greenliving
The Best
Furniture is
Green
10 Keys to Eco-Friendly Furnishings
Our furnishings say a lot about our values, vision and philosophy.
But our buying decisions might also say that we think it is okay
6. Seek furniture that’s
to contribute to global warming, purchase products of child or
durable and fixable.
slave labor, or select disposable furniture that won’t last. Tough, repairable items are less likely
to end up in the landfill. Although
initially more expensive, they’re more
F
ortunately, responsible consumers are beginning to think twice about their
purchases. And the furniture industry, aware of their contribution to global
cost-effective than flimsier products and
deforestation and climate change, and the huge potential to help preserve
can be passed along to others.
dwindling rainforests, is producing more eco-friendly furniture. For smart choices,
start with the list below.
7. Look for low-toxicity
furniture.
1. Choose certified
3. Buy bamboo.
Furnishings made of synthetic materi-
sustainable wood.
Bamboo includes a family of fast-grow-
als or treated with synthetic substances,
Because trees absorb carbon diox-
ing, versatile grasses that can be flattened
such as flame retardants and formal-
ide and produce oxygen, cool Earth’s
into flooring, molded into furniture,
dehyde, often off-gas toxic chemicals
surface, hold soil in place and provide
pressed into veneers or sliced to make
known as volatile organic compounds,
habitat, deforestation produces devas-
window blinds. Most bamboo is grown
or VOCs. Studies show that indoor air
tating consequences. Wood furniture
in China, with few or no pesticides.
quality is often worse than outdoors,
made from sustainably harvested forests
4. Embrace recycled
due in part to VOCs, which have been
and tree farms or from reclaimed wood, linked to birth defects, endocrine dis-
is the responsible choice. Look for
metal and plastic.
ruption and cancer. They’re a particular
furniture certified by the Forest Steward-
Furniture made from recycled plastics,
hazard to children and pets.
ship Council (see FSC.org).
aluminum and other metals requires
Check for Greenguard product
less processing and fewer resources,
certification (GreenGuard.org) to ensure
2. Find furniture
while supporting the market for recy-
low toxicity. Look for furniture that is un-
cled materials.
made with reclaimed
treated or treated with natural substanc-
es—natural wood finishes, naturally
materials.
5. Check for easy disas-
tanned leather or organic cotton.
Some furniture is reclaimed from old sembly and recyclability.
homes, furniture or factory scraps, or Eco-friendly furniture should be easy to 8. Buy vintage.
resurrected from river bottoms (logs lost repair, disassemble and recycle. Prod- Pre-owned goods can be the greenest of
in transport to sawmills) and reservoirs ucts certified through MBDC’s Cradle to all. Vintage and second-hand furniture
(forested areas submerged in creation Cradle protocol exemplify the principle. requires no additional resources to man-
of man-made dams or lakes). Look for Avoid hybrids made from an insepara- ufacture, is often locally sourced (cutting
the Rainforest Alliance’s Rediscovered ble amalgam of materials, difficult both transportation), is already off-gassed,
Wood Certification label. to repair and recycle. and eases the load on the landfill. Note:
Southwestern Virginia
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