Sustainable Dining Furniture

Posted on November 17, 2008 by Joyce Benson
Tag(s): Green Furnishings, Greening the Home

If you are on the look out for new dining room furniture, there are a few earth-friendly ways to go. To find gently used furniture, check out your local consignment shop; shop online at ebay or craigslist.org; or discover great finds in your hometown newspaper. Or if you have your heart set on a new dining set, consider one made from sustainable woods.

For the ultimate in sustainable wood furniture that is built to last, check out the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). It is a non-profit organization that verifies wood products come from sustainably managed forests with strict management policies in place that “meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations”.

The Smartwood program of the Rainforest Alliance offers a diverse set of certification and verification services, ranging from FSC certification and verification of legality, to the management of high conservation value forests and smartlogging to rediscovered wood programs.

The Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) is a non-profit coalition of industry players created to promote sustainable practices among manufacturers, retailers, and consumers alike with a public tagging program to identify good choices.

Gary Weeks and Company of Wimberley, TX is a fine furniture maker that handcrafts its green goods here in the USA. This small company offers stock and custom-made pieces from sustainably-harvested and FSC-certified cherry, maple, walnut, mesquite, and mahogany woods that are finished with natural tung oil and linseed oil, and polyurethane.
South Cone is one of the leading manufacturers of fine furniture and applies high quality craftsmanship techniques to its own designs. This company uses FSC-certifed woods, is a member of the SFC (at the silver status level), and adheres to high standards of social responsibility. Its furniture is made in Peru and can be found at numerous furniture stores throughout the United States.
Copeland Furniture of Bradford, VT has been awarded the silver status by the SFC and creates Shaker style and Arts & Crafts-inspired dining collections. Their new exclusive license to build the furniture designs of Frank Lloyd Wright will bring great style to any dining room.
West Bros Furniture of Ontario, Canada offers an extensive selection of solid wood dining room furniture like the set pictured here.