It is heartening to see people making responsible and environmentally friendly choices. There is a growing realization that what you put in your home impacts your home and the planet as well. As a result, there is a rapid growth in the popularity of sustainable furniture. Sustainable or eco-friendly furniture comes in excellent designs. They are healthier for the environment. But how to make a well-informed choice when buying sustainable furniture?
Sustainable furniture is made by using materials that have a less negative impact on the environment. It usually makes from wood that comes from renewable sources and is cultivating by using minimal chemicals for avoiding environmental pollution. Look for products and furniture pieces that can be easily recycled and disassembled. Eco-friendly products should be durable, long-lasting, and also easy to repair and fix.
7 Smart Tips to Shop for Eco-Friendly Furniture
These 7 tips will help you in choosing good quality, durable, and affordable, sustainable furniture. Read on!
1. Reclaimed Sustainable Furniture
Source: benchmarkfurniture.com
Reclaimed sustainable furniture is made with reclaimed wood. This wood can come from plenty of sources like old buildings, fences, furniture, etc. Wood is a material that can last for a very long time. Thus using furniture made from the wood that is already out there makes more sense than cutting new trees. A lot of designers and sustainable furniture brands seek reclaimed furniture while sourcing interior design products.
2. Recycled Metal and Plastic
Recycling material takes much less toll on the planet in comparison to manufacturing new material. Looking at the extent of pollution, it is essential to provide support to the recycling industry. Recycled materials like aluminum, iron, plastic, etc., are considering sustainable materials for furniture. You can look for the C2C (Cradle to Cradle) certificate to establish the credibility of the recycled products.
3. Buy Heirloom Quality Wood Furniture
Heirloom furniture is handcrafting and build with good quality materials. It is creating to last long which you can pass on to your next generation. Heirloom furniture pieces are made with solid wood, fine materials, and excellent handmade craftsmanship. The wood used in the making of heirloom furniture is usually cedar, oak, cherry, and pine. Heirloom quality furniture will be a great piece of investment as it is durable and incorporates the beauty of natural wood.
4. Bamboo Furniture Pieces
Source: shopify.com
Bamboo is a fast-growing, durable, and versatile material that can be easily used in modern furniture. Countries like China, Myanmar, and India are some of the world’s largest producers of bamboo. It is easy to cultivate and can be molded to make designer furniture pieces like window blinds and can be used for flooring. Its use for making furniture pieces like cabinets, benches, and tables.
5. Long-lasting & Resalable
Durability is the prerequisite for sustainable furniture so that it can withstand the wear and tear of time. You should be easily able to fix any minor repairing needed in it. That is the only way to ensure that they will last long and won’t end up in landfills soon. If your furniture is durable, you can resale it to someone looking for used but affordable eco-friendly furniture.
6. Without Flame Retardants
Source: gbdmagazine.com
Flame retardants are powder-basis, so they fall out of upholstery. As a result, it gets to mix with the dust in the surroundings. But flame retardants are toxic. Therefore go for the furniture made from wool, cotton, and natural latex. Don’t forget to ask the manufacturer or dealer of your sustainable furniture if any flame retardants are using to make them.
7. Green Furniture Terms and Certifications
Look for green wooden furniture options that have been crafted and made using reclaimed wood and from sustainably harvested forests. Many high-end furniture designers are finding innovative ways to fabricate and construct products that look fabulous and as well are good for the environment.
There are many certificates of government and private organization which provides the guarantee of sustainably sourced furniture.
- Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) – It ensures carpet recycling.
- Eco3Home – This is a tag certificate providing to manufacturers for eco-friendly furniture material.
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification – This certification guarantees eco-friendly bamboo and wood furniture.
There are various other certificates to help you source interior design products that are eco-friendly. Some of those are Green Housekeeping Seal of Approval, Green Label Plus, C2C, Greenguard, etc.
Wrapping-Up!
Modern eco furniture is stylish, comfortable, and trendy. Moreover, it is ethically made furniture, so you can do your bit towards saving the planet. But keep these 5 tips in mind while shopping for sustainable furniture so that you don’t get tricked by fake tags and marketing gimmicks.
Author Bio:
Vivek Agrawal is a global sourcing expert and has worked with and assisted clients with their sourcing requirements for 1000+ projects in his 15+ years in the industry. With the aim to fulfill the evolving needs and demands of architects, interior designers, project managers, and HNIs, he started Arcedior – the most loved, curated products platform with 75,000+ products from 600+ brands spanning 40+ countries.
Being a design enthusiast with an eye for details, he also started a group on LinkedIn called ‘Design Leaders Roundtable – A Collaborative Community for Architects & Interior Designers’ which now has over 4K+ members. In his free time, he loves to travel with his family.