Sustainable Furniture Council

I had the opportunity to be part of a conference call with the standards committee of the Sustainable Furniture Council. Knee deep in a technical conversation that centered around devising green standards for things like foam cushions and adhesives made me realize what a daunting task this organization has taken on. What is really important is that someone is trying to establish standards for green furnishings. Many companies are beginning to promote sustainable goods and I think that is a good thing. I think too many people are overly concerned about "greenwashing"; saying something is environmentally friendly without really knowing or caring but just using green as a marketing ploy.

There is no real definition of sustainability; it is a moving target. I applaud the efforts of manufacturers to become more transparent about their manufacturing practices. And I appreciate the individuals and companies who are attempting to find the best way to minimize their footprint while maintaining a on-going operation. Our goal as a retailer is to represent those companies who are out there trying to product goods in a responsible manner and who also try to achieve the most innovative solutions for our customer's needs. Evaluating and retooling our global infrastructure will be an ongoing process. While we must always strive to be better we have to recognize that we are making progress and we have to support those eco-pioneers who are setting a new standard for design and production.