Speaking of green culture, eco furniture is one of the ‘all the rage’  things happening in home and office design. Eco home furniture offers different styles from the traditional solid wood designs, to quite hip, modern and modular furniture.

Environmentally friendly furniture does not only help a good cause, it is specially crafted (often by hand) in such a manner that it has minimal negative impacts on the environment. It is sourced from renewable resources with limited or no chemicals used that harm the environment. Herbal oils and polish  minimise the toxicity levels. Furniture which is crafted from recycled material and in turn can also be recycled falls under the same category.

Green living ensures that we do not place unnecessary pressures on the environment. It is easy to find great modern, traditional home designs in furniture that is unique, economical and as desirable as any other furniture made from ‘conventional’ sources. Green furniture has in the past unfairly been seen as boring and unexciting. But that is certainly not the case, it is possible to find many creative designers producing fabulous pieces of furniture for not just those who have a passion for environment friendly products but the wider ‘uninitiated’ who care less about their choices.

Certification : There are many different certifying bodies in this area which you should look out for when buying furniture like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and LEED certification. Also you should note other factors such as whether the furniture is sourced from renewable or recyclable sources and whether the furniture is recyclable, when you decide it is time for a change!!  This time does come eventually! Here are some points you may like to consider when making furniture buying decisions:

• The furniture can be made from rapid renewable or sustainable material such as bamboo. Also, recycled materials includes any material previously used such as factory scraps, salvaged or post-consumer material (old furniture or items people are disposing off). In addition, materials that have gone through very little processing - natural granite, stone, slate, and wood are also considered green, as little energy has been using during the manufacturing process.

• Non-toxic: The furniture should be free from harmful chemicals. The production process should reduce or better still completely eliminate the use of toxic chemicals for production.

• Packaging: Green products should be minimally packaged, preferably with recycled materials.

• There is a eco-friendly stream of building products that reduce the impact on the environment to create a healthy and green system. Bamboo for example is a fast growing grass and when used as a building material like flooring etc, can contribute in eco-friendly homes and construction.

There are some simple facts about environment-friendly furniture. We all can (even if only in a small way) contribute to the green culture that is not just in fashion, but also the correct/moral thing. As the designers follow trends and develop more creative and functional products path, we can all embrace green living.

Following some recent reports on the internet I feel the need to air a few views on the “bamboo – good or bad” issue.  Bamboo products – floors, furniture, clothing, textiles – have certainly grown in popularity over the last few years, largely on the back of their perceived environmental/green image.  But do the products actually live up to this reputation?  I decided that I would look into this issue a bit further, looking first at bamboo as a flooring method.

Obviously when compared to hardwood options bamboo scores highly as a sustainable resource.  Maturity occurs in the order of 5 years in comparison to the 20+ years taken for hardwood.  This results in a much higher yield per hectare. The physical properties of bamboo – strength, flexibility, versatility – make it a very viable alternative to timber and metal.

Bamboo also plays a very important role in removing CO2 from the atmosphere and at a higher rate than alternative trees.  This is done through the process of sequestration (storage in a physical form) of carbon dioxide.  It also is grown largely without the need for fertilisers. 

Well all positive so far.  It does perhaps get complicated when we start to look at the manufacturing/processing side and more specifically the glue used in the process.  I do accept that this may not be the most ecologically responsible method and this is certainly one of the main concerns often cited.  However I would argue that when compared to the environmental impacts of alternative wood based products these concerns pale into insignificance.

One of the other issues is the transportation problems due to the fact that the vast majority of bamboo is produced in China and the requirement to ship it all around the world to the US and Europe especially.

However, all this aside we may need to accept that all resources have some negative impacts, it is just the degree of impact that we need to be concerned with.  Personally I am happy with my choice of bamboo for the floor in the living room – it looks great too!

Any views on this?