Note from Michael – the following was contributed by Caroline Smith, co-founder of www.GetSlipcovers.com
Living a greener lifestyle involves reducing waste, saving energy and making the best of what you’ve got. That’s why I think slipcovers are a great solution for prolonging the life of old furniture. By covering up faded, torn or stained upholstery you can give your couch a new lease of life. How many sofas end up in landfill just because their owners decide they don’t like the color or pattern? It’s really easy to change the look of your sofas and chairs by fitting a slipcover over them, so there’s really no excuse to throw out a perfectly functional piece of furniture just for aesthetic reasons.
As well as reducing your footprint on the planet, you can save yourself hundreds of dollars by recycling an old sofa instead of buying a brand new one. When I moved into my first apartment and needed to furnish it, I rehomed a secondhand loveseat that I found on the local Freecycle website.
You take you chances when freecycling furniture and if you find the upholstery isn’t to your taste or clashes horribly with your décor, then getting a slipcover is a simple way to cover it up.
The textiles industry is a major contributor to environmental pollution. According to the Soil Association, around 25% of the world’s insecticides are used in the production of conventional cotton. As well as having environmental effects, the chemical pesticides used in developing countries are potentially harmful to human health.
I’m pleased to say that organic cotton slipcovers are now available, and we are promoting them on our website. Organic cotton is produced with the aim of avoiding harm to the environment, wildlife and human health. Organic farmers are demonstrating that it’s entirely possible to grow cotton without using dangerous chemicals.
Crop rotation is used to control pests, weeds and disease, provide nutrients and maintain the structure of the soil. Natural predators are encouraged through habitat management. For example, in Uganda, black ants are used to control caterpillars and other pests. Elsewhere, repellants made from natural ingredients such as chili are used, and chickens or other birds can then safely eat the pests.
The organic slipcovers that we feature are available from Surefit Slipcovers. Currently there are only a couple of designs available, but I would imagine the range will increase in future to meet demand. Also, the slipcovers come in just two sizes, to fit sofas or loveseats. The Aspen fabric comes in the neutral shades of linen and sage. The Riverstone has a striped pattern, in a choice of blue or brown. It may be a limited range, but I’m excited to see that Surefit has introduced these environmentally friendly slipcovers.
About the Author:
This article has been contributed by Caroline Smith, who is the co-founder of www.GetSlipcovers.com, where you can find more details on these products.