Far from a passing trend, eco-friendly (or green) wood furniture and furniture parts are becoming more and more available to consumers as manufacturers continue to provide competitive alternatives. Take note though, “green furniture” is a grossly over-used term. Just like everything else that’s labelled “green,” wood furniture and furniture parts can be passed off as an eco-friendly product when they are actually not. It’s important here to define what eco-friendly (or green) wood furniture consists of.
Eco-friendly wood furniture parts and pieces will provide combinations of these traits:
• Efficient designs
• Reduced or zero VOC emissions
• Renewable wood sources
• Recycled or salvaged wood
• FSC approved wood sources
• Recyclable product and package
• Eco-friendly manufacturing methods
• Improved life-cycles, improved durability
• Replaceable parts and easy to repair designs
• Environmentally sensitive components and practices
No matter which qualities are most important to you, remember that to find a truly green wood furniture product it’s important that there be more than just a single benefit. If the wood used to produce a part is from green sources, but you’re producing it in a plant that is not efficient or environmentally friendly, then you’re not really getting green! Look for a manufacturer who meets or exceeds eco-friendly manufacturing practices.
It’s pretty common thought that it will cost more to use eco-friendly wood sources. But nothing’s further from the truth! Our FSC approved wood sources allow us to offer “green” furniture parts to our customers at competitive prices. FSC stands for: Forest Stewardship Council. This international organization established in 1993 promotes responsible management of the world’s forests. They established standard settings for forest products certification and labeling. Because we can use wood that otherwise can not be used (because it is too short), we can reduce waste and repurpose existing wood sources into a value-added product.
There are many ways to incorporate green alternatives that will be similar in cost while reducing environmental impacts throughout the wood furniture part manufacturing process. From choosing finishes with lower VOC’s, alternate wood sources, to minimizing the wastage on a run of furniture through improved design; we are able to offer many practical and efficient solutions to our customers. It just depends on your project’s goals.
When you come to Newport Furniture Parts you can expect to find reasonable and competitive prices, creative solutions, expertise and quality service. Give us a call today and let’s discuss your project!
