Bedsheets that don't harm our planet? Yes, please!

(SPANISH BELOW. Para Español, deslicen hacia bajo)

I promised you guys another post focused on sustainable and ethical home decor, so here goes! As most of you already know, I decorated my 600sf studio in an eco-friendly and fair-trade way. Reusing old wood pallets I got from Home Depot, old wine crates from Total Wines, non-toxic paint by Colorhouse, a fair-trade and sustainable carpet and table from IKEA, and now my new organic cotton bedsheets by AlterraPure. I've talked about planet-friendly bedsheets before, but here's what makes AlterraPure stand out when compared to other brands.

1) TRANSPARENCY. All the way through! They are certified by GOTS, and go to extra lengths to verify that every farm, product and material used is sustainable, organic and fair-trade. You can read all about it on their website. Every single detail and process!

2) The GOTS certification is extremely important when it comes to organic cotton because GOTS only certifies brands and products that are biodegradable and free of chemicals that are harmful to our planet and humans.

3) AlterraPure also reuses 90-95% of water. 

4) AlterraPure has social projects to benefit the villages they work with in India. 

5) The box the sheets come in is made from cotton scraps and recycled paper! It is so pretty you will want to reuse it!

6) The details! From the buttons they use, to the stitches, AlterraPure pays attention to every little step in the process of making their bedsheets and duvet covers. Handmade, simple, sustainable, ethical and beautiful!

What does all this mean exactly? Well, plain simple (as it should always be!) Less waste for our planet, less chemicals thrown in our waters, less water used, less artisans paid unfairly, less non-biodegrable textiles sent to our landfills, less harmful toxins absorbed by your skin, less CO2 emissions produced. Amazing what our shopping choices can do, right? That's the power we have as consumers. Choose wisely. Always!

*sponsored by AlterraPure.

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(SPANISH)

Este es el primer articulo que hago en español en mi blog, y espero que el primero de muchos! Hoy quiero hablarles sobre mi casita ecológica. Decoré estos 600sf en una manera ética y ecológica reusando cajas de madera y pallets de Home Depot y Total Wines, y colaborando con marcas como IKEA (si, IKEA es sostenible y fair-trade!) y ahora AlterraPure para mis sábanas! Ya he hablado sobre sábanas ecológicas antes, pero aquí les dejo unas cuantas razones que hacen que Alterra se destaque en comparación a otras marcas.

1)   Transparencia. Aparate de utilizar algodón orgánico certificado por GOTS, Alterra es transparente con todo el proceso detrás de sus productos. Pueden leer sobre cada paso en su página web.

2)   La certificación por GOTS es muy importante cuando se trata de algodón orgánico. GOTS solo certifica a marcas y productos que son biodegradables y libres de químicos que son tóxicos para nuestro planeta y para nosotros.

3)   Alterra re-utiliza 90-95% de agua.

4)   Alterra tiene proyectos sociales en las comunidades con las cuales trabaja en India.

5)   La caja de las sábanas es hecha de sobras de algodón y papel reciclado. Es hermosa y pueden utilizarla para guardar cosas personales.

6)   Los detalles! Desde los botones hasta la costura; Alterra le pone mucha atención a cada detalle y proceso. Todo es hecho a mano, sostenible y ético.

Que significa todo esto? Simple (como debería ser!). Al elegir marcas como Alterra estamos disminuyendo el uso de agua, la creación de basura, los químicos que son arrojados a ríos y al mar, el abuso de artesanos, las toxinas que absorbe nuestra piel, y más emisiónes de CO2. Disminuimos todo esto con nuestras acciones como consumidor! Tremendo el poder que tenemos, no? Todo empieza con nuestras decisiones diarias. Elijan conscientemente. Cada día!

*Sponsored by AlterraPure. 

 

 

More Earth-Friendly Home Decor Tips!

(I am a Brand Ambassadör for IKEA U.S. This is a sponsored post.)

If you've been following my journey for the past two years, you know how much I believe in sustainable home décor. If you haven't, I'll summarize the story in one sentence: "my home's décor thrives on green. Everywhere!" Yes, I decorated my 600sf studio in an earth-friendly way from corner to corner. From the nontoxic wall paint to the LED lights around my paddleboard, to the table made of reclaimed wood, the fair-trade and handmade carpet, and even the bioplastic food storage bags I use. Do you know what's even more exciting and surprising than all the sustainable products I just mentioned? IKEA making a conscious lifestyle easier and accessible with their Evergreen initiative! In case you didn't know, IKEA is one of those big and powerful companies that realized the importance of incorporating sustainability and ethics deep within its roots years ago. They started by using less cardboard and paper in their shipping practices, and have grown to be one of the few companies running their stores on solar and wind energy with over 730,000 solar panels and 327 wind turbines worldwide. Are you surprised already? Well, there's more! Besides having stores that use LED lights solely, IKEA has also established strict product criteria when it comes to sustainability with furniture being made from bamboo and recycled wood, fabrics being created with sustainably-grown cotton, flax being used as a material for linen, and bioplastic made from sugarcane (no petroleum) being used to create their food plastic bags. Top that with water faucets designed to reduce your water use, a wide variety of LED lights, and fair-trade practices implemented to empower their artisans and employees, and we have everything we need to start 2018 with the right conscious foot. All in one store!

I'm so proud of this company and its practices that I've partnered with them to provide you guys with all the content and information you need to decorate your home in a planet-friendly way! Below are a few products, and I can't wait to share more throughout the next few months!

Cheers to living and shopping wisely!

To read more about IKEA's sustainably harvested (FSC-certified) wood, and their partnership with WWF, read this article and this one

Weaved Jute Carpet: eco-friendly, made with natural fibers and fair-trade! 

Coffee Table: I used this as a bench and decorated it with book, candles and plants. It is made with natural materials, eco-friendly and fair-trade. 

LED lights: I have these in my balcony. Energy-efficient. 

Bioplastic ziplock bags: Made from plastic which contains at least 85% renewable content (sugarcane rather than petroleum). The material can be recycled together with common plastic.