Buying an Eco-Friendly Pillow Insert

When you take action to create a healthy and earth-friendly home spending time to research and evaluate the pieces you welcome into your home is essential. Thoughtful purchases are the cornerstone of living in an earth-friendly and intentional way not just because of the materials you buy, but because you are buying fewer high-quality pieces that truly will meet your needs for the long haul.

This focus on thoughtful consumption takes us to the simple pillow insert. While a pillow insert may appear to be a “no brainer” it is a surprisingly complex purchase! Here is our take on how to find the best pillow insert for your home.

Pass on the Petroleums
It seems obvious, but if the pillow isn’t stuffed with a natural material just say no! Synthetic fibers like polyester may be attractive for their low price point, but in the end, they look cheap and they have a short life cycle because. Polyester inserts quickly become bunched and lumpy—and no one wants that!

When polyester pillow inserts head the landfill they really become problematic. A polyester pillow insert which is made from ethylene glycol (a petroleum derivative) and terephthalic acid isn’t biodegradable so it can take up to 200 years to decompose.

Birds of a Feather
When people want an earth-friendly insert they initially think down. Certainly, a pillow made from natural soft goose down would be environmentally friendly. What could be more natural then feathers from a goose? Well, have you ever thought about how these feathers are acquired? Let’s face it, it’s not pretty. We won’t regale you with tales of animal cruelty, but unless you know the down is ethically sourced just walk away.

The home industry is making some real strides in trying to meet consumer’s new elevated awareness of the ethical consequences of down and some companies like Re-Down are offering down that has been ethically sourced or recycled. If you feel confident in your ethical-down source it’s a great option, just be aware that down does flatten out quite easily requiring constant fluffing and plumping.

Three Baas for Wool Inserts!!
Organic wool pillow inserts check all the boxes for comfort, biodegradability, and ethical sourcing. Wool pillows maintain a freshness because they are resistant to mold and dust mites and there is something so lovely about a pillow stuffed with naturally fluffy organic wool. The wool feels amazing and it holds its shape beautifully. Wool is also a renewable resource since all that is required to harvest it is a quick sheering and then the wool can naturally grow back.

Shop our pillows and organic wool pillow inserts here.