Furniture Market To Present Green Seminars

Posted on January 15, 2008 by Joyce Benson   Add a Comment |
Tag(s): Events, Going Green, Green Furnishings

The immense world of furniture is not typically very sustainable with petroleum-derived foam for cushions and fabrics like polyester and nylon; chemical-derived stains and finishes; and wood that comes from questionable sources. But later this month, the Las Vegas Furniture Market, in cooperation with the Sustainable Furniture Council, aims to educate those in the biz with a new series called “Brave New World: Environmental Leadership Series.”

Attendees will learn about current green market trends, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified wood, and sustainable business practices. These series run from January 29th through the 31st and are free to attendees. Visit the Las Vegas Market website for more details.

On a related note, the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) encourages furniture makers to be a part of a program called the EFEC (Enhancing Furniture’s Environmental Culture). According to Furniture Today, “The EFEC requires a company to analyze and better understand the environmental impact of its processes, raw materials and finished products on a facility-by-facility basis.

Three of the country’s top residential furniture producers already have U.S. plants that are EFEC-registered: Stanley, La-Z-Boy Upholstery and Vaughan. Vaughan-Bassett and Bernhardt have also enrolled in the program. Other manufactures who’ve made the pledge are: C.R. Laine, Century Furniture, Fairfield Chair, Hickory Chair, Hooker Furniture and the case goods division of La-Z-Boy.

Companies that are EFEC-registered are eligible for the industry’s new certification program “Sustainable by Design”, which requires implementation of sustainable business practices throughout their entire supply chain. Sounds like a move in the right direction.

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