Review | National Geographic Raptor Dino Recycled Bedding Set

*Gifted Product

In my bid to make my life far more eco-friendly, I am always on the lookout for anything that will help our planet. Whether that is making a small swap like using bars of soap, reusing shopping bags, taking my own bottled water out or bigger things like switching to cloth nappies and reusable wipes, every small change is for the better. One area that is always going to be tough is not always buying new. I have made the step towards checking pre-loved sites more and learning which charity shops have the best turnover of stock but there will always be items that I am not willing to purchase secondhand or which may not be available. With this in mind, I have to learn to shop as eco-friendly as I can, I have to choose better quality items that will last and can then be passed on once we are done with them and I need to look into how those items have been produced. I know that this may sound a bit much but in our current climate, we all need to be more responsible when it comes to our lifestyles.

One way in which National Geographic is trying to help is by taking old plastic bottles and repurposing them. Earlier this year I was over the moon to see canvas shoes being sold in Clarks which were made of recycled bottles and of course I bought a pair for my youngest, William. Knowing that those bottles had gone on to have another use made me feel so much better about buying new… Shoes are something I would never buy secondhand as foot health is very important. And now they have taken this idea and teamed up with Dreamtex to bring a recycled bedding set range to market. So, of course, I jumped at the chance to see it for myself and to try it out.

DreamTex

Launched in July 2012, DreamTex is an innovative bedding company who always strive to bring something new and exciting to the market. Using big designs, usually capturing iconic characters on them that children will love and ensuring that they bring quality as well as ethically sourced products, DreamTex is leading the way to ensure that children have their own space in the home…

“We believe that a child’s bedroom is more than just a place to sleep. It’s their own personal space to play, work, read, eat, listen to music, have sleepovers and relax with their favourite characters. This philosophy is at the heart of everything we do and guides us in our mission to create best in class licensed merchandise. From preschool, character and publishing brands to lifestyle and gaming, Dreamtex has something for everyone!”

A Bit On National Geographic

The National Geographic Society is one of the most recognised and respected global non-profit scientific and educational organisations. Every year they fund hundreds of research, conservation and educational programmes around the globe in order to try and raise awareness of the need to care for our environment, wildlife and the planet.

“In May 2018 National Geographic launched ‘Planet or Plastic’, a multi-year mission aimed at raising awareness of this challenge and reducing the amount of single-use plastic that enters the world’s oceans.”

The bedding set they have come up with has used up to 12 recycled plastic bottles which means those bottles have been reused rather than sent to landfill.

Raptor Dino Recycled Bedding Set

Jake chose the Raptor Dino bedding set (obviously!) and he was over the moon that it was a skeleton design (boys, eh?!) Nope, this isn’t your usual cutesy, brightly coloured dinosaur bedding. It is bold, factual and more grown-up which is perfect when your 5-year-old thinks he is a teenager!

He absolutely loved the huge red dinosaur bones because to him ‘it is cool’.

What makes this recycled bedding set even more interesting is that it is also reversible and I personally loved the underside. It’s a shame that the pillowcase isn’t also reversible though.

You can really see how much detail has gone into this recycled bedding set and how it could easily spark a new interest in dinosaurs in your child. It is such a funky addition to a bedroom.

The Plastic

Now I’m sure you are wondering what it feels like as it is made from plastic bottles and I can honestly say that it doesn’t feel any different. It is made from 50% cotton and 50% polyester which has been made from these bottles. Most of our clothing is made from plastic fibres anyway and all this is doing is utilising what we have already used and reusing it rather than creating more plastic and preventing those bottles from going into landfill for 500 years or more.

Now, if like me you are wondering about the microplastics being shed, I have an answer direct from the company on this for you:

“At Dreamtex we believe that sustainability is important to our industry, it’s an ongoing objective for us and our commitment to the future. We are mindful of our responsibilities and are trying to create products with purpose that will last a long time in order to move away from the fast-fashion business that is currently an issue across the whole textile industry. Microplastics shed by clothing and textiles during the washing process are one of many issues surrounding sustainability and whilst there is no quick fix, by partnering with Repreve we are taking steps to become a greener, more Earth-friendly company.”

This is obviously a huge problem with most of our clothes, bedding, towels, blankets and other things that also contain polyesters so although it this recycled bedding set is doing a great thing by reusing plastic, it cannot eliminate the fact that micro-plastics may still be released. This step is a step in the right direction and with further innovations let’s hope the next change is on the horizon.

Overall Thoughts

Jake gave the look and the feel of the recycled bedding set two big thumbs up. I am very happy with it because he is and also because it is a more sustainable way of buying new and definitely the right move to make in a world so full of plastic.

The set is even reasonably priced at £24.99 and is also available in a Save Our Oceans design complete with glow in the dark jellyfish! It is available to purchase from Argos, Studio, Asda and Amazon.

*We were gifted this recycled bedding set in exchange for a review. As always my opinions are my own and honest. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.

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