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How to choose recycled filling fibers for home textiles

The right filling starts with the finished product. Define what your pillow, duvet or cushion needs to do before comparing recycled fiber options.

Start with the application.

Recycled content is one part of the specification. Feel, loft, resilience and processing requirements also need to be considered together.

Define the product requirements

Write down what you mean by softness, volume and recovery. For example, should a pillow feel easy to reshape, or provide a firmer feel? How will you assess its return to shape after compression? Agree the comparison method and acceptance criteria with your team.

Include the intended filling weight, cover material and production method in the brief. Ask the supplier which fiber specifications are relevant to your process, rather than selecting on recycled content or price alone.

Compare in a finished product

Assess candidate fillings in a representative product, not only as loose fiber. Use the intended cover and construction, record the filling weight and keep the comparison conditions consistent. If you change several variables, record each change so you can interpret the result.

Include a production trial and evaluations relevant to the intended use. Where the product will carry washing instructions, assess the finished product under those proposed care conditions. Record both process observations and the finished-product assessment before choosing a filling.