide to the Best Eco-Friendly Products for Your Bedroom

When it comes to the environment, organically grown eucalyptus plants have an even smaller impact than organically sourced cotton. An eucalyptus crop requires 10 times less water than cotton to grow, and because eucalyptus is cut and not uprooted, it continues to grow next season without new planting. Companies like Buffy are creating eucalyptus sheets and comforters in a closed-loop system that are Oeko-Tex and dyed with pomegranate, more eucalyptus, and tea, further reducing the environmental effect of bleach and chemical dyes. Due to the way it’s manufactured, all eucalyptus bedding is technically Tencel, but not all Tencel is eucalyptus. Most products that are made of just eucalyptus will be branded as such, whereas Tencel can be made from a mix of fibers, but just to be on the safe side it’s good to double-check!There’s only one drawback. For eco-conscious sleepers who are also cost-conscious shoppers, the $200 price tag for a set of queen-size sheets or the $445 they would have to shell out for a duvet filler may be concerning. But don’t fret. There’s an eco-friendly option for everyone.Now if you’re playing plant word association and wondering about bamboo, here’s the quick and not-so-dirty rundown: While bamboo is an eco-friendly resource, the process of making bamboo linen is not. More chemicals go into the production of bamboo sheets than of eucalyptus, so, cost permitting, opt for eucalyptus.Organic LatexLike so many other natural bedding materials, on its face, organic latex seems to be a bit of a paradox. Latex makes us think of rubber bands, gloves, even trendy red carpet dresses, not eco-friendly bedding.Actually, the organic latex used in mattresses is made from certified rubber sap and poured into molds to make a firm foam that fills mattresses. The properties of organic latex make it naturally mold-, mildew-, bacteria-, and dust-resistant—a relief to anyone who has ever watched the late-night news investigations about all the different debris collecting in our mattresses, making us sick.Organic latex mattresses aren’t incredibly expensive. Options at Avocado Green start around $1,000. Organic latex pillows are also hitting the market, offering up eco-friendly support for your weary head.A Few More TipsWhy you might want to opt for an organic mattress…First things first: We spend a third of our lives asleep, and we’re supposed to be replacing our mattresses every 10 years. This means that we’re constantly being exposed to whatever chemicals, or Sriracha chicken ramen stains, or microscopic bacteria that reside in our mattresses, year after year. Gross, but even grosser when we name some of those chemicals—polyurethane, formaldehyde, and petroleum-based compounds like styrene and butadiene. These chemicals have been reported to cause health problems from tumors to hearing loss and depression.Why you might want to try recycled materials…The benefit of recycled bedding is that it has no additional impact on the environment, but that doesn’t mean you have to sleep beneath Aunt Deborah’s 30-year-old floral comforter to be responsible.Some eco-friendly bedding companies fill their comforters with polyester created from recycled water bottles, or create membership programs that allow members to upcycle their used bedding when they receive new products. And if that type of recycling isn’t hard-core enough, quilting is the ultimate recycling project. Urban Outfitters even sells quilts made from vintage fabrics.We hope that this has taken some of the mystery out of shopping responsibly for your bedroom and you can rest easy knowing that you made an informed choice!


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