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Buckwheat pillows offer a sustainable alternative to foam and polyester (happyeconews.com)
submitted 1 day ago by to c/sustainability@piefed.zip
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Polyester fiber and memory foam, the two most common pillow fillings, are both made from fossil fuels. They clump, collect sweat and dust, and go flat within a year or two.

A growing number of sleepers are breaking that cycle with a leftover from buckwheat farming.

A buckwheat pillow is filled with the hard outer shells of buckwheat seeds, the part nobody eats.

Buckwheat is grown for its seeds, which are turned into flour, groats and noodles. Before the seed can be eaten, its tough, triangular shell has to be removed. Those shells, called hulls, are a byproduct of the milling process. Some are used for animal bedding or burned for fuel, but many have little value.

Pillows filled with buckwheat hulls have been used in Japan for generations, where they are known as sobakawa pillows. Their growing popularity in Europe and North America has more to do with materials: many shoppers now want a pillow that isn’t made from plastic.

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[–] 6 points 1 day ago (1 child)

Buckwheat hull pillows can be nice. Cleaning can be an issue, though, if too much moisture gets in there.

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  • [–] 1 point 9 hours ago

    Honestly, every pillow should have moisture barriers. If for no reason other than preventing oils from soaking in and causing that stale body smell.

    I found that my chunk memory foam pillows degraded much faster without the cover, and certaibly needed to be washed a lot more frequently. So now all pillows have them. They are surprisingly quiet these days, and a 2 pack is around $10. Well worth it, imo.

    Same with matresses. The amount of sweat and sebum those things can soak up over their lifetime is just nasty, and you can’t wash them. For such an expensive piece of furniture with such a huge impact on quality of life, it’s amazing how few people spend the $15 for a cover.

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    • [–] 5 points 1 day ago (1 child)

    I prefer latex pillows and mattresses. Good support, don't retain heat as much as memory foam, polyester or down. They can be easily cleaned and they don't lose their shape after a while. I've had some for over 5 years.

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    • [–] 2 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

    I ordered a Japanese futon to replace my typical American style bed. Got the buckwheat pillows to go along with it, I hope they're comfortable! I literally just got the shipping notice today after a few weeks of waiting.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 hours ago*

    They are quite different and I did some research before I bought mine.

    Some people love them while others do not and often people say the sound it makes when your head moves on it puts them off.

    It's not what I would call a soft pillow, it does not just give. Instead I use my hand to make a bit of a hollow for my head and lay down. You can move your head around a bit to get comfy.

    You can also bunch the pillow up a bit around your head and neck to fill in any gaps.

    I like my pillow, it did take a little getting used to but I feel it is great support.

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    • [–] 2 points 20 hours ago

    Nice! Buckwheat is a great meal and now it can be a great snooze.

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    [–] 0 points 1 day ago (3 children)

    Down is another option.

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