Protecting the Rain Forest

The natural fibre used in the Kapok Pillow is harvested in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner, and production does not involve cruelty to animals. This respects the ecosystem and provides much needed work to indigenous people, says Corie Laraya-Coutts, who developed the pillow and is director of Desalon International. "Each Kapok tree left standing helps maintain this vital ecosystem."

Kapok as a textile product has been used for over 100 years, first in Europe, then in the U.S. While it is not suitable for clothing because the fibre is short and breaks easily - you can't make thread out of it like cotton - kapok has been used as stuffing for furniture and mattresses. More recently, kapok was used as stuffing in life jackets both for its soft full qualities and for its water resistance. The seeds and their oil are in lubricants, soaps and animal feed. Years ago, the bark was used to make canoes.

After harvesting, the pod covers are composted to become organic fertilizer.

Desalon International, which makes The Kapok Pillow, is negotiating with the government and farmers in the Philippines to reforest marginal lands with kapok trees.