A guide to buying sustainable wooden furniture

How can you tell if sustainable wooden furniture is all it would appear?.  It seems every furniture manufacturer is now touting their wooden furniture as green, eco-friendly or sustainable but what does that really mean? How does a shopper make sound and conscientious choices when shopping for eco furniture?

Here's a list of the key questions to ask your furniture company to see if their oak furniture is indeed what it seems:

1. Is the sustainable wood furniture made of all natural solid wood? Are any parts of the furniture made with plywood? Solid wood furniture will last, often for generations, whereas cheaper board furniture will likely be out on the curbside in three years or less.
2. Where did the wood in my furniture come from? Was it produced in a renewably managed forest, or was it harvested perhaps illegally in third world countries where the World's rainforests are promptly disappearing? Local woods that tend to be sustainably harvested include cherry, maple, oak and walnut. If you're looking at furniture made out of tropical and/or exotic woods, like mahogany, teak or rosewood however, chances are quite good that they were illegally harvested from endangered rainforest habitats and imported with falsified documentation. Check with the furniture vendor they know where the wood originate from and whether or not it is certified as being sustainably harvested.
3. Is the furniture free of toxic chemicals, dyes, stains, glues, formaldehydes, finishes and resins? This is not only an indoor air wellness issue, but an environmental issue as well. Look for natural solid wood furniture, with natural, non-toxic finishes and adhesives that do not off-gas. It's not daft to smell your furniture before buying it!
4. Where is the furniture made? Responsibly made furniture is built to higher standards than most imports which are produced cheaply in sweatshops in the Far East. And since you are closer to local producers, you have a much better chance of getting them to resolve any potential problems if they arise down the road.
5. Does the item have a lifetime guarantee? You thought nothing was backed by a lifetime guarantee these days, didn't you? Believe it or not, many small-scale sustainable furniture makers build their wood furniture to last a lifetime and they happily back it with a lifetime guarantee. It's a valuable feature that could save you many thousands in renewal costs over the years.

Adding a few questions about the nature of the eco friendly furniture you're buying will help you choose truly sustainable items that will not jeopardize your household's health and will become heirlooms you'll be proud to own and enjoy for many years. Isn't it worth asking a few questions?

Find more tips for buying  Eco Friendly Furniture at the Wooden Furniture Store.