Sustainably Sourced Furniture: What is it and Why Do I Need it?
Welcome!
I’m Johanna and I’m an Architect + Interior Designer based out of Philadelphia, PA. I help homeowners design and renovate their homes in eco-friendly ways. I am dedicated to creating unique, sustainable spaces that are built to last— all while changing the way folks perceive “environmentally friendly” design.
Sustainably Sourced Furniture: What is it and Why Do I Need it?
What Does Sustainably Sourced Mean?
There are a lot of products that are dubbed “Sustainably Sourced,” but truthfully, that could mean a lot of different things such as:
Sustainable Manufacturing Processes (i.e. uses less water or energy)
“Easily Renewable” Materials are incorporated
Made of Recycled Materials
While all of the above are arguably good for the environment, this generic term leaves a lot of room for products to be labeled “sustainable” when most of the materials used in the product are not. (This is a form of “greenwashing.” We talked about that in this post here)
“Alright Jo, so what do I look for if I want something that is really ‘Sustainably Sourced’?”
How do I Find Sustainably Sourced Furniture?
If you are looking for Sustainably Sourced Furniture, you are going to want to look closely at the certifications (if any) related to the piece. The one that I am always looking for is:
FSC Certified
What is it?
FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council and seeing their certification on products means that the wood is harvested with sustainable use, conservation, restoration & respect in mind. Their mission is to promote environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically prosperous management of the world’s forests. The FSC has established 10 principles and 57 criteria that apply to FSC-certified forests around the world to help achieve this mission.
Why is it important?
The world's forests are essential to maintaining their immediate eco-systems and the global climate at large. Many of the cheaper wood furniture items do no use wood that has been harvested in sustainable ways, which adds to the deforestation problem.
How to search for products:
Especially with wood furnishings, you’ll want to look for FSC Certified in the description or specs on the product.
This helps identify which products have been manufactured from materials that have been sustainably sourced!
Let’s put this into practice:
In previous posts I’ve touted that the Williams & Sonoma Brands are good resource when looking for eco-friendly furnishings. Each of their companies have dedicated sections of their sites to the various “green” furnishings I cover: Non-toxic Furniture, Sustainably Sourced Furniture, Organic Furnishings.
I caution that you still need to read the descriptions though and look for these specific certifications and here’s why:
Below are 2 tables, similarly priced on PB’s site. They each are designated as “Sustainably Sourced,” but upon further review of the items’ descriptions, we can see that only one of these tables is FSC Certified (The “Modern Farmhouse” Table).
PS - you can click on the table images to go to the product page and take a peek for yourself!
The “Parkmore” table’s description makes some generic claims:
Made of reclaimed pine - yes, reclaimed is generally good. It means materials have been up-cycled and kept out of landfills, however is this 100% reclaimed?
Uses “eco-friendly” water based stain - yes, water based stains are are more eco-friendly option, but why does it not have a non-toxic (Greenguard) certification to go along with it?
Without inquiring more about the specifics of this Parkmore Table, it’s difficult to gauge the real environmental impact of this selection. It appears to have some aspects of eco-conscious sourcing & manufacturing, but it is not clear enough.
That’s why looking for these types certifications is one of the best ways to make sure you are getting a truly eco-friendly product.
For me personally (and most of my clients) when making this level of an investment in a furniture piece, I want to make sure I am doing the most I can with my dollars. By ensuring products meet these certifications, I am able to do that.