This is a question we are being asked more & more here at The Bed Post in this age of looking after our environment.
Unfortunately there is no one place for the ideal solution but here are a few eco-friendly options you may consider before sending your old pillows and duvets to landfill.
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Check if your local animal shelter or vets needs old pillows or duvets.Animal shelters tend to have a high demand for old pillows to use as bedding in animal crates. Call or email the organisation in advance to check if they are accepting pillow donations and then arrange a time to drop the pillows off. Veterinarian clinics and wildlife rehabilitation centers sometimes need old pillows too.
- Ask your local homeless shelter if they accept donated pillows or duvets. While not all homeless shelters accept pillows and bedding for sanitary reasons, it can pay to check because some do! Make sure that any pillows you donate are clean, in good condition, and don’t have stains or tears. Contact the organisation in advance and arrange a drop-off time if possible
- Empty feather or down pillow stuffing into the compost bin. While you can’t place the pillow cover or casing into the compost bin, this is a good way to get rid of old, organic stuffing. Simply place the feather or down stuffing into the compost bin and wait for it to slowly break down.
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Take the pillows to a textile recycling facility if they are torn or stained. While textile recycling facilities aren’t too common, they are a great place to take old pillows if you are running out of options. Use a search engine to find the closest textile recycling facility to you and contact them to see if they accept pillows.
- Textile recycling facilities use the fibres from unwanted materials and fabrics to create insulation, rags, and carpets.
- This is a great way to get rid of pillows that aren’t in good condition. The pillows just need to be dry, and free of oil and grease
Do you have creative ways to up-cycle old pillows and duvets? Share your eco-adventures in the comments below!