Q. We are getting some beanbag chairs for our kids. Wondering what the most environmentally friendly filling is for beanbags. I know most use plastic. What natural or less harmful alternatives exist? I had a beanbag chair growing up. I begged and begged, but my parents were also concerned about store-bought beanbag fillings, so I made it myself out of old organic cotton t-shirts and sand that I nicked from the playground, one cup at a time. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, and nobody could lift it when it was time to move, but oh, how I loved that chair. Fortunately, kids these days have better options for safe and eco-friendly spherical furniture, Brent. Let’s flop down and take a look. First, a few words about the fillings we don’t want. Most conventional beanbag chairs you’ll find are stuffed with expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads – the light, crumbly plastic that’s frequently confused with Styrofoam (a similar, name-brand product). That’s because it’s very light and durable enough to last a few years without squishing under the weight of your growing kiddos.

Still, EPS should be a DNB (Do Not Buy); it is petroleum-based and presents difficulties at disposal time. Yes, it can be possible to reuse or recycle it, but it’s energy intensive and usually more complicated than putting it out on the curb. Better to avoid it when we can. Recycled (sometimes called reground) EPS bits are another option, and they’re good in the sense that they keep the white stuff out of landfills. But there is some concern about EPS leaching carcinogenic chemicals. This seems to be a much bigger problem with food containers and hot drinks than it is with beanbag stuffing – in fact, I know of no studies linking that kind of EPS with health risks. But you’ll have to decide where you stand on the safe vs. sorry continuum with that one. Nor should we be seduced by beanbags filled with polyurethane foam, aka memory foam or compressed foam. This is also petroleum-based and complicated to recycle, but to add insult to injury, it may also be treated with cancer-causing, hormone-disrupting flame retardants.

Now, on to the news you can use. A better filling is natural latex foam. Made from the sap of the rubber tree, in its pure form the foam is renewable and doesn’t off-gas dangerous chemicals (because it’s expensive, it’s often mixed with synthetic fillers, so shop carefully). It’s biodegradable and can also, theoretically at least, be composted when its beanbag days are over. Natural latex does often come to us from third world countries, so labor abuses and deforestation can be an issue here – not to mention the shipping footprint. spa pedicure chair replacement partsIt’s also heavy, and therefore better for smaller beanbag chairs. chairs for sale in windsorStill, I’d choose it over the beads above.baby high chair adelaide

Like so many things, though, the beanbag industry may have been needlessly complicating its products when the perfectly natural answer is right there in the name. If I were to repeat my beanbag project today, I’d use something as close to the earth as possible: Popular eco-friendly fillers include buckwheat hulls, dried field peas, popcorn, or rice, and yes, beans. Obviously, all of these will be a lot heavier than airy EPS or foam, and they will vary in terms of comfort and shape. cheap hammock chair swingThey will probably also require more than just running out to the store to buy them, as natural beanbags are still a specialty item – you might need to buy the cover first and fill it yourself with bulk beans. buy wicker swing chairBut that in itself can be a fun project for the little ones, and you can lounge easy knowing you’ve cushioned them with the greenest stuffing out there.tablet arm chair desk

Just stay away from the sandbox, and you’ll do fine. It does cost more to make custom made items than our items listed on this site. When determining the custom size of a mattress, please make sure that there is room for error so that the mattress will not be larger than the frame. Mattresses are made by hand and the actual size can vary by 1" from the sizes that you send us.Bean bags and bean bag furniture are not only comfortable and ergonomic but also fun, exciting and affordable. office chairs for sale in dubaiHowever, there is more to bean bags than the uniquely designed and colorful covers you see on the outside. cheap dining chairs sunshine coastYou may not have put much thought into it, but bean bag filler comes in many varieties, and the quality of your particular product relies on having the best filling for your needs. cheap table and chair hire south auckland

By understanding the different types of beads that may be inside bean bags, you will have a better idea about which filling is best for you and your family. Most bean bags are filled with a manmade material known as expanded polystyrene (EPS). EPS is a hard-celled plastic very similar to Styrofoam, which is extruded polystyrene. Besides bean bag beads, EPS is used for disposable coffee cups and as cushioning material for packaging and shipping. EPS is perfect for most bean bags and bean bag furniture because it is lightweight but rigid enough to retain its form for several years. In fact, EPS is 98 percent air. The EPS beads used for bean bag filler are 3 mm to 5 mm in diameter, and they are resistant to moisture and heat. Although EPS is not biodegradable, it can be reused and recycled in several ways. After replacing the beads, they can be packaged and sold or delivered to a regional recycling center. However, many people keep the older beads to use for other craft projects or as soil filler for potted plants.

When you need replacement beads, it is recommended to use virgin beads rather than recycled beads, which may have a shorter useful lifespan. Expanded polypropylene (EPP) is another thermoplastic polymer that is used to fill bean bags, but it is more popular in Asia than it is in the U.S. and Europe. EPP beads actually have several benefits over EPS beads and other fillers. EPP foam is very strong and durable yet incredibly resilient. When crushed or bent out of shape, the material quickly returns to its original form and size. This means that the beads can be compressed without losing their airy, cushioning qualities. EPP beads also have several other benefits. They do not lose their volume as quickly as EPS beads do, and they do not have as strong of an odor. The primary problem with EPP beads is that they are very susceptible to fire and burning, and it also degrades when exposed to oxygen. EPP is popular in many other applications, including plastic furniture and plastic lids with living hinges.

Micro-beads were once used in certain types of bean bags, such as pillows and neck pillows, but they are not appropriate for large bean bags and furniture. Micro-beads are tiny pellets made from a type of plastic known as polyethylene, and they range in size from 10 µm to 1 mm. Over the past several years, micro-beads have been commonly used as an exfoliating agent in several types of cosmetic products, including liquid soaps and lotions. These small beads are exceptionally smooth, and their roundness allows them to be applied smoothly while adding aesthetic appeal to the products they are in. However, several cities and one state, Illinois, have banned the sale of anything containing micro-beads after they were found in very high concentrations in the Great Lakes because they may be an environmental hazard. One of the newest materials to be used in bean bag chairs is compressed foam, which is also known as memory foam. People buying memory foam bean bags have given them very favorable reviews, and this furniture is expected to increase in popularity over the next few years.

Memory foam is a type of polyurethane that has been produced through a special process to increase its density and viscosity. For this reason, it has also been called viscoelastic foam and low-resilience polyurethane (LRPu) foam. This foam was invented in 1966 for NASA, but it is now a popular material for pillows and mattresses. Memory foam bean bags are easy to transport because they can be compressed to about one-quarter of their resting size during shipping. When used for bean bags, this material can be found inexpensively in the form of offcuts. However, because memory foam pieces are large and irregularly shaped, some people do not like their texture when used in bean bags with thin linings. The material is best used in conjunction with leather or 1680D polyester. Bean bags have been around for a lot longer than plastic has, and they didn’t get their name for no reason. At one time, bean bags were filled with dried beans or other dried grains, such as rice or corn.

In recent years, these types of fillings have experienced a resurgence in popularity because people are looking for natural fillers instead of manmade fillers. One of the most popular natural fillers is buckwheat hulls. These hulls are hard, but when used inside a thick lining, they can be very comfortable. Buckwheat hulls fall into a category of other bean bag fillers, such as sand and small pebbles that can be used with stretchable fabric. These products can then be heated on a stovetop, in an oven or in a microwave and used for therapeutic purposes. Other materials that work well in do-it-yourself (DIY) heating pads include dry cherry pits, rice and wheat. A favorite game among children and for outdoor parties is the bean bag toss. The small bean bags used for this game are filled with various materials, such as dry grains or sand. No matter which bean bag filler you use, it is important to remember that any small, lightweight objects, such as the beads described above, may pose a risk to children if they are inhaled or swallowed.