Ethical Décor For Your Bedroom

Ethical décor is made from sustainable materials (natural, recycled and low carbon materials) and materials that have minimal impact on the planet. 

For example, cotton is considered unethical because it uses around 16% of the world’s insecticides to produce, while organic cotton is ethical because it uses no insecticides. 

Likewise, plastic storage boxes are unethical because they use plastic, while wooden storage boxes are ethical because they use natural materials. 

If you want to try your hand at sustainable living, these ethical décor bedroom ideas will be right up your street. Let’s jump right in!

Wooden bed frame

My first ethical décor idea is a wooden bed. Solid wood is a naturally sustainable product, and especially pine, which is fast-growing and abundant. 

The great thing about wood is that it comes from trees that absorb carbon throughout their lives, offsetting the emissions used to process it. For ethical décor, I recommend pine and oak, two species that are known for sustainability.

Metal bed

If you don’t like wooden beds, there’s always a metal bed. Metal beds are made from aluminium which is not only 100% recyclable but infinitely recyclable too. 

Aluminium is mined, but 75% of all aluminium used today is recycled, so it’s a clean material by environmental standards. When your bed reaches the end of its life, please take it to your local recycling centre. Easy!

Wicker furniture 

Wicker is made using fibres from the rattan plant, a rapidly renewable resource grown around the world. It grows exceedingly quickly, and it is pesticide-free.

Because wicker is made from natural fibres, it’s a more sustainable choice than fake wicker made from plastic. At the end of its life, wicker can be recycled or composted in a regular garden composter with no special additives.

Glassware 

There’s no better ethical material for ornaments and decorations than glass. glass has a minimal environmental footprint because it’s made from abundant raw materials (sand) and requires low water levels to produce. 

You can get beautiful vases, bowls, wall hangings, blown glass art and sculptures. I particularly like Art Deco glasswork, which has geometric patterns. 

Natural bedding 

When it comes to ethical bedding, organic cotton is your friend. Organic cotton is produced with no pesticides, which are bad for the environment. 

Other ethical bedding materials include hemp and linen. Hemp bedding is made from hemp waste from industrial field crops, while linen is made from flax fibres. Both are good alternatives to cotton and can be certified organic. 

Vegan candles 

Vegan candles use no beeswax or other animal ingredients, instead opting for soy wax or paraffin wax as the burning material. Soy wax is plant-based, while paraffin wax is made with crude oil, which is vegan but attached to an unethical industry. 

Another wax used in luxury ethical candles is Candelilla wax, which burns as beautifully as beeswax but is made from the leaves of the small Candelilla shrub. 

Bonsai trees

Bonsai trees are a beautiful addition to any bedroom, and they are perfect for décor! Their greenery adds a touch of nature to spaces to brighten things up. 

I love Ficus bonsais and Chinese elm bonsais, which make great beginner trees. Prune them, water them and watch them grow more beautiful every season. Best of all, bonsais are natural air purifiers and live for more than 50 years!

Reclaimed décor 

Whenever possible, reclaim old items and spruce them up. You’d be surprised what you can find at charity shops, thrift shops and junk shops. Car boot sales are another glorious way to spruce up your bedroom in an ethical manner. 

Look for items made from materials that last, like glass, hardwood and steel. You can do up old items and transform junk into beautiful décor.

Ready to get ethical? 

Ethical décor is seeing a rise in popularity with greater climate awareness. If you’re interested in sprucing up your bedroom in an eco-friendly way, give my ideas a go and share your progress in the comments section below.