Vegan, or vegetarian, organic fills and batting, are natural materials free of animal ingredients and by-products (including wool, silk, fur, leather, dairy, eggs, honey, beeswax, and lanolin). Additionally, no animal ingredient or animal by-product inputs are used in manufacturing and processing. Vegan also means these natural materials have not been tested on animals.

Bear in mind that retailers and manufacturers cannot guarantee 100% vegan purity in all their product lines, because so many products in our lives already contain animal by-products. For example, some good manufacturers of organic virgin wool-fills may intentionally leave small amounts of natural lanolin in the batting to boost natural resistance to dust mites. Outside the organic industry, paper and bindings in fine books and magazines may contain animal by-product residues from paper processing and glues. Don't forget taping, adhesives, and other materials used in packaging, as well.

We can say that organic bedding products labeled "vegan" should have no non-vegan ingredients added or used in any way, during manufacture or processing, and your purchases are usually as free of animal by-product as possible. So, read labeling and copy. It is unethical, and in a few cases possibly illegal, to misrepresent products as 100% pure vegan when so many conflicting environmental, industrial, hemispheric (and even organic), factors remain so prevalent in our lives.

Susan Fullen-Yurek of Kushtush.com Organics, http://www.kushtush.com, is an e-commerce entrepreneur committed to earth-friendly products, sustainable agriculture, and environmental initiatives.