The Changing Carbon Footprint Of Your Couch

By Craig Hale

The home furnishing industry has long been one of the leading contributors to global degradation. Air pollution, child labor use, and emissions to water are no strangers to furniture makers.

Trying to impress these dictators of style is like trying to scale the side of Mount Everest – it’s almost impossible.  However, a couple of these companies did turn heads and proved that yes, green design can be more than cotton- and wool-stuffed futons with batik print slipcovers.  Sorry, but the days of hippy-dippy “green” decorating are over.   

Despite the prevailing theme of regionally made goods, an American and Austrian company showed some amazing pieces of furniture and showed how their companies are working to create products that will benefit the user as well as the environment.

American Leather a leading Dallas, Texas, custom, leather-upholstery company proved that even the most main stream of furniture companies can still make a profit while maintaining an eco-conscious business model. According to factory representative Casey Jones, an environmentally-friendly business stance not only helps to ensure a healthy environment, but also a healthy bottom line. Jones went on to say that a green manufacturing process has always been part of the business plan for the company.  American Leather has only recently begun to use this fact for marketing purposes. The reason they never talked about the company’s environmental standards is because it never seemed important to the retailers who sell their products.  

American Leather has been addressing environmental concerns on many fronts. By utilizing state-of-the-art manufacturing, energy management systems, and buying products from eco-friendly vendors, they are able to control the environmental impact of their business. A dramatic change from the traditional mind set of the furniture industry. 

In the “reduce, reuse, recycle” vein, the company sells its unused products, specifically its sawdust and leather scraps to other companies who can recreate the by-products into new consumer goods. Leather scraps are sold to a company that produces inexpensive leather handbags and wallets. The sawdust, two-million pounds per year, is sold as a key ingredient in making landscaping bricks. Texans do like to do things in a grand way.

In Austria however, the creation of environmentally healthy products is done on a much smaller scale.  Team 7, which is based in Ried, Austria, stopped producing traditional lacquered furniture and since 1980 has been making quality, ecologically-responsible, solid-wood furniture. One of the main reasons for the change over is that European governments have created stricter regulations for manufacturers. With these stricter regulations in place TEAM 7 has sought out ways to create quality products that do not release emissions and are created with sustainable products that can be easily recycled.  

By adding the protection of the environment to its design philosophy, TEAM 7 has created a line of timeless, quality furniture. The company looks at the production of its furniture as an artisnal craft rather than a massive operation. Employing traditional wood-working techniques and joinery each piece of furniture is created using locally-grown and sustainably-harvested lumber, does not use plastic in its hinges or moving parts, and uses only all-natural, non-toxic oils and waxes.

By using natural oils and waxes, the finishes on the furniture have very low VOC emissions helping to maintain healthy indoor air quality.  Using non-toxic finishes helps eliminate the use of hazardous cleaning agents and increases the quality of indoor air in the consumer’s home.   

Another way the company is able to reduce VOC emissions, is by not using particleboard or medium density fiberboard (MDF) as secondary woods in their cabinetry. The use of MDF and particleboard is a common practice in the furniture industry. These wood alternatives are used to create less expensive pieces of furniture. The main problem with these wood alternatives is the adhesive used to bind the product together, and the glue used to adhere exotic veneer to the visible surface of furniture.               

TEAM 7 creates a collection of furniture that is both beautiful in craftsmanship and design, as well as functional. According to Barbara Piplits-Schneider, sales representative for TEAM 7, the company wants to create pieces of furniture that are modern in style, yet timeless pieces that will be passed on to future generations. In other words, if everyone had held on to grandmother’s dining table the landfills would still have room for us to dump our toxic waste.

Despite all the good intentions, there is still a long way to go. The fact that companies are starting to listen to the demands of the consumer is a wonderful thing.  However, the furniture industry stills has a long way to go.

The companies showing their products at NORDEX were being marketed to the high-end furniture market. Despite the wonderful quality and exceptional styling these products are not accessible to the masses. Unfortunately the need for food and shelter over shadows the need for $10,000 sofas and dining tables. In order for the “green” furniture trend to have a positive impact on the environment, eco-friendly products will have to be available to all.  Hopefully, as demand grows furniture companies will be able to find ways to create products in a way that is friendly to the environment and the checkbook.

Craig Hale is an interior designer on Missoula’s Hip Strip.