Question from Suzanne
Hi Debra,
I am a vegan, but also care about living toxic free. So many vegan alternatives are made from petroleum. Yes, they are not made from animals, but it seems there is little concern about the toxicity of these vegan alternatives.
I don’t want to use down in pillow and comforters and other products, but neither do I want to use polyester and other products being offered to us as vegan alternatives.
What can I use as a toxic free replacement for down?
Debra’s Answer
I’ve noticed this too and I’d love to see more vegans find plant-based alternatives instead of petroleum-based.
There is a plant-based alternative to down, and that is kapok
Kapok is one of those old materials that used to be used a lot, but got displaced by plastic fillings and foam.
Kapok is a fiber taken from the seed pod of the kapok tree, which grows in the rainforest. The trees are laden with pods, which contain round seeds. After the leaves have fallen during the dry summer season, the pods burst open while still on the tree. Inside, a whitish cotto- like fiber surrounds the brown seeds, which carries the seed off in the wind. This fiber is called “kapok silk.”
The majestic trees are not cut down during harvesting, only the seed pods are removed, at the end of their natural cycle. Fibers are pulled from the seeds pods, then air cleaned by spinning at high speed, resulting in a soft, puffy, resilient material that has no dust or pod debris.
Kapok is soft, smooth, hygienic, hypoallergenic, sustainable, and free of toxic chemicals.
Kapok give the feel of down, but holds it’s shape, does not compress, and maintains it’s buoyancy for years. It has a unique ability to shape to the body and rebound instantly to it’s original fluffiness. It can be reused for decades without decaying. Because it is water-resistant, it doesn’t mold.
The fluffy white covering of the kapok seed traditionally has been used by indigenous rainforest peoples to fill pillows and mattresses and is again being offered today for these purposes, particularly for pillows.
Look for kapok that has been harvested in a way that protects the life ways and ecosystems of indigenous people.
White Lotus Home makes their own kapok-filled pillows with a 100% organic casing, spun in the USA from 100% organic, domestically grown, GOTS-certified cotton.
