Furniture

Environmental Problems Associated with Furniture

Although a renewable resource, wood is often harvested at unsustainable rates. Rainforest woods are particularly affected—less than 0.1 percent of tropical forests are sustainably managed, despite strenuous efforts of groups such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Metal furniture requires the mining of nonrenewable ores. Plastics and foams used in various furniture parts are almost entirely derived from petroleum, and recycling is minimal. Textiles are made from natural and/or synthetic materials, contributing their own environmental problems.

The carbon footprint of every component in the supply chain of a piece of furniture needs to be considered. Even furniture that is advertised as sustainably manufactured, packed, stored, or shipped has a considerable footprint. Energy use has increased as advanced technology has replaced craft production, although new factories can be more energy efficient through use of technology. Some of the largest, most high-tech furniture manufacturing facilities are now in China, and Chinese furniture imports to the United States have increased by 565 percent in a decade. However, despite the possibility of greater energy efficiency, supply chains are longer and less certain, and transport-associated pollution increases.

Increased furniture shipping has resulted in dramatic increases in air and water pollution and in energy use, both at sea and in ports. Because ships are powered by “bunker fuel,” emitting 5,000 times more sulfur dioxide than diesel, one ship causes more pollution than 2,000 diesel trucks. Imported “green furniture” is thus not very green. A possible partial solution was showcased in 2008 when the MS Beluga sailed from Germany to Venezuela, reducing its fuel consumption by 20 percent with the aid of a giant parasail.

Renewable textiles are often grown using pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. Cotton uses approximately 25 percent of the world's insecticides and more than 10 percent of the pesticides. Glues and finishes used in furniture production have traditionally been solvent based, resulting in high volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and outgassing. An average solvent-based finish contains approximately 6 pounds of VOCs/gallon, and 70 to 90 percent of these end up as air emissions. An additional concern is the use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (cousins of banned polychlorinated biphenyls) as flame retardants in foam cushions and mattresses, again resulting in outgassing. Products that permit more efficient use of wood fiber such as plywood, pressboard, and medium-density fiberboard all require the extensive use of glues in their manufacture. The most common VOC in glues and finishes is formaldehyde, and the more glue used in a piece of furniture, the greater the formaldehyde outgassing. Some manufacturers have switched to water-based glues and finishes, finding that less water-based than solvent-based product is needed for the same project. Thus, flammability risk and disposal costs are reduced and employees are protected from potentially harmful chemicals.

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