Look Under Your Fanny: Sustainable Furniture Is Where It's At

You seek out non-toxic cleaners, organic foods and energy-efficient appliances and lighting. But what about that new sofa? We often forget about the largest component of our home interiors, even when it's right under our derrieres. Choosing sustainable furniture has wide-ranging impacts, from rainforests to landfills to labor and even to our health. The exciting news is that sustainability now also means great design. When we think about furniture, we usually ask ourselves "How does it look and how much does it cost?" We'd like to encourage you to add a third question: "How was it made?"

Why sustainable furniture?

Manufacturing and shipping furniture draws significantly on unsustainable natural resources and demands a great deal of energy. Furniture-grade wood is often sourced from tropical rainforests. Not only are some of the most diverse forests destroyed in the process (over 80% of the world's old growth trees have already been razed) but also the great biodiversity they support.

Furthermore, furniture manufacturing is rapidly moving overseas, which necessitates greater fuel consumption for shipping. Over the past eight years China has assumed ~1/3 of the world trade in furniture. And the US furniture industry accounts for $80 billion in annual sales. That's a lot of wood, fabric and tanker fuel!

Then there is the healthy home interior factor. Furniture manufacturers typically use finishes, paints, adhesives and other chemicals that contribute significantly to indoor air pollution. This pollution is caused by off-gassing, a process of emitting chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. And the bonding agents used in furniture made of pressed woods (like particle board) often have high formaldehyde content. These toxins have been linked to many illnesses and allergies, and they leach out into the air we breathe as we sit on the couch watching TV. This is no small matter when you have young children in your house.

Recondition, Reuse, Recycle

Don't despair-- there is so much you can do! First and foremost employ the Three Rs of furniture sustainability: Recondition, Reuse, Recycle. How about reusing that old door as a desktop? Or how about putting some bright new cloth on that old arm chair? And be sure to explore your local vintage stores, antique shops, and flea markets-- you'll be amazed at what people give away and at how much you can save. Speaking of which, if you do decide to get rid of that dining room set, please be sure to donate it or have a yard sale--just do whatever you can to keep it out of the landfill.

No Thanks, I Really Do Need New Furniture

But what if you want to change your entire furniture aesthetic from Country French to Modern? That might require more recyling creativity than you can muster. Fortunately for you there are ways to lower the negative impacts of the environment and your health when buying new furniture-- without sacrificing design.

There are several non-profit organizations that offer furniture certifications. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifies timber cut in an environmentally and socially responsible manner; the FSC seal can be found on furniture from hundreds of manufacturers and distributors(www.fscus.org). Greenguard (www.greenguard.org) certifies safe, low-emission products and materials for indoor use, including furniture.

Also look for the following attributes of sustainable furniture:
- Paints, stains and finishes that contain low or no VOCs (e.g., shellac, beeswax, and milk paint)
- Reduced use of glues, sealants and formaldehyde
- Natural fabrics, organic cotton, recycled fabric content and toxin-free upholstery
- 100% natural latex foam
- Use of materials that have been and can be recycled
- Minimal packaging
- Local manufacturing, which saves fuel and associated emissions

We also have to give a special shout-out to bamboo, the miracle material! Bamboo is renewable, durable, and versatile. It's a grass and one of the fastest growing plants on earth. It requires no replanting, fertilizers or pesticides. And it's even harder than furniture-grade maple.

To see some of our favorite new, gorgeous, sustainable furniture examples, click here.

Battle of Disposers: Trash vs. In-sinkerator

Recently, a visitor to Low Impact Living asked the following question:

Q: What is more environmentally harmful? Putting food waste down the garbage disposal, or putting it in the curb-side trash?

Based on our prior knowledge and some quick research, here was our response - we hope it might be useful to you as well.

A: Well, the answer as with most things is "depends". I'm assuming you guys are on a sewer system and not a septic tank / leaching field. If this is the case, then it is better to send it down the disposal. In the sewage treatment process, all food solids are either separated out and sent to a composting facility of some kind (or spread on fields for fertilizer) or completely digested by bacteria during the treatment process. In either case, there is little impact on whatever water body the plant discharges to. And, there can even be a positive benefit if it is used as fertilizer or if your treatment plant collects the methane produced by the bacteria and burns it for electricity (it is a renewable energy source in many parts of the country).

If it goes in the trash and to a landfill, in theory it would degrade through time. However, they compress those landfills so much that there is little airspace left in the piles and even biodegradable things will sit there for long long long times. There isn't much environmental danger, but it adds to the mass of stuff in landfills and therefore requires more of them.

If you have a septic tank, then the opposite is true. The bacteria in a leaching field, especially if it is an old one, might not fully degrade stuff and it could therefore enter some water body downhill from you as nutrients. And, even the small chunks left after shredding can plug the spaces between gravel in the leaching field and shorten the life of your system.

Longer term, there are other options at home. I'm assuming that you might already be thinking about composting, but you can compost all organic food leftovers at home. Any ordinary composter will take veggie scraps, bread, pasta, etc when mixed with yard waste and turn it into beautiful rich dirt. No smells either (we have one in our backyard, and I'm fascinated by it). Decent ones start at about $60 - $80 - we have a wide selection of composters at Low Impact Living. There are two other kinds of composters that deal with the non-veggie stuff. One shown here is called a solar cone digester - it sits in your back yard and is about $150. The design of this composter provides the right mix of aeration, heat from the sun, and protection to degrade meats and other wastes that would pose problems in standard composters.

The other is my compost dream machine. It's called the NatureMill, and it's an automated system that sits right in your kitchen. Looks almost like a fancy trash barrel, but in goes trash and out comes dirt. It's a bit pricey at $450, but is the best option if you are space-limited or don't like those trips out to the backyard in mid-January. Find the NatureMill here.

We hope you found this little tidbit helpful!

Jason Pelletier, Co-Founder, Low Impact Living

Yes you CAN live green in an apartment!

Many folks have asked us for help on how to live a sustainable life in an apartment. Look no further! We have compiled a helpful list of steps you can take to live an eco-friendly life as a renter. And all of these tips also apply to homes as well-- so everyone can use this list!

First things first. We know that as an apartment dweller your options are more limited. You can't upgrade your insulation, replace your windows, or rip out that creaky old furnace or water heater (and some homeowners would be jealous because of it!). However, there are many changes you can make within the confines of your own walls. The projects below are designed with this in mind. Most landlords would gladly support these projects, as they will reduce not only environmental impacts but also their charges for apartment-wide water or energy sources.

Saving Energy, Saving Money

1. Make sure your windows and doors are sealed tight. Leaky apertures are some of the main ways we lose warm and cool air and thus waste energy and money. Go to your local hardware store and get some caulk or door-stripping-- it's cheap and this is a seriously easy project to undertake.

2. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They last ten times as long and use 1/3 the power. They come in a great selection of shapes, warm hues, dimmers, three-ways-- and we have any type of CF light you'd need right here.

3. Change your heater's air filter. This will make your heating system work more efficiently, save you money on bills, and keep your lungs free of the junk trapped in your nasty old filter. This will cost you $15 and take 5 minutes.

4. Get a ceiling fan. These EnergyStar efficient models will allow you to use less AC in the summer and keep you warmer in the winter (yes! remember that warm air rises and a ceiling fan helps keep the warm air circulating when you use your furnace).

5. Buy an efficient air conditioner. If you need an air conditioner, choose one with the Energy Star label. And, not all Energy Star air conditioners are made alike. An Energy Star unit must exceed minimum federal standards by 10%; the highest efficiency versions exceed standards by 20% or more. For more information about Energy Star air conditioners and to find specific products, go to the Energy Star website.

It's important to note that where you live has a dramatic impact on how bad using electricity is for the environment. If you live in Oregon, for instance, your electricity comes from hydro power and generates a small 0.33 pounds of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour used. If you live in Colorado, however, your electricity comes from coal-fired plants and produces over two pounds of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour - not too pretty! To find out how much carbon dioxide you can cut by saving electricity, review the table on LIL's electricity page.

Tidy Up Your Trash Load

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We've been alarmed to hear how many apartment buildings don't provide recycling options for their tenants. Gang up with your fellow tenants and take it to your landlord: everyone should have the opportunity to recycle where they live! And if you can't get your building on the right path, ask any neighboring houses if you can throw your stuff in their recycling bin.

2. Yes, you can compost! In many apartment situations, your only private outdoor real estate is on a deck or patio. The Envirocycle Spinning Composter doesn't leak, so it's fine to use in this setting (as long as you follow the instructions so it doesn't smell!).

For the ultimate in composters, consider the NatureMill automatic composter. This unit can sit right inside your kitchen, and no-one will know it is anything BUT an attractive appliance. In go all of your scraps, and out comes beautiful compost two weeks later.

3. If you have a dog, use biodegradable doggy doo-doo bags. Think how much plastic you throw out with your pooch's poop each year. It's enough to clog a landfill, and will sit there for hundreds of years inside that plastic bag. With these biodegradable bags you can walk your dog with the confidence of an environmental defender.

Save Water

1. Get a luxury low-flow shower head. Saving water and energy while taking a shower doesn't have to mean a major compromise. Taking a shorter shower is one way to save, but another is to use a more efficient showerhead. Conventional showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute (measured at 80 psi of water pressure). Today's high-tech low-flow showerheads can deliver the same quality shower, but will use less water per minute. You can save up to nearly 4,000 gallons of water per year with a great shower heads!

2. Only run full loads in the dishwasher and the laundry machine. You use the same amount of energy to power these machines if you have a 1/2 load or a full one-- so wait a couple of days to make sure you have a full load.

3. Put aerators in your faucets. These aerators will keep your hands and dishes clean while saving water and water heating fuel.

Breathe Better Air

1. Use greener cleaners. There are great alternatives to the toxic bombs we buy at the drug store every day. Seventh Generation and Begley's Best both sell a range of super toxin-free cleaning products.

2. If you are doing any painting, use no or low-VOC paints. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compound and you really don't want any of those in your body. Fortunately there are new several great brands of healthy paints. Click here to find healthy paints.

3.If you dry clean your clothes with traditional cleaners, air out your clothes outside for as long as possible before bringing them inside. Most dry cleaners use a harmful chemical called PERC in the cleaning process. Better yet, find a green dry cleaner in your area.

Transportation

As an apartment dweller, especially if you live in an urban area, you may already take the best forms of transportation to work - your feet, your bike, or public transit. If not, today's best hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles not only save gas and the associated carbon emissions (as much as 50%), but they also save space, making that end-of-the-row parking space underneath your neighbor's storage area that much more accessible. Visit LIL's auto pages to find out more about hybrids and biofuel vehicles.

That wasn't that hard, was it? And you saved so much energy, water and landfill space. Here's a big sustainable high five to you! ---- Jessica Jensen, Co-Founder, Low Impact Living, Inc.

Low Impact Living first post

Hello! This my first post on our new blog.

I'm the co-founder of Low Impact Living (www.lowimpactliving.com), a new business aimed at helping people modify their homes and adjust their lives to reduce their environmental impact. Whether you are concerned about global issues such as climate change or local ones like water pollution at your local beach, we have something for you. We create educational content that describes how individual and household choices contribute to large-scale environmental problems, provide tools that help you quantify the outcomes (both environmental and financial) of potential changes, and finally provide an extensive listing of products and service providers that can turn your proposed projects into reality.

On this blog, we'll post many things. We often receive questions from visitors about specific topics. When we have answer that might be of general interest, we'll post it here. We'll also post content from our regular newsletters. And, of course, we'll notify you of new developments at Low Impact Living.

I hope you find this blog and our site interesting and useful, and I welcome your feedback.