Solutions for Furniture

Sustainable Furniture Features for Spring Cleaning in the Office

2008-02-25T22:30:10Z

Spring cleaning around the office is in the air -- and furniture is a great place to start going green in the workplace.

Furniture recyclers and refurbishers represent more than $1.2 billion of the $13.6 billion in the US commercial furniture industry. The used furniture boom indicates that companies are catching on to the inherent benefits of buying used.

Opting for gently used furniture saves money and helps keep perfectly good products out of landfills.

"Green" means high performance with low impact. If you prefer to buy new furniture, consider these high performance features in the furniture you buy:

Sustainable materials: Consider the material source, manufacturing and finishes of the materials that go into that new chair. With wood furniture, choose products that are sourced from sustainably managed forests like FSC-certified from the Forest Stewardship Council.

Durability: If you are buying new, buy for the long term. Nothing says unsustainable like a new product that becomes trash in a few years. While buying higher quality furniture requires a larger initial investment, the longer it lasts the bigger your return.

Good Corporate Practices: The company you are buying from should at least have an eye on sustainability.

GreenerAssets brings you advice on greener workplaces.

Sustainable Furniture Council

2008-02-25T21:54:45Z

Is wood sustainable? How about finishes...and paddings...and metal? Sustainable furniture recognizes that respectful use and replenishment of natural resources are at the heart of "sustainability."

Sustainable furniture can use recycled materials, low or no-VOCs in finishes, natural padding materials and minimal design to conserve quantities of virgin materials. Innovation and creativity are unlimited in designing furniture that is more environmentally friendly.

Now there is a trade association for companies concerned about natural resources protection and conservation -- The Sustainable Furniture Council.

The Sustainable Furniture Council is a non-profit balanced coalition of industry players created to promote sustainable practices among manufacturers, retailers, and consumers alike with a public tagging program to identify good choices.

The SFC recognizes the overwhelming scientific consensus that our world is experiencing dangerous global climate change. SFC members acknowledge the tremendous urgency, and will take immediate steps to minimize carbon emissions, waste stream pollutants, un-recyclable content and primary materials from unsustainable sources from any product platform under our control.

SFC members will utilize Life Cycle Assessment as the best method for analyzing the environmental impact of their products, and a verifiable chain of custody as the only acceptable method for tracking wood flow.

In 2008, we will be launching a public advertising and in-store tagging program for consumers to identify retailers and products which exceed our threshold sustainability standards. Our Standards Committee is currently reviewing all legitimate, independent certification schemes to establish eligibility requirements.

For a simple discussion of global warming basics, visit the Natural Resources Defense Council at www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/f101.asp

PROBLEM: Poor quality furniture with short lifespans and unsustainable materials.

SOLUTION: Certified sustainable materials and manufacturing of furniture to provide longer life and lower lifespan costs.

Solutions for Furnishing Your Home and Office

2008-02-21T23:05:28Z

High Performance, Beauty and Quality Furniture for Homes

Antique furniture proves that furniture can stand the ravages of time -- and quality furniture is being made today that will be the classic styles and antiques of tomorrow. But you have to adjust your thinking to find the high performance designs and materials. We have solutions!

Natural materials and quality construction are the hallmarks of high performance design of furniture for yourself and your family. Latex vs. polyfoam, quality forged metals vs. cast metals, and quality materials that will last a lifetime (and more) are high performance furniture features.

Caring for furniture is also part of your investment in long lasting furniture. We will bring you information on how to care for different kinds of materials, and how to repair these furniture classics.

And don't forget design. Traditional furniture designs are still being crafted by today's furniture designers and of course, modern styles abound in this age of creativity and green design that is forging new levels of quality and function.

High Performance, Ergonomic, Functional Furniture for Offices

The right office chair can make all the difference in how you feel during your work day. And the right desk can dramatically improve your productivity. What do you look for in high performance office furniture?

We are bringing you connections and information about ergonomic design as well as materials that fit into today's green buildings and furnishings that fit our digital reality.

High Performance Furniture Product Categories

Living Room Furnishings
Office Furniture
Bedroom Furniture
Outdoor Furniture
Built-in Furniture
Accessories