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Buying Guide - Blankets and Comforters

From the Green Guide

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THE PROBLEMS

When cuddling up under a new blanket or comforter, it's difficult to imagine that the comfort it provides may have come at a price to the world around us, or that it may be releasing chemicals into the air we breathe.

Blankets often are made of polyester, and comforters frequently contain it as a filler. The basic building block of polyester is petroleum, contributing to the depletion of this non-renewable resource. To make polyester, crude oil is broken down into petrochemicals such as ethylene and xylene, which are then converted with heat and catalysts such as antimony into polyethylene terephthalate - the PETE plastic that forms both plastic soda bottles and polyester fibers. As a petroleum-derived product, polyester contributes to the depletion of our non-renewable fossil fuel supply and to our reliance on imported oil. Its manufacture may be hazardous to workers. Infants of female workers exposed to antimony have suffered from higher rates of miscarriage, premature birth, and stunted growth, and breathing antimony has caused lung cancer in some animal studies. In addition, polyester production releases lung-damaging pollutants such as nitrogen and sulfur oxides, particulates, carbon monoxide, and heavy metals into the air, as well as globe-warming carbon dioxide.

Cotton, although itself a natural fiber, requires tons of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers each year to grow. Known for its softness and comfort, cotton is grown on over 90 million acres in more than 80 countries worldwide. All together, these crops account for approximately 10% of all pesticides and as much as 25% of all insecticides used worldwide. About 12 pounds of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers are applied to every acre of cotton in the U.S. - an average of one-third pound of chemicals per pound of cotton harvested, the Sustainable Cotton Project estimates.

The pesticides and fertilizers applied to cotton fields inevitably run off in groundwater, which supplies about 50% of drinking water in the U.S. Of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton crops, 7 are considered "possible," "likely," "probable," or "known" human carcinogens by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 1996, chemicals drifting into a vineyard from an adjacent cotton field in California sent 21 farm workers to the hospital. Cotton's chemical habit can have devastating consequences for wildlife, as well. At least 13 pesticides documented as causing die-offs in birds are currently registered for use on cotton. In 1995, pesticide-contaminated runoff from cotton fields killed over 240,000 fish in Alabama.

Cotton also consumes enormous amounts of water, and diverting it from waterways for irrigation has caused near-drought conditions in some areas of the world. The most notable case has occurred on the Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan border, where unmitigated use of river water has shrunk the Aral Sea from the world's fourth-largest lake to its eighth largest.

An additional potential risk posed by cotton farming is that over half of all U.S. cotton is currently grown from seeds that are genetically engineered (GE), or spliced with genes from unrelated species such as bacteria. There are two types of GE cotton currently in use. Bt cotton, engineered to produce an insect-killing toxin from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, and herbicide-tolerant cotton, altered to survive spraying of weed killers that would ordinarily kill the plant. Some plants have been engineered to exhibit both traits. Genetically engineered crops have not been sufficiently tested to ensure they pose no long-term danger to the environment, wildlife, or human health.

Another natural, time-tested, breathable fiber is wool. One benefit to wool is that it's naturally fireproof, alleviating the need for treatment with chemical fire-retardants. It's not moth-resistant, however, and is usually treated with mothproofing insecticides as a result. Wool may also contain other insecticide residues from dipping sheep in chemical baths to rid them of parasites such as lice, ticks and mites.

Cotton and polyester textiles are also typically "finished" with chemicals that minimize wrinkling. Such permanent press finishes typically contain formaldehyde, a probable carcinogen. Since formaldehyde becomes a gas at room temperature, treated fabrics can release formaldehyde fumes into the air, causing flu-like symptoms such as watery eyes, runny nose, throat irritation, headache, fatigue, and respiratory problems.

And although dyes make it possible to purchase bedding in every color of the rainbow, they also frequently contain metals such as chromium, copper, and zinc, and sometimes contain known or suspected carcinogens. During the dyeing process, at least half of the chemicals used end up as waste in rivers and soil.

THE SOLUTIONS

What to look for

As a rule, softer, breathable natural fibers such as cotton and wool - even if they are not ecologically produced - are always preferable to petrochemical fabrics like polyester. Ideally, these will have been organically grown, and they will have not been treated with permanent press, mothproofing, or other chemical finishes. (See Product Recommendations below)

When possible, choose bedding made of organic cotton, which is grown without synthetic pesticides or genetic engineering. By choosing organic, you decrease the amount of chemicals released into the environment and help provide a livelihood for farmers that have chosen to be responsible stewards of their land. Your next best bet is "green" cotton. Although "green" cotton is not organically grown, it is usually processed without dyes, bleaches, and other chemical finishes. Read labels and ask manufacturers for the specifics. Find Organic Bedding Now >>

For blankets and comforter batting, choose wool over polyester, and look for "Pure-Grow" or pesticide-free wool, which comes from ranches that do not dip their sheep in pesticide baths. Ask the manufacturer or retailer whether their wool is treated with mothproofing insecticides, which should also be avoided. Find Wool Bedding Now >>

If you're looking for color but want to avoid dyes, check out "color-grown" cotton (whose color is inherent in the fiber) such as FoxFiber™. Color-grown cotton is also less likely to fade in the wash than dyed cotton.

Unfortunately, organic cotton and other eco-safer bedding is not offered in most home stores, so you will probably need to mail-order it from the manufacturer or from stores that sell ecologically-friendly products (See Retailers).

What to look out for

Avoid textiles labeled permanent press, no-iron, crease-resistant, shrink-proof, stretch-proof, water repellent, or water-proofed. As a precaution, wash all new bedding in hot water at least once, preferably twice, before use to reduce formaldehyde in fabric finishes. Although washing won't remove all chemicals, it can significantly reduce your exposure. A 1999 study published in Environmental Science & Technology found that a single washing of permanent press fabrics reduced formaldehyde emissions by 60%. Repeated washings will remove more of the formaldehyde, but not completely. For that reason, it's best to avoid treated fabrics when possible.

Bedding and mattresses are reservoirs for dust and dust mites, microscopic insects that feed on dried skin cells that we shed. Dust mite droppings are potent allergens that can trigger asthma attacks. If you suffer from asthma or allergies, be sure to launder all sheets and bedding in hot water every two weeks to kill dust mites and wash away droppings. Furthermore, you may want to invest in an allergen barrier mattress encasement that will block dust mites from infesting mattresses. Organic cotton encasements are made by Lifekind; 100% (conventional) cotton encasements can be ordered from Heart of Vermont. Avoid allergen barriers made of vinyl, which may offgas harmful fumes, or of other synthetic fibers.

Allergy sufferers and asthmatics should also avoid bedding and comforters stuffed with down feathers, which may cause allergies to flare up.