Linen and Bedding

Humans have used a variety of materials for bedding since the days when cavemen put branches and leaves down to sleep on. Eventually covered with animal skins, these bedding materials blocked the cold of the cave floor and created a softer bed than the hard ground. The principles of materials that provide protection from the cold ground and comfort from its hardness have been universal in the development of human bedding. With the development of higher levels of culture, bedding materials were also made with elegance that gave warmth, romance, and esthetic pleasure.

Beds have traditionally been made from a wide range of organic and inorganic materials such as wood, metal, rock, rope that have differing ecological impacts. Modern beds can contribute to forest destruction when made from nonsustainable wood, or they may be upholstered with textiles that can be toxic when discarded. It is possible to create a more ecofriendly bedding environment. Beds can be made with reclaimed or recycled materials, with certified sustainable wood, or rapidly renewable materials like bamboo, rattan, or straw and wheat-based particleboard. Consumers can seek out beds made with natural latex rubber, low-VOC paints and stains, and nontoxic fabrics. Buying used or antique furniture keeps usable items out of landfills, while often saving the consumer money as well.

Bed frames hold mattresses and use hard steel coil springs (recyclable) as the cushioning material for comfortable sleep. Mattress covers can be synthetic, but are often a blend of natural and synthetic fabric that will resist absorbing odors or harboring pathogenic organisms. The use of synthetics can reduce the presence of germs or insects that are attracted to natural fibers, but there is a health and environmental tradeoff in using these synthetic materials, as many are processed with harsh chemicals.

Bed sheets, pillow covers, and other bedding or bath textiles are called “linens,” even when they are made of cotton, hemp, synthetic, or other nonflax fibers. Flax is usually woven to a very high thread count, which creates a fabric with a fine feel (“hand”). Bed linens and blankets continue to be made from wool, cotton or synthetic blends. Comforters may be filled with artificial fibers that create insulating dead air spaces, or may use down or feathers as the insulating material. Eco-fi, a polyester fiber made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, is also used as stuffing in pillows and comforters.

Because it is a natural fiber that is also a renewable resource, green consumers can also purchase flax products to reduce their carbon impact. Cotton has traditionally been produced on farms that use large amounts of water, as well as chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Although linen is usually a much greener choice, cotton is also grown organically. According to the Organic Trade Association, organic cotton has a low environmental impact. They state that “organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically [Page 287]diverse agriculture.” Organic cotton is grown without using pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, and no genetically engineered seeds can be used. The total acres of organic cotton planted increased 152 percent during the 2007–08 crop season.

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