Corn Based Craft Products

Batting, Fiberfill, and Pillow Forms

Sep 12, 2008 Connie Krochmal

Crafters can now buy quilt batting, fiberfill, and pillow forms made from corn fiber. Are these products green?

Crafters can choose from many kinds of batting, fiberfill, and pillow forms. Mountain Mist has introduced the EcoCraft Eco-Friendly craft line of products. These are made from an ingredient in corn syrup called PLA or polylactide. Do these products deserve the green label?

The Qualities of Corn Fibers

Compared to polyester, corn fiber is much softer and resilient. It is also hypoallergenic. Being a plant product, corn fiber is biodegradable.

Though this fiber is reportedly resistant to insects, this offers no practical advantages for most consumers. It won’t help control dust mites since these pests are arachnids rather than insects.

Corn Fiber Pillow Forms and Fiberfill

These are made from 100% corn PLA. The EcoCraft Eco-Friendly pillow forms come in four sizes. They are 14", 16", 18" and 20". The corn fiberfill is sold in twelve-ounce bags as well as three-pound boxes.

Corn Fiber Quilt Batting

This batting can be quilted by hand and machine or tied at a distance of four inches. This compares with three to six inches for polyester.

EcoCraft Eco-Friendly batting breathes very well, and has a good loft. This can be machine washed and dried.

Quilters can choose from either 100% PLA batting or a blend of 50% PLA/50% cotton. These come in a range of sizes. They include 45" x 60", and 72" x 90". The 120" width is cut from the bolt.

How Green are Corn Fiber Products?

Despite the EcoCraft Eco-Friendly brand name, these products aren’t green by any means. Organic cotton is a greener alternative if you’re shopping for batting. Organic wool and organic cotton stuffing are certainly greener than corn fiberfill. On the other hand, the pillow forms are somewhat greener than those made from polyester.

Like conventionally grown cotton, corn requires lots of input in terms of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. In many cases, fields in the American Corn Belt are irrigated, which will eventually deplete aquifers. In addition, a lot of farmers are now using genetically modified corn seed.

As the labels of EcoCraft Eco-Friendly products indicate, corn is a renewable crop. However, the same is true for organic cotton. In that regard, bamboo is superior since it doesn’t need replanted every year.

With a looming world food crisis, there is little justification for turning a food crop into fiber. In addition, corn fiber could also compete with ethanol plants.

In conclusion, there is little reason for green consumers to consider buying EcoCraft Eco-Friendly batting or fiberfill.

The copyright of the article Corn Based Craft Products in Green/Simple Living is owned by Connie Krochmal. Permission to republish Corn Based Craft Products in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.