It Should Be Earth Day Everyday, Go Green Furniture
Each year, April 22 is Earth Day. It is an environmental event which focuses on the appreciation of nature and learning the ways on how to protect the environment from abuse and misuse. With the issues of global warming, pollution and other “environmental crisis” facing us today it is high time that we contribute to this cause even in our own little way.
Buy Eco Friendly Furniture
One way to show our support for Earth Day is to buy green furniture which uses materials that are not only good for our body but also good to Mother earth. By choosing green furniture you are going beyond for opting more than just aesthetics.
In a recent survey of consumers, including those who purchase furniture items, it is quite sad to note that 46% are willing to buy eco friendly furniture or other green products provided they are convenient and at an acceptable price. The remaining 43% who are actually buying green products are not even considering the environmental impact of their action.
end table made from drift wood
Earth Unfriendly Furniture Materials
Many of us are unaware about the risks posed by non- green furniture in our homes. Most upholstered sofas, chairs or headboards uses polyurethane foam and fabrics which are treated with chemicals to make them flame retardant. Studies have shown that these chemicals adversely affect our health.
Even though polyurethane foam or fabric treated with flame retardant do not burn, still the chemicals in them migrate from the furniture into our homes. We in turn inhale or ingest the chemicals when the dust get in our hands. Small children and pets have more chances of acquiring the chemicals because they spend lots of time on the ground.
Particle boards, veneers and furniture paints and sealants also contain volatile organic compounds (VOC) which have toxic ingredients in them.
Another practice which do not contribute to the cause of Earth Day is making inexpensive wood furniture harvested from endangered forests. Cutting logs from these forests are already prohibited because the number of trees are no longer sufficient to make it sustainable for harvesting.
Eco Friendly Furniture Materials
There is no shortage of materials which can be incorporated in the making of green furniture, although some of them could be hard to find and expensive because of their being popular.
Reclaimed wood
This type of wood has been used before for other purposes but can be an excellent choice for re-use in making eco friendly furniture. Other advantages of reclaimed wood over other lumber is that of being stable and well-seasoned.
Rattan and Wicker
These material grows faster than forest trees and they are abundant in forest areas and thus they are sustainable. Wickers and rattan canes can be easily harvested and transported not like forest trees which needed heavy duty tools and heavy equpiments. They can be used in a variety of furniture, from sofas and beds to dining sets.
Patio furniture made of wicker material
Jute
Labeled as golden fiber because of its resemblance to gold color, jute is a very popular eco friendly material in making eco friendly furniture. Jute fabric are most commonly used as rugs, curtains or sacks but is now fast gaining in acceptance as upholstery material.
There are still more organic and natural materials out there that can be utilized to make an eco friendly furniture and thus contribute to the success of Earth Day. What I have given are the prominent ones but they are not necessarily more superior to the other less known.
Below is a video of how a discarded oak wood from an old pier was reclaimed and given a new life:
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