How can You Make Your Bedroom Eco- Friendly?

Updated: Sep 25, 2020

You might wonder who would benefit from having your bedroom Eco-friendly. The answer is simple - you and the Planet. We can all make those small changes and make our bedroom a healthier place to be. In this article, we will go from understanding what makes a bedroom Eco- friendly, through what materials are good, where to source the decor and finally decorate your bedroom in no time.

How to Make Your Bedroom More Eco- friendly

It has never been easier to find an Eco-friendly solution to certain decor pieces and all thanks to an increasing number of companies who support the greener Planet (take a look at the article - Eco-friendly Home Decor Brands you Should Know).

Things you can change in your bedroom whether you are renting or have your own place:

Choose an Eco- friendly bedding - made from organic cotton, bamboo, organic linen , hemp or eucalyptus.
Change your light bulbs - to halogen incandescent, LED or CFL.
Eco-friendly Curtains - made from organic cotton, linen or stone washed linen.
Use natural paint - designed to have lower levels of volatile organic chemicals. It doesn’t contain airborne chemicals or gases that will harm your health.
Eco - friendly furniture - made from recycled wood, glass and iron, or bamboo.
Bring in the greenery - know as the best natural air purifiers, plants like English ivy, Mother-in-law's Tongue, Chrysanthemum, Spider plant, Aloe Vera and etc.
Choose mattress wisely - the foam should be free from harmful chemicals, as well as low on VOCs. They are usually made from materials such as natural latex, organic wool, organic cotton and coils made from upcycled steel.
Non-toxic floor (if you have a chance) - use materials like real hardwood, polished concrete, tile, bamboo or cork.

What Materials are Eco-friendly

If you are not sure what is good for the environment, one of the things to consider - using recycled materials always causes less environmental impact than the new ones. Simply by using what's already out there, you would be giving a material a second use and a new life."Eco-materials are defined as those materials that enhance environmental improvement throughout the whole life cycle while maintaining accountable performance" (Halada and Yamamoto 2001).

Materials that are good for you and the environment:

Recycled steel - eliminates the huge amount of energy, waste and emissions when extracting the iron ore, coal and limestone used for creating the material. For example, creating a steel can from recycled material uses 75% less energy than producing items from its raw form (source).
Sheep's wool - it is a sustainable and quickly renewable resource.
Plant-Based Polyurethane Rigid Foam - it is manufactured from materials like kelp, hemp, and bamboo and it has its use in insulation and furniture.
Reclaimed wood - by using reclaimed wood you decrease the demand for new source.
Bamboo - it grows back quickly within only 3-5 years. It is 100% biodegradable, antibacterial and Eco-friendly if not chemically processed.
Hempcrete or Hemplime - combines hemp shiv, lime and water to create a concrete-like material that is strong, durable, flexible, breathable, mould-proof and fire resistant. Hempcrete homes are carbon-negative, they take more CO2 out of the atmosphere than put in during both construction and the lifetime of the building (source ).
Cork - the cork tree is not cut down to obtain cork, only the bark is stripped to harvest the cork and the tree continues to grow.
Straw bales - take little energy to manufacture and it is renewable material. Straw is used often as bedding.
Organic Cotton - it is grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or other chemical fertilisers. It has a huge benefit to your health as well as the environment.
Felt - is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibres together. It is a low-impact and completely biodegradable material. It has its use in making drapes and furniture.
Jute - it grows quickly, between 4-6 months. It is an efficient source of renewable material similarly to bamboo - jute absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen much faster than trees (used often for rugs).