A Guide To Understanding Labels Related To Sustainable Furniture

In response to the growing number of environmentally-conscious consumers, more sustainable furniture companies are popping up. While there have always been eco-friendly brands, more companies are looking at ways they can make their business more sustainable. whether that’s creating a line of sustainable home furnishings or looking at ways they can improve the process.

If you’re in the market for a more eco-friendly lifestyle, sustainable furniture might be in your furniture. With that said, it’s important to do your research as there’s no sticker on furniture that marks a company sustainable. With that said, the Sustainable Furniture Council does list a number of guidelines that companies should follow in order to call their furniture sustainable. The guide below can help you navigate the world of sustainable home furnishings.

What is Sustainable Furniture?

If you’re already familiar with the eco-friendly movement, you probably have already incorporated some acts of sustainability to your life whether that’s with your fashion, home supplies, or other items. Sustainable furniture follows the same idea where manufacturers create items that have a minimal negative impact on the environment.

Top-of-the-line sustainable furniture creates items with closed-loop recycling in mind. They will design furniture that can be continually reused and disassembled throughout its lifetime. For this reason, most sustainable furniture uses:

Materials that come from renewable or reclaimed resources such as wood, bamboo, etc.
Minimal chemicals that pollute the environment
Local materials and/or manufacturing reduce transportation

Why is Green Furniture A Better Choice?

Every year, Americans throw out more than 12 million tons of furniture and furnishings with only a small percentage being recycled. Thanks to the mixed materials found on furniture it can be difficult to actually clean and reprocess. Much of this waste is due to the rise of ‘fast furniture.’ Much like the fast fashion industry, fast furniture is all about providing many different styles quickly and cheaply. Fast furniture continues to grow in popularity as more people become renters and thus are forced to move more frequently than in the past. For many, it’s easier and cheaper to simply toss old furniture instead of moving it to a new place.

However, there are hidden costs when it comes to fast furniture. In order to keep prices low, most companies have transferred manufacturing overseas where they only have to pay a fraction of the cost for skilled labor. Even if they were practicing sustainable manufacturing, the total emissions from transport alone would make their furniture unsustainable. Another issue, of course, is that many of these fast furniture companies also use cheap materials. Ikea, for example, uses particleboard, a filler material in construction that is less durable and has a shorter lifespan than even medium density fiberboard and plywood. So even if you don’t want to replace your furniture when you move, you might have to because the furniture itself isn’t meant to last.

When you choose green furniture, you are choosing items that do less damage to the environment and make your home much safer. Since eco-friendly furniture uses less chemicals, you get less volatile organic compounds from the paint, fabric, and wood of the furniture released into your house. Since people are now spending more time indoors, doesn’t it make sense to ensure your home environment is as safe as possible?

Of course, investing in green furniture is also great for your wallet. While it might cost more initially, you can rest easy knowing that your items will last for decades and through various moves. If you damage it, you’ll be able to get it fixed by a local furniture restoration shop. Or, if the furniture store actually makes their items on site, you can go directly to them to get it touched up. If you can’t afford buying new items, consider buying second-hand from your local thrift store, garage sales, or online.

Sustainable Furniture Materials

So what actually makes a piece of furniture sustainable? Well, it often starts with the material. Take particleboard again as an example. While the wood portion might come from renewable resources, it’s bound together by unsustainable resin and glue. Truly sustainable materials do not use ingredients that are not recyclable or at least reusable. If you’re looking for new furniture, consider the following for your next piece:

Wood - if you love the look of wood, then you’re in luck. Wood is one of the more sustainable materials out there. With that said, not all wood furniture is sustainable. When shopping, select items made from reclaimed wood or sustainably sourced new wood. In the case of reclaimed wood the manufacturers are recycling wood from old furniture or even old buildings. Not only is this a great eco-friendly option, it also gives your furniture a unique vibe. New wood from sustainable sources is also a great option. Just double-check with the manufacturers to confirm where it originated and how many trees were planted to replace the ones there were cut down.
Hemp and Cotton - In addition to the green ‘skeleton’ of your furniture, you should also pay attention to the upholstery and coverings. Hemp is a great option as it grows easily and doesn’t require much water or pesticides. While cotton does require more water, you can go for fair-trade, organic cotton to make sure you’re getting the most sustainable home furnishings possible.
Bamboo - if you’ve ever planted a bamboo sapling in your backyard, you’ll know just how quickly and easily this plant grows. It’s also durable, making it a great option for tables, chairs, and more. Plus, bamboo also doesn’t require the use of pesticides, making it one of the best natural materials for furniture.
No VOCs - sustainable materials avoid using hazardous chemicals that do not give off volatile organic compounds (VOCs) often found in paints and stains. Instead, they opt for more human and eco-friendly options.

Sustainable Manufacturing Practices

While using sustainable materials is great, it’s not really sustainable if the manufacturers use practices that harm the environment. Some steps manufacturers take during their production process includes:

Reducing or eliminating the use of pesticides for plants
Limiting carbon emissions and other pollutants
Replacing cut trees with new trees
Reducing water usage during the manufacturing process
Practicing fair trade to elevate local communities and environments
Use of non-toxic or minimal packaging materials

One of the best ways to know if a company follows sustainable manufacturing practices is to look for certification from authorities such as the Forest Stewardship Council and Fairtrade Organization. While many companies will tell you that they have certain certification, it’s always a good idea to check for the actual label. Of course, not all companies will have the ability to get these certifications for a variety of reasons. That doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t sustainable. If you’re unsure, check their website for a Code of Conduct or Code of Ethics. These are usually placed at the bottom of the page next to the About Us section. Typically the code of conductions will explain the company’s standards on sustainability and human rights and will often involve both an internal and third party audit. Make sure that the company displays the results as this shows that they are enforcing their own rules.

Sustainable Certifications

Before you decide to buy a piece of furniture for your home, you should take the time to look for certification. While there’s no single certification that covers every sustainable facet, there are a few you should look out for:

Cradle to Cradle Certification - If you’re looking for the highest level of sustainability, you want to look for this certification. This certification looks at multiple factors including:
Material health - how safe materials are for humans and the environment
Product circularity - whether the furniture can be dismantled to be repaired or recycled
Clean air & climate protection - if the creation process protects clean air, promotes renewable energy, and reduces harmful emissions
Water & soil stewardship - safeguards clean water and healthy soils
Social fairness - ensures companies respect human rights and contributes to an equitable society
FSC Certification - The Forest Stewardship Council grants this certification to products that utilize responsibly harvested wood that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.
Green Housekeeping Seal of Approval - You can see this seal for many categories including beauty products, building materials, and more. Companies will need to have their product’s packaging, ingredients, logistics, and manufacturing evaluated by scientists and engineers in order to earn this award.
GREENGUARD Certified - If you’re worried about VOCs or other harmful indoor pollutants, you should look for this certification as it is awarded to building materials and home furnishings that emit low chemical emissions.
LEED Certified - Generally associated with building efficiency, LEED certification can also be granted to products that use sustainable materials and good indoor air quality!

Of course, there are other certifications you can look for. If you are purchasing a piece of furniture with fabric, you should consider something that uses organic hemp or cotton as it will use fewer pesticides and is better when it comes to soil and water stewardship. Other certifications you can look for include:

Low VOC - this label means the product or finish does not contain any chemicals that can release into the air
Rediscovered Wood Certification - This confirms that a piece of furniture is using reclaimed wood
Zero Waste to Landfill - This is awarded to companies that send less than 1 percent of their waste to landfills

Eco-Friendly Transportation

The shipping industry accounts for almost 3 percent of global CO2 emissions with the numbers increasing every year. With more production being shipped overseas every year, including furniture, it’s no surprise that reducing transportation is high on many companies focused on sustainability. Those focused on reducing their emissions will generally keep their business local from the materials they harvest to the manufacturing process. If possible, it’s always best to buy local when possible as this will reduce your carbon footprint as well.

That doesn’t mean imported furniture can’t have eco-friendly transportation! If you have to go with imported furniture, choose companies that transport their goods efficiently. That often means shipping pieces flat and packed together vs. shipping a large bulky item. Not only does this reduce waste, it also allows for more items to be sent at the same time.

Furniture Function

One step you can take to make sure you’re shopping sustainably is to actually consider why you need this particular piece of furniture. Do you actually need that end table or is it just something that you’re using to fill up some empty space. You also should avoid getting something that is ‘trendy’ as it can ultimately date your decor. Instead, opt for timeless pieces as they will look good wherever you go!

Besides the appearance of the furniture, you should also make sure that whatever you buy is durable and can withstand moves and lifestyle changes. If you don’t have much money, consider getting pieces that are multifunctional such as sofa beds or murphy beds with folding desks on the outside. These can get you more bang for your buck! For things like bookcases or entertainment centers, you can make them yourself so long as you have some bricks/cinder blocks and 2 x 4 pieces of wood. Just make sure that you secure everything properly!

Take The Journey To A More Sustainable Lifestyle With Eco-Friendly Furniture

Living a sustainable lifestyle isn’t out of reach even though it might seem like it sometimes. Instead, it’s a gradual process, especially when it comes to replacing your furniture. However, it’s no longer difficult to find more eco-friendly options now that more companies are trying to be more environmentally friendly.

Of course, on your journey to having more sustainable furnishings (furniture), you should just throw out your old stuff as that’s just contributing to the landfill problem. Instead, find creative ways you can repurpose some of your old stuff. There are plenty of Ikea hacks online that show how you can reuse or repurpose the planks into something new. If you don’t want to go through the effort, consider giving away your old furniture to someone who needs it.

How To Practice Sustainability With Home Furnishings