Green Business Notebook

Choosing green furniture is one aspect of ensuring you have a green office but how do you know if your office furniture is environmentally friendly? As consumer demand for green furniture increases, manufactures are working to implement green practices in both production and operation. This has led to a range of environmental certifications that indicate the environmental impacts of your furniture.  However each of these certifications looks at different aspects of furniture manufacture so it pays to know about the different certifications before you go shopping. Here are the more commonly recognized certifications you may see on green furniture:

• Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) International is a not for profit organization that has created a voluntary furniture sustainability standard which includes criteria for the evaluation of energy, natural resources, human and ecosystem health and corporate social responsibility impacts.
•  The Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) is a non-profit coalition of businesses in the furniture industry. As well as standard membership, the Council offers exemplary membership at silver, gold and platinum levels for manufacturers that are using sustainable practices.

Aside from certifications specifically aimed at green furniture, other green certifications can also apply to furniture indicating different environmental aspects of the product:

• The Greenguard Environmental Institute is also a not for profit organization as well as an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer. Their certification concentrates on indoor air quality and determines whether products have low chemical and particle emissions making them suitable for use indoors.
• McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) is a private firm that provides a cradle to cradle certification which considers both the environmental impact of the manufacturing process and how the product can be disassembled and recycled at the end of its life. The manufacturing process and materials are assessed in five categories: material health, material reutilization, renewable energy use, water stewardship, and social responsibility.
• The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a not for profit organization that provides voluntary certifications to show forests are managed sustainably and timber is sourced from sustainable forests.
• The LEED green building certification has a stream for commercial interiors where it is possible to earn credits for reusing existing furniture, buying furniture made from recycled content or rapidly renewable materials and choosing furniture made from FSC certified wood.

Now you can see there are a wide range of environmental certifications that apply to green furniture. While the range of certifications can be confusing, having this knowledge helps you make more sustainable purchasing decisions for your office.

With the range of furniture on the market today selecting furniture that is good for both you and the environment can be a challenge. Before making your buying decisions, it helps to be armed with a little knowledge of how furniture is made and the environmental impacts of the materials used. To get you started here are some of the materials you need to be aware of when buying green furniture.

Wood: The clearing of forests affects the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and causes land issues from deforestation. To use wood more sustainably it is important to choose wood products that have been certified to come from forests that are sustainably managed. Wood can also be reused and some lovely furniture is made from recycled wood. You can find out more about sustainable wood here.

Rapidly Renewable Materials: It is becoming more common to use materials that can rapidly renew themselves in green furniture. One example is bamboo which is becoming more popular due to its growing speed and versatility. Other rapidly renewable materials are rattan, straw (and straw board), cotton and wool.

Aluminum and Steel: The production of metal requires a lot of energy which creates carbon emissions; however metal also has the ability to be recycled more than once reducing the overall environmental impact of these products. Any steel or aluminum components in green furniture should be made with a high percentage of recycled content.

Fabrics: Opting for fabrics that are made from natural fibers and use only natural dyes reduces the environmental impact of your furniture. Fabrics should be manufactured using sustainable practices without the use of harmful chemicals. Upholstery fabrics made with recycled content are also available.

Plastic: As plastic isn’t biodegradable it will become additional landfill waste if we can’t find another use for it. The plastic components of green furniture should have some recycled content and be able to be recycled at the end of its useful life.

Padding: Ideally padding in cushions should come from natural materials such as natural latex, cotton, feathers or wool. Other environmentally friendly options include recycled fabric and even recycled soda bottles. These options are more environmentally friendly than traditional foam cushions.

Being aware of the different materials used to make green furniture can help you make more informed purchasing decisions. As manufacturers aim to meet consumer demand for environmentally friendly products they often publicise how their products are made and what materials have been used.