What does making an eco-friendly baby nursery involve? Sustainably harvested materials, low/no VOC paints, organic natural fibers and energy-efficient lighting. But what does that all mean? Here's our guide to the hottest topics in eco-friendly baby furnishings and our favorite styles for modern eco nurseries.Eco-Friendly Nursery Terms:
sustainably harvested materials - wood and other materials that can be harvested and re-harvested indefinitely without causing irreversible damage to ecosystem health, such as bamboo, which can be harvested easily and regrows rapidly.
low or no VOC paints (aka low/no HAPs - hazardous air pollutants) - VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are chemicals that are emitted from a wide variety of household items, including carpeting, paints and new furniture. VOCs contribute to ground-level ozone and are also bad for people's lungs, and babies are particularly sensitive to these chemicals. Low VOC paints try to minimize the amount of these chemicals, and now no VOC paints that totally eliminate these nasty chemicals are available as well.
organic fibers - to be certified as an organic material, the product or fiber (or animal producing it) must have been grown or raised without the use of toxic fungicides, insecticides, or herbicides, and promoting chemical-free agriculture is good for your health, your baby's health and the earth's! Popular organic fibers for babies and nurseries include organic cotton, organic wool, organic hemp, and organic silk.
energy-efficient lighting - saving electricity reduces CO2 emissions, sulfur oxide and high-level nuclear waste, so using energy-efficient lighting in your nursery is yet another way that you can make your baby's first home more eco-friendly. Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are two lighting types to look for when you're outfitting your nursery.
Now that you know the basics, here are a few of our eco-friendly products to put the whole thing together into your very own eco-nursery!
Furniture made with sustainably harvested wood with no VOC paint by ducduc:
ducduc is a NYC design house that uses an environmentally sensitive manufacturing process in the production of their stylish modern baby furniture. ducduc owns their own New England based manufacturing and guarantee that their hardwoods are sustainably harvested from regional forests so as to minimize their carbon footprint; their factory employs a lean manufacturing system that dramatically reduces energy requirements and waste; ducduc’s finishes are non-toxic and VOC free; and their products do not contain MDF or particle board. And, the ducduc designs are all incredibly chic, perfect for a green modern nursery!Natural, organic bedding by NettoCollection:
The NettoCollection offers crib mattress and bedding like 100% certified organic cotton sheets in 330 thread count cotton sateen, a mattress pad made of organic quilted cotton, a wool mattress protector made from 100% organic merinol wool, which naturally protects from mildew, dust mites and bacteria and also offers an organic mattress to boot! Netto offers easy one-stop eco-friendly shopping all in one. Organic crib sheets by Natural Mat:
Natural Mat's organic sheet sets for cribs are made with luxuriouslly soft flannelette, made from finely brushed cotton. These organic cotton sheets are so velvety soft, you'll want to crawl into the crib yourself!
No VOC paint from Harmony by Sherwin Williams
Sherwin Williams now makes a huge selection of interior paints with zero VOCs, so now you can pick any color of Sherwin Williams paint and have it totally VOC free!Finish your eco-friendly nursery with energy-efficient LED lighting, a certified organic wool rug, and some organic plush toys and you'll have an eco-friendly baby nursery that even Al Gore would be proud of. Now that you've done the baby's room, why not greenify the rest of your home?
