10 Best Places To Find Eco-Friendly Furniture When You’re Trying To Be Green
By Jane Hurst
Choosing new furniture can be tough. Not only do you have a lot of different styles to choose from, you also need to consider the materials used to create the furniture. For many people, one of the main concerns is whether or not the materials and the processes used to make the furniture are environmentally friendly. If this is also a concern of yours, you will need to do your research in order to be able to find companies that sell sustainable furnishings that are made from all-natural materials and environmentally processes. Here are a few eco-friendly furniture companies to get your research started.
1. Anton Doll Holzmanufaktur
If you are looking for eco-friendly furniture that is hand-crafted by talented artisans from sustainable wood, look no further than Anton Doll, where each piece is lovingly hand-crafted and designed in Germany.
2. Eco Balanza
This company was formerly known as Greener Lifestyles, and is based in Seattle. All of the high-end furniture is made with non-toxic materials such as organic cotton and wool, solvent-free, water-based glues, and renewable latex foam.
3. Vermont Wood Studios
Unlike other US furniture companies that get their manufacturing done in China, India, and other countries where labor costs are low, this is a company that takes pride in the fact that all products are made right here in the USA. In fact, the company is a founding member of the Sustainable Furniture Council, which works to promote the preservation of the environment, in particular the rainforests. Each time an order is placed, a new tree is planted in accordance with The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees initiative.
4. Environment Furniture
This company is thought to have “created functional pieces of art that are monuments to sustainable living”. Materials used are reclaimed, recycled, and repurposed. The only new wood used is from managed certified forests.
5. Manchester Wood
Only wood that is grown in sustainably managed forests in the Northeast and meets strict state and national standards is used by this American company. All Sustainable Forestry Initiative standards are met or exceeded.
6. Cisco Home
Here you will find eco-friendly, high-end furniture that is made without “toxic chemicals, carcinogens, and the leading components of poor indoor air quality”. The dyes are non-toxic, and all wood used is FSC certified.
7. Ekla Home
Sticking to strict standards, Ekla is a member of the Organic Trade Association, Sustainable Furniture Council, and Co-Op America. Materials are organic, non-toxic, and free of chemical fire retardants.
8. Greenington Fine Bamboo Furniture
While bamboo has long been popular in Asian cultures, it is rapidly gaining in popularity here in the West. It is a practical choice, not only because it is inexpensive, but also because of its sustainability. It grows quickly, up to four feet per day, and is stronger than a lot of the strongest hardwoods. In addition to being sustainable, bamboo has a wide root system, so it helps to stop soil erosion. The plants provide more oxygen and remove more carbon dioxide from the air than trees, making it even more eco-friendly. This company is a member of the
Sustainable Furnishings Council.
9. Lee Industries
When you want an eco-friendly sofa, you will find the highest quality here. All sofas are made with FSC-certified wood, water-based soy finishes, organic fabrics, and recycled cushion fillings.
10. Atlantic Furniture
Not only are old rubber trees that can no longer be used because they are at the end of their production cycle actually used instead of being burned, this company also plants a new seed for each tree used.