Sustainable Decor: Choosing Ethical and Eco-Friendly Furniture and Home Accessories
Selecting furniture and decor can be a daunting task and can really shape the look, feel, and function of your home. In addition to style and aesthetics, however, there are some important considerations to be made regarding environmental and health impacts. This article will dive deeper into these considerations, and what you can look for when decorating and furnishing your home.
How you can make your home decor sustainable
Enhance your home with eco-friendly choices like bamboo, stone, glass, ceramics, metal, or reclaimed wood for a unique touch. Sustainable home decor offers a way to marry style with environmental responsibility, turning your living space into an eco-friendly haven.
A lot of companies may advertise their products as “green,” “sustainable,” “recyclable,” or other similar terms, but these claims aren’t always necessarily true. Many companies engage in “greenwashing,” where they market themselves as environmentally or ethically friendly in order to increase their sales, while not putting in work to make these claims true or to provide evidence for them. These brands might end up placing the burden of sustainability on the consumer. An example of this is labeling packaging as recyclable, but not instructing consumers on how to properly dispose of it so that it can actually be recycled. Or if you are ordering a product that has to be shipped to your home, the carbon footprint of transportation falls onto you if the firm does not offset these shipping impacts.
So, how can you sort out greenwashing from real efforts to reduce environmental harm?
Some red flags to watch out for: hidden trade-offs (i.e. using “recycled” materials but having a much higher-impact production process because of it), lack of proof to back up claims, vague language, false labeling, irrelevant claims (i.e. claiming a product is free of a harmful chemical that was never used in that product to begin with), and misrepresentation.
A genuinely sustainable company should be upfront about its practices (i.e. supply chain, production process) and environmental impacts. They might share updates on their progress and how they are continuing to mitigate their impact. They should be applying sustainable practices to their business operations, like using energy efficient lighting, renewable energy sources, and practicing recycling and composting to cut down on waste. Sustainable companies will prioritize social responsibility and ethics, like fair labor practices with good wages, and ensuring their products don’t rely on unethical labor. They might have a program to give back to their local communities as well.
The goal of sustainable design is to cut down on environmental impacts and health hazards to humans. Sustainability here encompasses the entire life cycle of an item, from how the materials are gathered to make it, to how it is produced and distributed, to how it is able to be disposed of. A challenge of sustainable furniture and decor is finding a balance between employing positive environmental practices and cost and aesthetics. Sustainably produced pieces can be more expensive. However, as consumers are increasingly thinking about sustainability as a factor in their purchasing decisions, more companies are beginning to employ more sustainable practices.
Once you have sorted out the greenwashers from the do-gooders, here are some more things to pay attention to when shopping for furniture and decor, broken down into seven categories.
1) Materials
The durability of a piece is instrumental to its carbon footprint. Well-made pieces from high-quality materials will result in longer functional lifespans, reducing the amount of fast-furniture and fast-decor ending up in the landfill each year. Pieces made from materials that are beyond repair if they experience damage lead to more waste. For example, particleboard—made from compressed wood particles—is not very durable. If it gets wet, it can swell and lose its functionality, and trying to repair it is often more hassle and cost than it’s worth. Mixed materials that shrink and expand at different rates of temperature or humidity can lead to warping and cracks.
2) Manufacturing
Similar to materials, sturdy design, craftsmanship, and construction of a piece cut down on time and money that would otherwise be spent on repairs and/or replacements. It also cuts down on waste and on the demand for fast furniture. Looking for companies that are transparent about how and where they source their materials from is a good start. Instead of cutting costs by outsourcing work overseas, sustainable companies will more likely be sourcing their materials locally, and using recyclable materials.
3) Functionality
Functionality and longevity are key to sustainable design. Furniture and decor should be durable and versatile. Opting for classic, timeless designs instead of trendy pieces that will go out of style keeps items out of the landfill. When shopping, consider whether all or any parts of the pieces you are purchasing can be repurposed, whether that means being upcycled, recycled, or whether they are biodegradable.
4) Packaging and Transportation
Seek out manufacturers who use environmentally friendly packaging and have a low-impact transportation method. Think about how far the piece you’re looking at would have to travel in order to arrive on your doorstep, and see whether you can’t find a similar piece that is made
locally when you can. Another consideration here is the size of the furniture or decorative piece in question. Oversized furniture can require more resources and energy to transport.
5) Human Health
The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that Americans spend 90% of their time inside, meaning that taking care to ensure that your home is free of toxins is very much worthwhile. Organically grown fibers (i.e. cotton, linen, bamboo, rattan, and wicker) are good options for furniture and upholstery. Animal fibers like wool and silk are also nontoxic. Materials and chemicals used in furniture construction (like adhesives, paint, and preservatives) can have volatile organic compounds, or VCOs. VCOs are emitted as a gas and contaminate indoor air quality. Paints can also contain VCOs and other harmful chemicals that can lead to health problems. Choose paints, furniture, decor, and stains that have low or zero VCOs (50 grams per liter of paint, maximum). You can reduce your carbon footprint and increase the air quality of your home by avoiding carpet. It is often full of chemicals and pollutants, and releases toxins throughout its lifespan.
6) Other Considerations
Buying second-hand, vintage, and antique pieces contribute to a circular economy, where pieces get extended lifespans, which keeps materials out of the landfill and avoids contributing to the production of new materials. Sites like eBay and Gumtree offer vintage pieces. Adding plants to your home can improve the air quality, while also adding color and vibrancy. Switch to LED light bulbs to cut down on utility bills and to enjoy more efficient and longer-lasting bulbs. Design around natural lighting: paint your walls lighter colors to reflect sunlight, and arrange furniture for a more open feel. Add thermal curtains to your windows (placing them behind your curtains) to reduce your energy bill and keep the heat out.
7) Third Party Standards and Certifications
Lastly, check and look for third-party certifications, which require businesses to meet certain standards and requirements and undergo regular audits to ensure they are meeting specified sustainability goals. Below is a list of some common standards and certifications.
Energy Star — Rated products are equivalent to or better than standard products, just using less energy. To be Energy Star-rated, products must meet strict energy efficiency criteria set by the US Environmental Protection Agency or the US Department of Energy.
USDA Organic — Certified organic products are grown and processed according to federal guidelines that address many things, including soil quality, livestock raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives. Certified producers use natural substances and physical, mechanical, or biologically based farming methods to the fullest extent possible.
B Corp — Designates that a business meets high standards of performance, accountability, and transparency on a range of issues, from employee benefits and charitable giving, to supply chain practices and materials. Companies must demonstrate high social and environmental performance, make a legal commitment to being accountable to all stakeholders (not just shareholders), and be transparent about their performance.
LEED — To achieve certification, construction projects earn points by following prerequisites and credits that focus on carbon, water, energy, waste, transportation, materials use, health, and indoor air quality. Projects go through verification and review processes.
Fair Trade — focused on responsible business, the elimination of poverty, and social and environmental sustainability. Certified products have a guaranteed minimum price to serve as a safety net for farmers and producers in areas with low market prices. They ensure safe and healthy working conditions, environmental protections, and product traceability.
ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard / LEVEL certified — internationally adopted standard regarding performance criteria for furniture. It evaluates three tiers based on how a piece meets or exceeds social and environmental impact requirements. Level 3 is the highest.
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) — prioritizes upcycled designs that don’t throw away raw materials and reuse them to create other products. Products must meet 5 standards: 1) ensure materials prioritize health for humans and the environment; 2) enable a circular economy through intentional design; 3) generate clean energy and protect the environment; 4) safeguard watershed and soil ecosystems; and 5) uphold safe, fair, and equitable labor practices.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) — sustainable forestry management. Labeled products come from vetted sustainable forests that have no deforestation. They also support fair wages, positive work environments, community rights, and animal and plant life conservation.
Eco-Institut — indicates low-pollutant and low-emissions pieces for indoor spaces. It engages in toxicological and emissions testing to protect human health.
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of today, and it can be overwhelming to think about it, let alone take action. Making these swaps to the way we furnish and decorate our homes can reduce our carbon and environmental footprints, as well as cut costs on utility bills and down-the-line costs associated with fast furniture and cheap decor, not to mention improve the air quality of our homes, reducing exposure to dangerous and toxic chemicals.
