Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Eco Furniture, The Only Choice For Green Living

By Sherrie Underwood


There is a big push to protect the environment. This can be done my minimizing impact to the planet and by recycling materials already in use to save natural resources. Consciously protecting the planet is something every person should be striving for and we can all do or part by starting with something as simple as decorating with eco furniture.

To clear up any misconceptions it important to define ecological furniture upfront. The term refers to any objects that are made using naturally sourced or recycled materials and made in a manner that is ecologically sensitive and in harmony with nature. The key is to minimize the carbon footprint as much as possible.

Ecological furniture can be made in one of two ways. The first is by using natural materials that have very little value in other industries. A classic example is bamboo which can be used to make furniture and can also be woven into textiles to make clothes.

The second method involves using recycled materials to build sustainable items. Wood is often used as it is a functional material that can be used many times over thus saving some trees.It also gives a wide variety of choice in terms of finish as the wood can be sanded, polished, painted varnished. Any look is possible so that the final piece blends in with the rest of the pieces in the house.

The type of materials that can be used for recycling is really only defined by what is available at the time. As objects are used and discarded by humans at alarming rate one would be surprised at what turns up in the garbage heap. Anything from tyres, buckets, scrap metal broken wood to outdated electronics.

Another important factor that is overlooked here is geography. The ideal is for pieces to be made from locally sourced materials. Not only does this sustain surrounding communities by proving employment is also reduces the carbon footprint.It would be counter productive for a carpenter to use imported wood that was harvested far away and transported using fossil fuels that cause pollution.

As demonstrated above to truly earn the right to that title eco furniture must be made using environmentally sound principles. In addition no products that are toxic or in any way harmful to humans or the planet should be used in its manufacturing. Care should also be taken with regards to what happens to it after it has passed its usefulness.In this same way that it was made to have a low carbon footprint its disposal should have an equally low impact on the surroundings.

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