Sustainable Furniture UK - Your Choice!
Kitting out your home can be a time-consuming and daunting job. If you are trying to choose ethical, eco-friendly and sustainable items it can be even harder. Thankfully, nowadays there are a growing number of companies which provide affordable, eco-friendly household furniture and reclaimed items. These inspired brands obtain materials from sustainable sources. Putting them together with recycled goods, they have a firm focus on responsible production and fair trade. Check out how much sustainable online furniture is available – you will be amazed at how much there is.
Eco-friendly footwear, clothing and accessories are rapidly gaining success and mainstream followings. Sustainable furniture is simply the next logical step. In case you weren’t aware, our chairs and sofas are currently padded with cushioning made from petroleum! Many modern home items have plastic made from petroleum. Plus, many of our furniture is from wood harvested illegally. In this worrying time of climate change, furniture producers are finally turning to sustainability. A number of major retailers have given a commitment to act positively. Some major players planning to achieve 100% sustainable wood sourcing. This marks an incredible turning point and a sustainability milestone.
Designers too, are beginning to realise the importance of their roles. There is little point having fabulous looking products if they perpetuate fossil fuel dependence, destroy forests, and pollute our air. Design, production and sustainability should go hand-in-hand. Although ‘fast’ furniture will not entirely disappear, we can all imagine a future which addresses climate change and thrives in harmony with nature. Eco-friendly furniture can show us the way forward.
The Cost Of Not Being Sustainable
Recent research carried out in the UK found that each year an average of 22 million items of household furniture are discarded. Much of this amount goes directly to landfill. Although this is less than some other key industries, the figure is still staggering. To be serious and active about reducing environmental impact, it is an important area we all need a commitment to get on top of.
Finding an acceptable balance for the average person is not always easy. One approach is to think about the footprint and understand that larger products should be more sustainable. Furniture that doesn’t need to be quite so durable can be inexpensively purchased. High quality and sustainability is most important for items like beds, sofas and dining tables. Quality manufacturing is key – there’s no point buying sustainable materials if it gets thrown out after a year or two. Researching brands, sustainability and long lasting materials is vital. Those with the least negative environmental impact are teak, eucalyptus, rattan and bamboo. Steel and aluminium are best for metal furniture , and recycled plastic for other essential items. There is always a cost, but the biggest cost to the world is doing absolutely nothing.