As you curate or redesign your evening sanctuary, you may be wanting to limit your exposure to VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other potentially toxic chemicals. The EPA reports that many VOCs are 2-5 times higher indoors than outdoors, and that these VOCs are widely used in household products, including furnishings. Thus the need for this guide to non-toxic bedroom furniture companies!
Why Non-Toxic Bedroom Furniture Matters
The EPA states that they “from an indoor health perspective”, they have “no authority to regulate household products”, which is concerning to say the least.
That said, the EPA does have the authority to regulate on certain chemical substances in the Toxic Substances Control Act which has protected us from chemicals like asbestos and lead-based paint.
And after California Air Resources Board issues requirements, the EPA released formaldehyde emissions standards for composite wood products, as formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen. (The standards lower the maximum formaldehyde emissions a composite wood product can have, but does not require the emissions to be zero.)
Many states have their own regulations around VOCs. I won’t bore you with the details, but you may want to search for your own state’s stance on VOCs.
All this to say, while there is some regulation around toxic chemicals in our products the standards still allow for many toxic chemicals in what we bring into our home, like furniture.
What is Sustainable and Non-Toxic Bedroom Furniture?
I know it can be overwhelming to find out that there is relatively little control over the chemicals that are allowed to enter our home. This is why it’s essential to advocate for better consumer products regulation that actually protect our health. And, if you’re looking for companies that are taking environmental and human safety seriously, there are several non-toxic bedroom furniture brands doing so.
Here is some of the criteria I looked for when making this list.
Solid Wood is a Safer Bet
Composite wood products must be stuck together, and that’s typically done with glue that contains formaldehyde. There are some companies making composite wood products with more sustainable alternatives, but I would recommend either sticking to solid wood or looking for an explicit explanation of the alternative glue being used. (Ideally the composite wood product would also be tested by a third party. More on that in a moment.)
In terms of sustainability, look for wood that is reclaimed or responsibly sourced from well-managed forests and at the very least, not coming from old-growth or endangered forests.
Unfinished or Low VOC Finishes
Most wood furniture is finished with some type of finish. These can be natural oil finishes like linseed oil or they may also be polyurethane (plastic material). Generally natural oils and water-based finishes are recognized as emitting lower levels of VOCs. And I’m always a fan of avoiding fossil-fuel products where I can.
Some of the brands on this list even have unfinished wood options, which would be the safest bet.
Natural (or Even Organic) Materials
Synthetic fibers make up 64% of global fiber production. In other words, the majority of fabrics we see today — whether in clothes, home textiles, or upholstered furniture — are either fully or partially synthetic.
Look for materials like natural latex, organic cotton, and linen in your non-toxic bedroom furniture. Even natural materials often are colored with synthetic dyes, but we’re doing the best we can!
Third Party Certifications
To be clear, no certification is going to be perfect but there are several certifying parties adding an extra layer of protection to non-toxic related claims.
GOTS: Global Organic Textile Standard
As is in the name, GOTS is a standard for organic textile processing and certifies the entire supply chain of a textile. It can be used to certify fiber products like fabrics, clothes and mattresses.
GOLS: Global Organic Latex Standard
This standard certifies products, like mattresses, that are made from organic natural rubber latex.
GREENGUARD Gold
This is a globally recognized certification from the Greenguard Environmental Institute that verifies products for low emissions of VOCs indoors.
FSC-Certified: Forest Stewardship Council
The FSC certifies wood and other forest products to ensure that they come from forests meeting certain environmental and social standards.
Where to Find Sustainable and Non-Toxic Bedroom Furniture
With those considerations top of mind, I’ve curated my top picks for sustainably-crafted furniture (and mattresses) for your bedroom.
1. Avocado
Categories: Mattresses, Crib Mattress, Kids Mattress, Beds, Bedding, Nightstands, Dressers
Highlights: GOTS and GOLS Certified USA Mattress Factory, FSC-Certified USA Woodshop, GREENGUARD Gold Certified Products
Avocado was first founded as a green mattress company, making GOTS-certified organic non-toxic mattresses that meet STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® standards. The brand has since expanded into bedding and furniture with the same high standards, using sustainably sourced wood, organic fabrics, and zero VOC finishes.
2. Savvy Rest
Categories: Beds, Mattresses, Pillows
Highlights: Organic & Natural Materials, Zero VOC Finishes, Unfinished Option, USA-Made
Savvy Rest uses the best of the best when it comes to eco and non-toxic bedroom furniture and mattress materials. The beds are made from Appalachian wood in Virginia and finished with zero VOC linseed oil, zero-VOC stain or can be left unfinished.
The mattresses are made in a GOTS-certified facility with GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) certified natural latex, certified organic wool and certified organic cotton.
*Use code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20 for 20% off all products on Savvy Rest
3. Medley
Categories: Beds, Mattress, Dressers, Nightstands, Accent Chairs, Benches + Ottomans
Highlights: FSC-Certified Wood, GOLS-Certified Latex, USA-Made
Medley’s specialty is contemporary sustainable and non-toxic furniture. Their eco-friendly bedroom furniture is made with responsibly-sourced wood, organic natural latex, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100-certified wool, and zero-VOC finishes. The brand also carries a mattress made in Illinois from 100% GOLS-certified latex.
4. Birch
Categories: Mattresses, Kids Mattress, Beds, Bedding
Highlights: GOTS-Certified Factory, Fair Trade Certified Factory, GREENGUARD Gold-Certified Products
With “Best Organic Mattress” awards from outlets like CNN and Forbes, Birch’s popular mattress is made with quality natural materials like organic cotton, organic wool, and natural latex. Birch’s foundation is made with spruce hardwood and organic cotton; note that their bed frame’s upholstery option is polyester (plastic) fabric, so I would avoid that variant due to sustainability concerns.
5. Cisco Home @ Urban Natural
Categories: Beds, Dressers, Nightstands, Accent Chairs + Sofas, Benches + Ottomans
Highlights: Sustainable Furnishing Council Founding Member, FSC-Certified Wood, Organic Material Options, USA Made,
Cisco Home’s “Inside Green” collection is your ticket to sustainable and non-toxic bedroom furniture. When you select this option on their products — from upholstered beds to benches — your selection will be made to order with FSC-certified wood, jute, hemp, organic latex, organic cotton and wool.
6. Healthier Homes
Categories: Accent Chairs, Lighting, Dressers + Nightstands, Storage + Shelving, Bedding, Rugs, Paint + Wallpaper
Highlights: Solid Hardwood Furniture, Natural Fabrics, Vets for Non-Toxic Materials
Founded by the “world’s first healthy home builders” Jenny and Rusty are on a mission to make non-toxic natural furnishings more easily accessible to their community. Healthier Homes is a destination for all things non-toxic home, including furniture, decor, home textiles, and even paint.
7. Thuma
Categories: Bed, Dresser, Shelving, Bedside Tables, Mattress, Bedding, Rugs
Highlights: Upcycled Solid Rubberwood, GREENGUARD Gold-Certified Products
Everything Thuma sells is thoughtfully designed with functionality top of mind. Thuma’s dresser is modular and adaptable to varying needs with 7 different configurations (including a bedside table). The bed’s pieces are also configurable — buy just a bed frame or add on a headboard and/or cushion knowing that everything is designed to work together seamlessly.
8. My Green Mattress
Categories: Mattresses, Kids Mattresses, Crib Mattress, Bed Frames, Bedding
Highlights: GOTS + GOLS Certified Mattresses, USA Made, Zero Wood Stains
The certified organic mattresses from My Green Mattress are all made in their own factory in Illinois. These quality mattresses come with a year-long sleep trial and 20-year warranty so you can rest easy about your purchase. The Amish-made platform bed is made with the same commitments and is left unfinished with zero wood stains.
9. Natural Home by the Futon Shop
Categories: Mattresses, Beds, Futons, Dressers & Bedside Tables, Bedding
Highlights: Organic Materials, Solid Wood Options, Zero VOC Finish Options
If you’re looking for a non-toxic futon frame or sofa bed mattress, The Futon Shop is just your place. The retailer offers organic cotton, natural Dunlop latex, and natural wool mattresses for both sofa beds and regular beds. Many of their futons and platform beds are made with solid wood. Look for the options like this one that say “Chemical Free” or “Natural” for non-toxic bed frames finished with linseed oil only.
More Furniture Guides:
15 Best Non-Toxic Furniture Brands for a Healthier Home
11 Eco-Friendly and Non-Toxic Beds for a Sustainable Slumber
7 Best Places for Sustainable and Non-Toxic Nightstands
The post 9 Sustainable Non-Toxic Bedroom Furniture Companies for a Safer Sleep appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
9 Sustainable Non-Toxic Bedroom Furniture Companies for a Safer Sleep
Thoreau wrote in Walden that “Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in,” which reminds us that life is short and nature fills it beautifully. What are you looking for that can’t be found during an afternoon in nature?
Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click the poster to get a larger image.
The post Earth911 Inspiration: Time Is but the Stream appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-time-is-but-the-stream/
Green Living
Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action
Turn back the clock with this classic interview that will get you ready for Spring yard care planning. A lawn may be beautiful but it can take a heavy toll on the environment, accounting for between 30% and 60% of residential water use in the United States. Rob Moir, Ph.D., is president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ORI works with residential lawn owners to heal damaged ecosystems by restoring coastal areas to lessen the destructive impacts of climate change. The benefits of a natural lawn reach far beyond reduced local water pollution, eliminating chemicals that can contribute to cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other cellular diseases. Natural lawns are also better for local pollinators and store much more carbon than heavily fertilized lawns. If you considered removing your lawn to play a part in the battle against climate change, this interview may change your mind — a healthy lawn is a powerful carbon sink.
The Ocean River Institute is recruiting Massachusetts communities, town by town, to take a pledge to follow natural lawn practices in the Healthy Soils for Climate Restoration Challenge. You don’t need to live in Massachusetts to participate and learn about the alternatives to the traditional, chemical-intensive lawn practices that use Roundup, a source of glyphosates that kills soil-dwelling fungi and local pollinators, and fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers. You can learn more about the Ocean River Institute at www.oceanriver.org.
Rob has contributed many articles about climate change and the history of environmental change since this interview, including:
- Finding a Northwest Passage to the Sea
- Turning the Tide—How Land and Water Shape Our Climate Future
- Learning from Captain Scoresby’s Ten-gallon Fir-Cask
- Earth Savvy?
- Let the Ground Keep Falling Rainwater
- The Sultans of Swag Versus Looking at Clouds from Both Sides Now
- Subscribe to Sustainability in Your Ear on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.
- Follow Sustainability in Your Ear on Spreaker, iHeartRadio, or YouTube
Editor’s Note: This episode originally aired on May 30, 2022.
The post Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/podcast/earth911-podcast-the-ocean-river-institutes-natural-lawn-challenge-for-climate-action/
Choosing your perfect gown can be one of the most exciting decisions for your special day, but for the eco fashionista, it can be a challenge to find a dress that fits your values and style — but these brands have exceptional sustainable wedding dresses you’ll swoon over!
Using earth-minded materials like hemp, cruelty-free peace silk, deadstock recycled fabrics and vintage lace, and producing consciously, either in small batches or handcrafting each individual piece made-to-order, the brands below meet high standards for transparency, ecological sustainability, and fair labor.
[For more sustainable wedding dresses, check out this guide to secondhand wedding dress sites!]
Note that the guide contains affiliate links. As always, we only feature brands that meet strict criteria for sustainability we love, that we think you’ll love too!
1. Christy Dawn
Dreamy dress brand Christy Dawn does not disappoint with their romantic bridal collection! Each piece is more swoon-worthy than the next.
Their three sustainable bridal gowns are made from regenerative silk charmeuse —sourced through BOMBYX, an innovative silk producer using best practices — and colored in a beautiful pearl silk with non-toxic dyes. Each dress is ethically cut and sewn by makers in Los Angeles earning living wages, as with the rest of Christy Dawn’s collections.
The Britta Dress and Fitzgerald Dress are 1920s inspired while the Athena Dress is a more modern (but equally romantic) option. All of these dresses are made-to-order with an estimated timeline of 4 weeks.
Conscious Qualities: Regenerative silk and organic non-toxic dyes, ethically made-to-order in Los Angeles
Price Range: $2,500 – $3,000
Size Range: XS – XL
2. Pure Magnolia
Blending the traditional with the modern, Pure Magnolia designs classic-inspired sustainable wedding dresses with contemporary touches. And each dress is made in their Canadian studio by seamstresses earning fair wages from eco-fabrics, such as organic cotton and hemp silk.
The brand sources recycled fabrics whenever possible as well, and recycles their scrap fabric through FABCYCLE.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, locally and fairly made, recycles scrap fabrics
Price Range: $845 – $3,300 CAD
Size Range: 0 – 28
3. Lost in Paris
Lost in Paris crafts each of their creatively designed bohemian-inspired gowns ethically in their Sydney, Australia studio. Unconventional yet undeniably striking, Lost in Paris’ dresses are made from vintage lace and cotton.
Investing in a dress from Lost in Paris is seamless — the brand offers at-home sample try-ons, offers train and sleeve adjustments on several styles, ships their dresses worldwide for free, and even accepts returns. Oh, and, if one of their ready-made sizes doesn’t work for you, you can get a dress designed to your measurements.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses vintage lace, locally made
Price Range: $950 – $3900 AUD
Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing options
For More Slow Fashion Content:
4. Wear Your Love
Wear Your Love creates feminine, effortless dresses in their Northern California studio that are — in contrast to the majority of wedding dresses on the market — actually comfortable! The brand’s free-spirited designs are made with soft, earth-minded fabrics like organic cotton and each dress is made to order for each bride to their exact measurements.
There are also customizations available for each eco-friendly wedding dress such as train or no train, skirt or sleeve linings, back coverage, skirt style, and more.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model, locally and transparently made
Price Range: $680 – $1,700
Size Range: N/A; dresses are made to your measurements
5. Larimeloom
Based in Reggio Emilia, Italy, Larimeloom crafts exceptional custom-made dresses by hand in their atelier. The brand creates comfortable minimalist dresses from durable natural fabrics and colors them with natural or non-toxic dyes.
Larimeloom has also implemented zero waste design techniques, cutting their patterns strategically in order to minimize fabric waste.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, zero-waste designs, natural fabrics and dyes
Price Range: 650€ – 2,650€
Size Range: XS – XL
6. Sister Organics
Sourcing quality earth-friendly natural fabrics like organic hemp and cotton, Sister Organics creates classic, eco-friendly wedding dresses for UK-based brides.
Each dress is made to order in England, so you can select a pre-defined size, customize the length of a size, or get an entirely different dress made for your measurements.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model
Price Range: £125 – £390
Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing
7. Indiebride London
Indiebride’s vintage-inspired sustainable wedding dresses are delicate and romantic yet free-spirited, offering a unique collection for the bride that wants to skip the conventional wedding gown and choose a piece that fits their individual style.
The brand’s conscious wedding dresses are handmade in London using majority natural fibers and can be altered or customized to your specifications.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses many natural fabrics, locally made
Price Range: £1,200 – £1,700
Size Range: 8 – 16 (UK sizes)
More Resources For Your Eco Wedding:
10 Secondhand Wedding Dress Sites for the Eco Bride
7 Ethical Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement and Wedding Rings
17 Brands with Conscious Dresses (great options for bridesmaid dresses in here!)
The post 7 Best Sustainable Wedding Dresses for Your Special Day appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
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