Reducing your carbon footprint also lies in the simple things we do and opt for on a day to day basis. We will be focusing on one of those very simple changes you can make to your home; household furniture.
Green household furniture can make your home a more eco-friendly haven without compromising on the look or quality. Here are some eco-friendly furniture options that would give standard furniture a run for its money for sure.
Recycled Furniture
Buying recycled furniture is one of the best ways to go green in the household. Even buying furniture that contains recycled upholstery can be considered an eco-friendly choice. By buying recycled furniture, you are potentially stopping a lot of waste from ending up in the landfills. Recycled furniture has another benefit in that it uses lesser resources for production while not compromising on quality. Plus, you end up paying lesser for these items, thus enjoying a great bargain on some really high end furniture items.
Reclaimed Wood Furniture
Buying furniture made of reclaimed wood can be considered as another eco-friendly choice for your home. Reclaimed wood is wood that has been salvaged from old buildings, bridges, construction sites, river logs, factory scraps and even old furniture. Since reclaimed wood is already old, it will add quaint aged wood charm to your home as well as make it greener in the process.
Recyclable Furniture
Recent trends have indicated a shift towards recyclable furniture which can be easily disassembled at the end of its life and recycled. You can look for such products which usually contain an accreditation like Cradle to Cradle certification which indicate the furniture can be taken apart easily, with each individual part then being recycled to be used for another purpose.
Durable Furniture
We include durable furniture in this list because durable furniture would not need to be replaced or repaired in a long while. This is an eco-friendly choice in that you don’t need to opt for new furniture regularly while dumping the old ones into a landfill. The extended durability of the furniture will also allow you to sell it off or donate it when you buy a new one.
Vintage Furniture
A lot of people are opting for vintage furniture these days owing to the unique style it lends to the house. Vintage furniture is a great choice if you are opting for green furniture as you prevent these items from ending up in landfills otherwise. Better yet, you can chance upon some really cool looking vintage furniture for great bargains. Another advantage with vintage furniture is that these items would have already passed the off-gassing stage, thus contributing less to indoor pollution.
Additional Tips to Buy and Maintain Eco-Friendly Furniture
Here are some additional tips you may want to keep in mind when buying and maintaining eco-friendly furniture.
Go Green on Cleaning Products:
Opt for non-toxic cleaners when dusting and cleaning your furniture. Dust the furniture often as well to minimize dust buildup and create a cleaner atmosphere indoors.
Know how to choose green furniture:
One of the main aspects of choosing eco-friendly furniture is knowing how to choose a furniture that is green. One way to do this is to check for FSC certification on wood furniture which indicates that the wood comes from sustainable forests. Check for C2C certification which indicates that the furniture is made of recycled items.
Choose to buy local:
Another tip when choosing eco-friendly furniture is to opt for locally sourced furniture. In addition to enabling you to choose the furniture of your choice, this would actually allow you to reduce carbon footprint related to transportation costs. Plus, it would promote employment in local communities and contribute to their economic growth as well.
Heat you home sustainably :
When it gets cold outside and you decide to cosy up within the confines of your home, you probably prefer the idea of setting up a log burning stove or burning coals in the fireplace. Well, those going with kiln dried hardwood logs may rest assured about not causing any substantial harm to the environment. They burn slow and hence, provide you required heat and warmth when you need it.
Buying green furniture is a great choice when considering making your home more eco-friendly. In addition to several eco-friendly furniture options, there are several tips to maintain these items in your home easily and efficiently.