Curtains are often an afterthought when styling your interior spaces, but the right window treatment can honestly bring the entire room together — or add the perfect unexpected accent. The importance of choosing sustainable curtains is equally important in my opinion for several reasons, too.

Why does choosing sustainable curtains even matter?

Toxic Chemicals:

As with any other type of textile, the curtain market is full of plastic curtains made and treated with toxic chemicals. Vinyl curtains are among the worst culprits as they’re typically made from PVC. Research has shown that these PVC curtains contain toxic chemicals like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) phthalates, and organotins.

And sometimes you can feel the impact: when my husband and I moved into our home, the previous owners had left their curtains. At first, we thought: score! Free curtains. But then the rooms that had windows with full sun kept reeking of burning plastic. My husband would complain of headaches when he was in his office (one of said full-sun rooms). At first, he thought it was all the computer hardware, but as someone who’s written about sustainable fashion and home for a decade, I had a feeling it was the curtains. Sure enough, the second we removed the curtains, the burning plastic smell was gone as were the headaches.

Materials:

The vast majority of curtains are made from synthetic fabrics like polyester. In other words, plastic. In fact when we went shopping for curtains at our local hardware stores, we found that 100% — and I am not exaggerating here — of the options sold on the floor were 100% polyester. Not only is this an unsustainable material, but I do not want the heat of the sun hitting plastic fabric in my house all day long (see above for why!).

Labor Issues

Just as fast fashion is often made in exploitative conditions, home textiles are just as likely to be produced in manufacturing facilities with little transparency by workers earning low wages, working long hours. Sweatshops, child labor, and even forced labor are a reality in the home goods industry as well.

So, what are sustainable curtains?

Sustainable curtains will ideally address these various issues. While every curtain has to be made by human makers from fiber, dyes, and other inputs, all of those elements can be more considered.

Materials:

When it comes to sustainable materials, I look for natural fibers first and foremost. Of course not all natural fibers are low impact, but linen and hemp tend to require fewer resources to grow than cotton. Certified organic cotton can be a better alternative that does not use synthetic pesticides or herbicides for production. That doesn’t mean conventional cotton is “bad” — a lot depends on how that cotton was farmed — but it’s a consideration to keep in mind. I would still always choose cotton over polyester, which releases microplastics when washed.

Dyes and Chemicals:

Most dyes today are also made from petroleum. (It’s depressing, I know.) But there are some brands prioritizing natural, organic dyes for their products — including a few in this guide!

You can identify if a product was potentially made with toxic finishes if the product description says something like “wrinkle free” or “stain resistant”. Water or stain-repellent products can contain PFAS (also called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment or in your body).

This information isn’t always disclosed and frankly, the majority of dyes even from brands using natural fibers are synthetic. So I’d suggest looking for the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certification which tests for over 1,000 hazardous and harmful chemicals. A product made with synthetic fibers and synthetic dyes can still hold this certification — it does not mean a product is natural — but it can be an assurance against avoiding the most widely known toxic chemicals in textiles.

Ethical Production:

This one is pretty straightforward. Were the people making these curtains treated fairly and paid well?

To ensure this, I look to see if the brand offers transparency into their production. Are they making the curtains themselves? Do they make the curtains in their own studio or production house? If they outsource production, how do they ensure fair wages and safe conditions, and reasonable working hours? One way this is done is through the Fair Trade Certifiedcertification. While no certification is perfect, this is an added assurance that the facility where that product was made upheld good conditions for workers, and that workers earned a fair wage.

Another approach, particularly for small businesses, is close partnerships with artisan cooperatives. In these arrangements, the cooperatives often set the prices to the brands, giving them financial agency in their work. That doesn’t mean artisan partnerships are always ethical, though. I still like to see transparency into what that relationship is like between designer or brand and artisan.

If you’re thinking: wow, that’s a lot to look for! Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. I researched and vetted dozens of brands to curate the best of the best for ethical and sustainable curtains. These brands use fair practices, source sustainably, craft with quality, and have beautiful designs, too.

Where to Find Sustainable and Fair Trade Curtains

Note that this guide includes affiliates. As always, all brands featured meet rigorous sustainability criteria and are brands we love — and that we think you’ll love too!

1. Ichcha

Best for: artisan handmade curtains

Many curtains say “handmade”, but what makes Ichcha special is that each curtain is not just sewn by hand but printed by hand using carved wooden blocks and dyed by hand with natural dyes in Rajasthan, India. Natural doesn’t mean dull though — the brand’s collection is full of vibrant hues.

In short: the craftsmanship behind Ichcha is the real deal. Just keep in mind that with the handcrafted nature of these products, there will be slight variations in products.

Conscious Qualities: Natural Dyes, 100% Cotton, Artisan Handmade

Price Range: $54 – $86

Shop Ichcha

2. Magic Linen

Best for: high-quality 100% linen curtains

I purchased a set of Magic Linen curtains for my home a few years ago and was quite impressed with the weightiness of the brand’s stonewashed linen curtains. The color facing the full sun window has faded, which is to be expected with lower impact dyes, so we just keep the faded side facing outwards.

MagicLinen makes all of their linen products to order locally in Lithuania in-house, minimizing waste throughout production, and shipping products in compostable packaging.

Conscious Qualities: 100% Linen, In-House Production, Made to Order, Compostable Packaging

Price Range: $55 – $217

Shop Magic Linen

3. GreenRow

Best for: curtains with vintage-inspired prints

If you haven’t heard of GreenRow, you likely will soon. Part of the Williams-Sonoma network of brands, GreenRow was founded as a furniture and home company of exclusively sustainably-sourced pieces.

Their vibrant patterned curtains are among my favorite for their cozy meets vintage chic vibes. The natural fiber curtains are mostly linen/cotton blends, and several options are OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified and Fair Trade Certified. (Check each product’s description.)

Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified and Fair Trade Certifiedoptions

Price Range: $129 – $559

Shop GreenRow

4. Linenistic

Best for: organic fiber curtains

Linenistic is one of the few curtain brands out there that has curtains made from GOTS-certified organic linen. The natural medium-weight curtains come in dozens of colors and customizable lengths and widths.

Styles include everything from Japanese Noren curtains and European-style café curtains to piped edge linen drapes and tie-up curtains ideal for a kitchen. You can also add on ruffles (a touch I love!) or add a second color if you choose.

Conscious Qualities: GOTS-Certified Organic Linen, Natural Dyes, Made to Order

Price Range: $35 – $128

Shop Linenistic

5. Rawganique

Best for: non-toxic curtains

If finding all-natural curtains is important to you, I’d steer you towards Rawganique. The brand not only uses top of the line sustainably-sourced materials like organic hemp and organic linen for the curtains, but even the thread is cotton, which from my experience in this industry, I know is quite rare. Further, the brand uses exclusively biodegradable organic dyes or leaves their curtains undyed for a natural look.

Rawganique also has the only fully plastic-free blackout curtain that I’ve seen on the market.

Conscious Qualities: Organic Fabrics, Non-Toxic Dyes & Finishes, In-House Production

Price Range: $79 – $249

Shop Rawganique

6. West Elm Fair Trade Certified

Best for: fair trade curtains

Home retailer West Elm has a sizable selection of Fair Trade Certifiedcurtains in plenty of pretty prints from floral to gingham. (My favorites are from the Emma Chamberlain collection.) If neutral solids are more your style, West Elm has plenty of more basic fair trade curtains as well.

Many of their curtains are made of 100% cotton or 100% linen and STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® Certified as well. (Though not all of them, so you may want to double check the product description if natural fibers are a priority for you.)

Conscious Qualities: Made in Fair Trade Certified facilities, Natural Fiber Options

Price Range: $39 – $838

Shop West Elm

7. Linden Studio

Best for: customizable linen curtains

Run by a sister duo who have long been passionate about designing and crafting, Linden Studio is a shop creating made to order goods from 100% European linen in their Maryland studio. Among their curtain collection, you’ll find unique detailing like ruffles and pompoms. While pictured all in white, the brand has 12 different colors like cinnamon and terracotta to choose from.

What really makes this option stand out to me though is their custom sewing services — you can send them unused fabric you already picked out. Or if you want to remake old curtains or bedding, you can contact them for a custom quote.

Conscious Qualities: 100% Linen, Made-to-Order, Ethically Made

Price Range: $79 – $164

Shop Linden Studio

You May Also Want to Check Out

Ethical Home Decor Brands to Curate a Conscious Space

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Eco Friendly and Ethical Throw Pillows for Every Aesthetic

The post Fair Trade and Eco-Friendly Curtains to Accent Your Space Sustainably appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.

Fair Trade and Eco-Friendly Curtains to Accent Your Space Sustainably