If sustainability is important to you, you may want to put some added thought into which furniture pieces you're choosing for your home. Modern furniture can offer some outstanding sustainability advantages if you know what to look for.
The following are five things you can do to make your modern furniture choices more sustainable for the environment:
Educate yourself about the sustainability of materials
Certain materials are more sustainable than others. While wood is a very common furniture material, alternative materials like rattan and plastic made from recycled materials are more sustainable.
Look into the materials furniture pieces are made out of and research the environmental impacts of them when you're shopping to end up with the most sustainable options.
Pay attention to where wood comes from that is used in furniture pieces
Wood is one of the most common furniture materials out there. Wood varies significantly in terms of how sustainable it is depending on what type of wood it is, where it was harvested, and how it was harvested.
Some of the most widely available woods out there that are sustainably sourced bamboo, teak, and walnut.
While sustainably sourced wood can offer some environmental advantages, it's often best to avoid wood altogether for the most sustainable furniture material options.
Find out if VOCs are used in the production of furniture pieces and avoid purchasing such furniture pieces
VOCs are toxic chemicals that are used in many different types of furniture components. Some examples of VOCs in furniture components are upholstery treatments, paint, and leather curing chemicals.
VOCs are not only unhealthy for the environment, but they can also have negative health consequences for members of your household. Avoid them at all costs if you're looking to be as sustainable as possible in your furniture selections.
Opt for furniture pieces featuring LED lighting
Some furniture pieces like desk ensembles and lamp units include lighting fixtures. With lighting fixtures, LED lighting is typically the most sustainable option out there.
LED bulbs are known to last longer than traditional bulbs while also consuming less energy. They are not only more sustainable, but will also help you out when you're paying your utility bills.
Pay attention to shipping
Furniture pieces themselves aren't the only things to take into consideration when you're evaluating the sustainability of modern furniture options. You also want to consider shipping practices required to get the furniture to your home.
When it coms to sustainability, you want to look out for furniture with a minimal amount of packaging. It's also best to choose furniture that arrives disassembled because such furniture is typically more compact and therefore requires less energy consumption to ship.
Share23 August 2017
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