What does "green" furniture mean?

Having worked many years for a well-known national retailer I have been apart of the struggle for a large retail company to become more environmentally friendly, so when I got the opportunity to join Environment Furniture it was an easy choice because it has allowed me to see the green furniture movement from an entirely new prospective. It’s a great privilege for us to be invited to be apart of this form and to share some of our collective knowledge with the green community. We are sure that we will learn as much from you, as you from us.

First of all, to me the term “green” means having a strong sense of environmental stewardship, doing what’s considered best for the environment using the most current scientific data available and prevailing expert option in all of your decision making processes. There are many aspects of furniture industry that we can scrutinize to measure their green quotient, but by focusing on a product’s life cycle we can breakout several categories which puts this broad question into context and easier to discuss.
Design: Designing a product for optimal manufacturability is the first opportunity to reduce energy use and material waste. Intelligent design takes into account more then just visual forms, but thinks about the entire product including, but not limited to: it’s market place, who the target customer is, where they are located, packaging, what’s the product’s intended life span, and what happens to the product when it is no longer useful to the customer. Design is not just about creating anymore, but what the implications (environmentally) of the creation are.

Materials: Material selection is a critical element is making any product, but very important to greening a product. With wood being the traditional material of the furniture industry, today manufacturers have many choices beyond virgin cut wood they had in the past like reclaimed wood/fiber, non-industrial salvaged wood, wood derived co-products, recycled materials and urban harvested wood, and wood by-products, just to name a few. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which is currently the most recognized name to general public, is one source that sets standards for 3rd party firms to certify the categories of materials mentioned above. It’s critical for customers to ask questions about the materials that go into the furniture, so they can make informed choices before they buy! At Environment Furniture we primarily use a reclaimed wood from Brazil called Peroba Rosa. Our network of agents seek out derelict barns, homes and other structures with outer walls constructed of peroba wood and have been exposed to the elements for 70 or more years. The exposed wood takes on a deep figured and aged character that only prolonged exposure to the elements can develop.

Manufacturing: Skilled production engineers, who know their equipment can further refine a product without compromising a product’s design, reduce material waste further and increase productivity which in turn lowers a factories carbon footprint. The traditional chemicals used in furniture making; gules, solvents, wood stains and finishing products are also be replaced by forward thinking chemical companies with water-based and low volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitting products that are healthier to use, better for the environment and non-toxic to customers. Some manufactures are purchasing electricity from alternative green energy sources (solar/wind/bio) and using their own by-products (sawdust/scrap wood) to fuel ultra-efficient furnaces. Just as important as controlling and greening the inputs into the process the waste generated by manufacturing is also important to redirect into co-products or finding recycling outlets. Many furniture design companies manufacture their product through partner factories, which they can’t control how the factory is run.

Shipping: Shipping uses large amounts of paper products like cardboard boxing, various types of foam products (polystyrene foam, Styrofoam), wood crating, and plastic/metal strapping. The shipping of the finished products from overseas, by rail and truck to warehouses or end customers use a large amount of carbon emitting fuel on an annual basis. In countries with little or no freight rail systems and few emission control standards, a truck clog roads, reduce air quality for the local population and has a global impact. If you’re closer to the product’s origin then there is less shipping and a green decision!
Use: The quality of a furniture product directly relates to it useful life span. In the past the cost of a piece of furniture directly related to it’s useful life expectancy and is sill somewhat relevant today, but due to good engineering and high quality hardware some ready to assemble (RTA) furniture manufacturers/retailers have moved past this stigma. The bottom line is that a well-manufactured piece of solid wood furniture should out last its owner and be useful for many generations, if properly cared for. Protect your investment! Usually a high quality piece of furniture can also be easily repaired and refinished when damaged which makes it a greener choice then furniture that falls apart due to use of inferior low cost materials and poor quality craftsmanship.

Disposal: Don’t do it! Hopefully you never have to throw away a piece of furniture, but if you do explore these other options before you do. Donate it (many groups will pick it up for free), sell it, refinish it, repair it if damaged or re-task it to another use in the another part of your home, like as a storage piece in the garage. Dismantling and burning your furniture in a wood stove or fireplace is not a safe or healthy choice, as it will release harmful toxins.