Incorporate Earth-Friendly Materials Into Your Home's Decor

Cotton and kapok curtains look like canvas. Kapok is a rainforest tree with fibrous seeds harvested by a local indigenous tribe that are down-like when pulled apart. The trees are never touched so it's a fully sustainable material.

Some buzz words on labels to identify earth-friendly products are recycled (100- or 50-percent recycled), all natural, plant based and biodegradable. There are also certain textiles to look for like hemp and organic cotton. Earth-friendly products are surprisingly affordable and easy to find so check out the labels. You'll be amazed at how effortless it is to be kind to the earth.

Even non-organic compounds can be recycled into stylish and comfortable pieces. Soda bottles that are finely shredded and clumped together feel like a down pillow insert that's also hypoallergenic.

VOCs (volatile organic compounds) cause paint to smell, but VOC-free alternatives are available. They have all the benefits of a latex paint as they're washable and can be tinted any color while being earth friendly at the same time.

Soy candles don't produce soot when burned like regular paraffin candles.

Finally, making your home earth-friendly doesn't stop with fabrics and materials. Little things like dusting refrigerator coils help save energy.

cotton and kapok curtains, matchstick blinds (IKEA)
VOC-free paint (Sherwin-Williams)