Image: istockphoto.com/Sandy Jones
With everything our bodies face on a daily basis, shouldn't we try and surround ourselves with the best and healthiest pillows, sheets and blankets we can find. Recycled products, sustainable cotton and organic materials all make for a good night's rest.
Cast-offs reborn
Recycled sweaters provide Suze Katz, founder of Somethings Cozy the pieces she needs to create one-of-a-kind-blankets, hand-crafted quilts and comfy pillows. Suze turned her needle-point hobby into a cozy business opportunity using cast-off sweaters, "I love the concept of taking something old like a sweater and giving it a new lease on life in the form of a blanket. The process of making the blanket, working with the different textures and colours is my creative outlet. In the end, each one has its own unique character," says Katz. Everything from baby blankets to queen-size bedspreads is unique and made by hand. Now you can wrap yourself in warmth and sleep well knowing you did something good for the planet.
No landfill for these blankies or pillows
Looolo Textiles scoured the globe for two years searching for certified organic materials for their interior furnishing line. Using kapok, a fiber from the Malaysian Rainforest and Climatex Lifecycle yarns and felt from Switzerland, these blakets are available in a full range of colours. Launched in 2004, founder Joanna Notkin's line also features buckwheat cushions and floor pillows in a variety of colours. Not only are these blankets made from materials that are free of toxic chemicals and hazardous by-products, you can even throw them in the compost bin at the end of it's life and they'll biodegrade within one year, although we could never imagine parting with ours!
For minus-zero weather
Blue Lotus Outdoor Blankets are made with soft durable fleece and a water-resistant nylon backing, perfect for lounging in the fresh air. Made exclusively with Fortrel EcoSpun, a fiber produced entirely from one-hundred per cent post-consumer recycled plastic. EcoSpun reduces the burden on the world's landfills and natural resources, and provides a viable end-use for recycled post-consumer PET containers. A popular choice not only because of its environmental benefits, this low-pill fabric meets industry standards for strength, shrinkage, and color fastness and can be made to order with custom embroidery.
New York designer Marlo Lorenz, who created the luxurious Thro line has launched her first bamboo blanket (80% reconstituted bamboo, 20% cotton). This lightweight and breathable fabric offers a warm material that is resistant to germs and bacteria. It comes in a variety colours including a soft, neutral beige.
For under the blanket
Created in 1996, Under the Canopy has made it their mission to create sustainable product line using the Earth's resources in an eco-friendly manner. Organic home products include sheets, pillowcases, duvets and towels that are high-quality and stylish.
COYUCHI (ko-yoo-che) is the Mexican-Spanish name for the naturally occurring brown cotton used for centuries by Native Americans. COYUCHI sheets and blankets are made from handpicked certified organically grown cotton. Sheets with a 300 thread count are available in an assortment of eco-friendly fabrics in standard bed sizes. The ultimate in luxury and coziness, COYUCHI one-hundred per cent organic cotton jacquard woven blankets can be used for all seasons. Free of solvents and resins, the natural softness of the organic fiber is all there is between you and a great night's sleep!
Jennifer Sgro is the fashion editor for Green Living Magazine.
Green Living Network
