Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Your Home: Eco Furniture Shopping. The words “eco-friendly” might make you think of brown cardboard wrapped in twine or weird-looking, uncomfortable pieces of furniture, but there’s an exciting range of eco furniture that’s stylish and modern, while being sustainable too. Shopping for furniture is a great way to make your home more sustainable, so let’s explore how you can do it.
The first thing to think about when shopping for furniture is how it was made. Look for materials such as bamboo, cork and wood from rapidly renewable sources, and make sure it doesn’t contain anything like heavily treated lumber that can off-gas toxins. Soft furniture such as couches or chairs should use organic, natural fibers such as cotton, wool or linen, rather than synthetic materials.
Next up is looking for sustainable construction methods. Building furniture to last means it’s going to create less waste over the long term compared with cheaply made and constantly replaced pieces. Don’t forget to check whether the piece was made locally, so you can support the local economy and reduce the carbon footprint of goods shipped from overseas.
Seek out certification. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the main certifying body for responsible forestry practices. It certifies a variety of different items, and you can check the label to see which products have been granted the FSC certification.
Seek out furniture that’s already on the secondhand market. It’s often just as good as new, with no traceable impact on the environment and much cheaper to buy. Buying vintage furniture can be a great way to capture the style of a past era and support secondhand shops at the same time.
Upcycling is another option, allowing you to extend the lifetime of furniture while making it more personal at the same time. Repurpose a wooden chest of drawers by adding a lick of paint, or dress up an old sofa with a new cushion set. Even small changes can give the furniture a new lease on life, and you’ll be the only person who owns it with its unique style.
Finally, look out for “cradle to cradle” furniture. This is furniture that produces no wasteful byproducts, or has the ability to be reused and recycled at the end of its life. You can usually tell this in the labeling or descriptions provided, as the manufacturer will likely make a big deal out of taking a no-waste approach to design and production.
When buying furniture for your home, bear in mind the impact the materials and production methods used have on the environment. With just a few thoughtful choices, you can make sure your furniture library does its part for the environment.
Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Your Home: Common Questions and Answers. When shopping for eco-friendly furniture, it’s important to be informed about the type of materials and processes used and how that impacts the environment. To help you out, let’s look at some of the most commonly asked questions and answers.
What materials are commonly used in eco furniture? Many eco-friendly materials are used to make furniture, such as bamboo, cork, wood from rapidly renewable sources, organic, natural fibers such as cotton, wool or linen, glass, stainless steel, and recycled plastic.
Are there any certifying bodies for eco furniture? Yes, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the main certifying body for responsible forestry practices. You can look for the FSC certification label on items to make sure they are responsibly sourced.
What other ways can I shop for eco furniture? Secondhand furniture is an excellent option as it can be just as good as new with no traceable impact on the environment. Upcycling furniture and buying products with a “cradle to cradle” certification is also a great way to find eco-friendly furniture.
What should I look out for when shopping for eco furniture? Think about how the furniture was made and look for materials such as bamboo, cork and wood from rapidly renewable sources. Make sure the piece was made locally and look out for certifications when available.
Are there any rules of thumb when shopping for eco furniture? The most important rule is to buy furniture that will last. Building furniture to last means it creates less waste over the long term and buying secondhand or vintage furniture is also an excellent option.
Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Your Home: What to Look for in an Eco Couch. When shopping for eco furniture for your home, couches are a great place to start. Let’s look at what to look for in an eco-friendly couch.
Look for sustainably sourced materials. Good materials for an eco couch include rapidly renewable sources such as wood, bamboo, cork, and organic, natural fibers such as cotton, wool, or linen. Avoid heavily treated lumber with chemicals that can off-gas toxins.
Seek out manufacturing methods. Ensure the couch you choose has been made with sustainable construction methods such as durable construction, preferably local manufacture, and limiting of the resources used to create it.
Look for certifications. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the main certifying body for responsible forestry practices. Look for FSC or other certifications to make sure the couch is responsibly made.
Try to shop secondhand. Many good quality couches sit unused in thrift shops or secondhand shops. Shopping for one of these is great for supporting the local economy and for reducing carbon emissions.
Explore upcycling options. It‘s possible to upcycle existing couches by adding a lick of paint or a cushion set. This is a great way to give existing furniture a new lease on life and to make it unique to you.
Consider a cradle to cradle certificate. Look for furniture that has been designed to produce no wasteful byproducts, or that has the ability to be reused and recycled at the end of its life.
Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Your Home: Pain Points to Consider. While shopping for eco-friendly furniture, there are some pain points to consider. Let’s look at what they are.
Think about the construction. Durability needs to be balanced with sustainability. While having furniture items that last longer creates less waste in the long term, it may require more resources for its construction in the first place.
Seek out sustainable materials. The materials used to construct the furniture should come from sustainable sources and should be able to be recycled or upcycled at the end of its lifetime.
Think about certifications. It’s important to look for certifications such as that from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to make sure the furniture is responsibly sourced and manufactured.
Factor in secondhand and upcycling options. Buying secondhand furniture supports the local economy and reduces carbon emissions. Upcycling existing furniture is a great way to do this as well.
Think about delivery. Consider the impact the delivery of furniture to your home may have on the environment and look for more sustainable options such as local delivery if possible.
Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Your Home: What are the Benefits? Shopping for eco-friendly furniture can seem like a daunting task, but the benefits far outweigh the effort. Let’s look at what some of the advantages of eco furniture shopping might be.
Reduce your environmental impact. Furniture made with sustainable materials and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has a much lower impact on the environment compared to furniture that’s made with non-renewable resources or heavy chemicals.
Save money. Shopping for eco furniture can save you money in the long run, as buying furniture made with sustainable resources that could have a longer lifespan can reduce replacement costs over time.
Support local industries. Buying eco furniture made in the USA, Europe or your own country means you’re supporting local businesses and industries which has a great many benefits for regional communities.
Give furniture items a second life. Buying secondhand furniture or upcycling existing furniture can give furniture items that may have otherwise gone to waste, a second chance.
Be stylish and make your home your own. Eco-friendly furniture looks just as stylish and modern as other furniture options, so you won’t have to trade style for sustainability.
Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Your Home: What Are the Challenges? Shopping for eco-friendly furniture brings a variety of challenges, but with the right information, you can make sure to navigate this issue successfully. Let’s explore what some of these challenges are.
Knowledge gap. It can be difficult to know what materials and techniques are most sustainable when shopping for furniture, and it requires some research and knowledge to do so.
Cost. Eco-friendly furniture can be more expensive than other pieces, although used furniture can be more affordable and the savings over time may make this worthwhile.
Availability. Not every store carries eco-friendly furniture and you may have to look elsewhere to find what you’re looking for.
Durability. Finding a balance between durable furniture and sustainable furniture is important. Durable furniture options may not necessarily be the most sustainable.
Delivery and installation. Depending on where you buy from you may have to factor delivery into your costs, including the environmental impact this has. You may also have to arrange installation for some pieces of furniture.