The discussion around natural down duvets compared to synthetic alternatives usually revolves around quality, breathability, body temperature, and price. Due to their natural filling, down duvets outperform synthetics in all mentioned categories except for price, which is why synthetic duvets are seen as a lucratively cheap alternative. However, one hugely important point in the comparison between these two products that often gets overlooked is which is more sustainable. The answer is undoubtedly natural duvets. For the purposes of this article, we will solely focus on the effects of these products on nature and their contribution to microplastics pollution.
The issue with synthetic duvets and microplastics
Synthetic, by definition, is man-made material that usually aims to imitate a natural product. That is the case of synthetic duvets which have the goal of providing the same quality as a natural duvet at a reduced price. Truthfully, the manufacturing technology for these products has drastically improved in recent years and their quality has undeniably improved. However, one of the main issues with them remains- what they are made of. Due to the plastic nature of synthetics, they remain non-recyclable and therefore a huge polluter. Every time a synthetic duvet is washed, microplastics get released and pollute the water and air. These microplastics are incredibly difficult to clean and are an ever-growing environmental issue that is the focus of many foundations such as the PLASTIC SOUP Foundation. Because bedding products are very voluminous, the quantity of plastic used and then released as microplastics is much greater. Synthetic textiles are the biggest contributor of microplastics (a lot of which comes from cheap synthetic clothes) and the voluminous synthetic duvets are a big part of this pollution.
How natural duvets help
Down and feather bedding products use exclusively natural materials that are biodegradable and recyclable. Also, the filling that is used is coming as a by-product of the meat industry, meaning that no birds were killed specifically for their down and feathers. This makes the process much more environmentally friendly and cruelty-free as the alternative is plucking live birds for their down and feathers which is extremely inhumane. Natural duvets also have a much longer lifetime even compared to even the highest quality synthetic alternatives. While cost is generally the strongest selling point of synthetics, realistically one might need to change 3-4 synthetics duvets for the lifetime of one natural duvet. At the end the cost will be the same so not only will the experience throughout this period be worse, but the contribution to environmental pollution and microplastics by buying not one but multiple microplastics-releasing products will be multiplied.
We are committed to using only natural cruelty-free materials for our duvets and pillows and we are environmentally cautious not only with the filling we choose but also with our production processes. We ensure that our products leave little to no environmental mark.
If you are curious about our sustainability efforts or want to learn more about natural bedding products and how you can improve your sleep, subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss out on our new blog posts. Also, you can follow us on social media, where we frequently share interesting and useful information on those topics. Good night!
