Refresh your windows with eco-friendly window treatments and Curtain fabrics that will keep your home cool and healthy this summer.
With the weather heating up, it’s a popular time to invest in quality window coverings. As well as exploring what window treatment will offer you the best thermal benefits, increasingly people are prioritising environmentally-friendly products.
New technology and increasing demand for eco-friendly products has led to a world of choice when it comes to sustainable window covering fabrics.
These are some of the most eco-friendly materials you can find at dollar curtains + blinds that don’t skimp on style.
Recycled polyester fabrics.
Using recycled plastic, recycled polyester fabrics are a great choice for lower impact window furnishings. We have a range of recycled polyester fabrics, including:
- the new Wessex fabric for Blinds that is made of 60% recycled polyester, and
- the new Rejuvenate fabric for Curtains that is made of 56% recycled polyester.
Offering excellent fabric performance, with a smaller environmental footprint, it’s worth exploring our range of recycled polyester fabrics in on-trend colours.
For Curtains, these include beautiful linen-look fabrics and heavier block-out fabrics. So whether you’d like soft diffused light during the day or total blockout, there’s a recycled polyester fabric to suit. Best of all, for every window you choose to furnish in this fabric (based on average window size), you’re helping to remove 400 plastic bottles from the environment.
PVC free Blinds fabrics.
Another way to reduce plastics is to opt for a PVC free Blind fabric. Our Eco Screen Plus PVC free Blind fabric is environmentally friendly as it is made using a water based polyurethane coating rather than traditional PVC film which contains plasticizer.
One of the best things we can do for the environment is reduce waste. So selecting any quality window coverings that will last long-term is a smart choice. Our Evolve Roller Blinds are incredibly popular as it partners with Ultra-Fresh and Uniguard protection systems. Ultra-Fresh provides the highest quality antimicrobial treatment to control the growth of microbes, guarantee odour control, and protect against mould, mildew and stain causing bacteria. The Uniguard fabric protection system improves the durability of the fabric by making it easier to clean and maintain.
OEKO-TEX Certified Fabric.
Speaking of safer materials, have you heard of OEKO-TEX certification? It’s an international standard that was created to cut through the confusion when it comes to textiles.
A STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX means every fibre of the product has been tested against strict criteria and is free of harmful substances. You can shop with confidence by selecting fabrics with this label at dollar curtains + blinds.
Greenguard Gold Air Purity Certification.
Another type of certification worth mentioning is Greenguard Gold Air. This standard includes health-based criteria for additional chemicals and also requires lower VOC emission levels. For example, they incorporate even lower levels of formaldehyde emissions specifically. Many VOCs are irritants that can cause headaches, eye or throat irritation, and dizziness.
Products that have achieved a Greenguard Gold Air Purity certification are scientifically proven to meet some of the world’s most rigorous chemical emissions standards. In simple terms, products with this certification help to reduce air pollution and chemical exposure, creating healthier environments.
Many of our outdoor fabrics have the Greenguard certification. These include a great selection of fade resistant, on-trend colours that are manufactured to withstand the harsh Australian climate.
“Eco-friendly windows coverings aren’t just good for the environment, they can help you create a healthier home for you and your family as well.”
— Gina Ciancio – Style Curator
Other ways to make eco friendly window covering choices.
We mentioned earlier, but choosing a quality window covering that will last long-term is one of the best decisions you can make. Getting the longest lifespan out of your window coverings, reduces the amount of waste going to landfill and resources needed to make new window coverings.
It’s reassuring to know that our window treatments are made from the highest quality materials and most of our products, such as our Cellular Blinds, are Australian made and owned.
Also, selecting window coverings that offer superior energy efficiency will reduce the need for heating and cooling. Cellular Blinds in particular offer excellent thermal benefits as they have smaller light gaps and their unique honeycomb shape reduces heat transfer through windows. Using Window Awnings to keep heat and solar rays out is another excellent way to keep your home cooler in summer.
Automation.
Finally, Automation is another smart way to take advantage of passive solar gains. Not only does automation eliminate the need for cords and chains (making your home safer for children and pets), you can also set up convenient room settings so your window coverings will open and close automatically at certain times of the day. Automation technology is continually advancing and with the dollar curtains + blinds smart phone + tablet app, you can control all of your window coverings remotely from the palm of your hand.
Hopefully this guide on window coverings to create a healthy home helps you to find the right solution – one that’s good for your home and good for the environment.
