16 May Green is more than a color
When most people think about
recycling, their minds go to the paper bins in their office, the aluminum cans
they bring out to the curb, or maybe even used up batteries that can’t go in
the trash can; however, the bulk of potential recycling extends much further
than our daily, household practices.
Naturally, here at Wooded River, our
minds turn towards how we can be better stewards through our business practices
and the top prize goes to using more recycled and/or upcycled textiles and
fabrics. As such, it has become our mission to continually add more sustainable
and “green” products to our line-up. That’s right: for us, green is more than a
color.
Textiles are a major polluter
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, textiles account for more than 20% of the world’s water pollution and 10% of global carbon emissions. So how does this happen and what does it mean? Dyeing and finishing products are the major contributors to water pollution. To put it into perspective, the amount of water used to produce one t-shirt uses enough drinking water for one person for 2.5 years (European Parliament). So in our world, one throw would use enough drinking water for more than 4 years! That’s just ONE throw!
According to the same source, when it comes to carbon emissions, the textile industry creates more global greenhouse gas emissions in a year than all of the international flights and maritime shipping combined during the same amount of time. We thought to ourselves, how can we help?
wooded River's solutions
We know that we’re a small player on a global stage, but we also know that we can do our part! As such, it has become part of Wooded River’s mission to increase our “green” product offerings year-over-year. In fact, here is a list of our products that contain at least 50% recycled or upcycled fibers:
Washable wool blends
Our flagship washable wools are not only our best sellers, but they are also extremely sustainable! All of them are made from up to 90% recycled fibers which makes them eligible for the Global Recycled Standard certification.
Our mills blend recycled wools, acrylics, and polyesters along with new fibers to create our raw materials. So instead of creating more pollution and bulking up landfills, Wooded River’s wool blends are having a net-positive impact!
Follow these links to view our wool blend throws & pillows and bed ensembles.
Cotton blends
Like our washable wool blends, our cotton blends also use up to 90% recycled fibers, but as the name suggests, they are made from a blend of cotton and polyester instead of wool and acrylic. The end results? A lightweight yet durable product that is as “green” as it is soft.
Check out our cotton blend throws and pillows, bedspreads, and learn more about our Cotton Blend line in previous blog posts.
Bed Ensembles
Beyond our washable wool blend bed ensembles, Wooded River strives to add more bed ensembles to our list of products that contain post-consumer recycled fibers every year. Some of the current ensembles that contain recycled fibers in our line-up include:
- Autumn Leaf (shown)
- Ava
- Terracotta
- Yuma Sol
