| What is the Most Important Criteria When | | | | to a burgeoning demand for cheap furniture. This |
| Sourcing Green Furniture? Look in your own | | | | low quality furniture, often made of particle board, |
| backyard. Certifications like FSC (Forest | | | | MDF, pressed cardboard, staples and glue typically |
| Stewardship Council) and SFI (Sustainable Forestry | | | | has a life of about 2-5 years before it ends up on |
| Initiative) are one indication of sustainability when | | | | the curbside and eventually in our landfills. |
| sourcing green furniture, but they are not | | | | Look for high quality craftsmanship when sourcing |
| fool-proof. In my opinion, the two most important | | | | sustainable furniture. Solid wood construction, |
| criteria when sourcing green furniture are to: | | | | robust joinery such as mortise and tenon and |
| - Source locally made furniture and | | | | dovetail joints and non-toxic finishes will serve |
| - Ensure the furniture is made from natural | | | | your clientele well over many years, while keeping |
| sustainable materials, such as sustainably | | | | our landfills virtually furniture-free. |
| harvested wood or recycled, reclaimed, | | | | Does the Furniture Industry Publish a List of Best |
| repurposed materials. | | | | Green Practices? |
| The US Green Building Council prioritizes local | | | | The Sustainable Furnishings Council SFC, a |
| sourcing as well. Their LEED certification program | | | | non-profit coalition of furniture industry players |
| specifies that furniture must be sourced within a | | | | dedicated to promoting sustainable practices has |
| 500 mile radius, and they emphasize: the closer | | | | published a list of best green practices for the |
| the better. | | | | industry. SFC members pledge to take steps to |
| Always ask your furniture vendor for specific | | | | follow these recommendations and minimize |
| information on where the wood or other material | | | | carbon emissions, waste stream pollutants and |
| in your furniture comes from. If they can't tell | | | | un-recyclable content. |
| you, look elsewhere for authentically green | | | | The group uses a detailed Life Cycle Assessment |
| furniture. | | | | to analyze the environmental impact of their |
| What Effect Does Furniture Quality Have on | | | | products, and a verifiable chain of custody as the |
| Sustainability? | | | | only acceptable method for tracking wood flow. |
| The statistics I've seen show that the amount of | | | | Members support the triple bottom line of |
| cheap, low-quality furniture we are throwing into | | | | People-Planet-Profits and lead the industry in |
| landfills increased six-fold between 1960 and 2008. | | | | developing awareness of best practices |
| The biggest jump in landfill volume occurred in the | | | | throughout their supply chains. Look for the |
| 1980s and continues still. It was in the 1980s that | | | | designation of Silver, Gold or Platinum in an SFC |
| furniture making shifted from North Carolina and | | | | member's status to determine their level of |
| the Great Lakes areas to overseas in response | | | | commitment to the SFC mission and goals. |