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Green furniture

Green furniture can be eco-friendly in a variety of ways. For instance, furniture can reduce demands on the environment by being built from recycled materials. Plastics and metals are well-known recyclable materials that are reused for the creation of furniture. Furnishings created from reclaimed wood make use of already harvested materials without increasing a demand for more of our forests to be destroyed.

Wood that is acquired through sustainable farming methods is another great source of material for creating green furniture. Tree farms that emphasize a sustainable process are careful to harvest only as many trees as they are certain nature will replenish. To know whether or not your furniture is coming from sustainable farming methods, check to see if it is certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC.)

As part of being produced in ways responsible towards our planet’s environment, green furniture should also be safe for your home environment. This means having minimal harmful toxins being released into the air through the process of “offgassing.” Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are the most common chemicals which are offgassed into the air. These chemicals have been linked to such things as birth defects and cancer. The Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) is an organization that certifies various products, including furniture, to ensure low toxicity.

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