The furniture industry is facing big changes, as more brands are abandoning mass-produced furniture pieces to shift to sustainable furniture. Sustainable furniture does not cause as much damage to the environment as mass-produced pieces do, and it tends to look much more beautiful with individuality for each piece. If you wish to reduce your own carbon footprints, it certainly is a good idea to start buying sustainable furniture.
For customers who have not had a good idea about what sustainable furniture entails, this is the perfect article for you. We will discuss the five key elements of sustainable furniture so that you can make the right purchase decision. We have gathered inspiration from the furniture comparison site Interiorbeat, who have made a series of great articles on the topic of sustainable furniture.
Materials
The material of a furniture piece is probably its single most important and impactful element. The material will decide whether the piece will be tough or fragile, or whether it will be sustainable or not. For this reason, it should be the first factor to have an impact on your purchase decision.
Wooden materials are generally quite sustainable, but hardwoods are a notable exception. This is because you have to cut down a lot of trees to make hardwood furniture. For the most sustainable choices, veneer furniture is a great choice.
Aluminium might get a bad reputation when it comes to sustainability, but many companies are now starting to use recycled aluminium instead for fewer industrial wastes. If you wish to use aluminium pieces, try to get the ones that are made from recycled aluminium so that you can support a circular economy.
New materials such as wicker or hemp are also amazing choices, especially for a modern living space with lots of room for organic design. These materials will bring a touch of nature to your own home.
Designs
Modern furniture designs tend to be more sustainable than older ones, as they allow for a lot of room for repair and replacements. Modular furniture pieces are particularly sustainable since you can take apart the pieces and buy replacement parts, ensuring that you will be able to use them for a long time. Plus, these pieces are a great choice for small living areas!
Durability
The tougher the pieces, the more sustainable it is! With fragile furniture pieces, you have to constantly buy replacements for them, which not only costs a lot of money but also increases your own carbon footprints. The solution is to buy durable pieces that last for ages. You will not have to buy replacements for them.
The disposal process
Sustainable furniture pieces are those that can be recycled for other purposes. As furniture pieces reach the end of their life cycle, most of them are disposed of at landfills, which potentially causes a lot of catastrophic environmental impacts in the surrounding areas.
Many companies are now offering buyback schemes, where they will buy back used pieces of furniture that are reaching the end of their life for recycling purposes. You can consider buying furniture pieces from these companies to support green initiatives.
The supply chain
The global supply chain is a major source of carbon emission, which causes worsening climate change. Thus, buying furniture pieces that have to be transported over long routes is not a good idea. You can buy from local manufacturers instead, as the shipping fee and the carbon emission will be much reduced.
Sustainable furniture pieces are the future of the industry, and these pieces are some of the most innovative designs out there. The five key factors above are the most crucial ones to take into account the next time you want to buy a sustainable furniture piece, so don’t hesitate to do some preliminary research before making your decision!
