Green and Not So Green Furniture Materials

Solid Wood Solid wood is a good choice, unless it comes from an endangered species or has been harvested in an unsustainable manner. When purchasing wood furniture, check that the wood is certified as ecologically sound. The FSC certifies wood and wood products that are ecologically sound choices. Buy from local craftspeople who use local wood. Finally, check that finishes are non-toxic. Mass-Produced Engineered Wood rnMass-produced engineered wood is dangerous to the environment and affects indoor air quality with outgassing. Unlike solid wood, engineered wood is not durable, so it often peels and cracks and looks worn after a short period of time, and ends up being discarded. Plywood, veneers, particleboard, chipboard and fiberboard are materials that are bonded into sheets with adhesives containing formaldehyde and urea resins. High-solvent, plastic-based paints are sometimes added to give the piece a hard-wearing surface. rnFormaldehyde is a gaseous by-product of the glue used in most pressed wood and particleboard products, and is a recognized carcinogen believed to be toxic to the liver, and reproductive and neurological systems. rnThe formaldehyde outgasses heavily the first six months, but continues at a lesser rate for years because the glue containing the formaldehyde is part of the wood product. This outgassing degrades the quality of the indoor air. rnIt is difficult to find products without any engineered wood. For example, even so-called high-end kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, with real wood doors and shelves, typically use particle board for the hidden back, sides and bottoms. rnIf you have furniture with engineered wood do not despair. You can seal these wood products with a product made to keep formaldehyde from outgassing. AFM Safecoat Safe Seal® and Hard Seal®, while not one hundred percent effective, do an excellent job. See “Resources” in Part IV. rnA company called Columbia Forest Products has just come out with formaldehyde-free plywood panels called PureBond™. PureBond™ performs better than its urea-formaldehyde counterpart and is just slightly more expensive. PureBond™ is also certified as sustainably harvested by the FSC. See “Resources.” Plastic Laminates Plastic laminates are derived from petrochemicals. Laminates are glued to panel furniture with dangerous adhesives, heavy petrochemical-based paints, stains or inks. These materials affect indoor air by outgassing—significantly for the first six months and then to a lesser degree for years. Bamboo A wonderful choice, as bamboo is a sustainable, fast growing grass that is almost as strong as oak, but grows approximately six times faster than wood. Just make sure finishes and glues are non-toxic. Alternative Materials The great news is that innovative, sustainable, environmentally sound, non-toxic alternatives in furniture are entering the market:

• Plastics manufactured without the use of petrochemicals are being made into furniture. For example, soft-drink bottles are shredded and heat-formed into molds, forming furniture, like workstations.
  • Desks made from recycled newspapers and a formaldehyde-free soy-based resin or sunflower seed hulls.
  • Hemp fiber can be made into a petrochemical-free plastic using vegetable substances as its base. During the process of turning hemp into plastic, there are no polluting emissions, and hemp is renewable and biodegradable. Hemp has a short growth cycle of 120 days, making it an efficient and economical crop for farmers to grow. rnAt this time, however, hemp is banned from being grown in the United States because it is cannabis, or marijuana. However, hemp that is grown for industrial use contains very low levels of cannabinoids (THC) and has no intoxicating effects when consumed. Hopefully, we will soon see this ban lifted.
• Most aluminum used today has been recycled. To make a new product out of recycled aluminum takes only ten percent of the energy that was originally used.

Excerpt from Harmonious Environment, copyright 2007