A Guide to Choosing the Best Eco-friendly Office Furniture for Your Business

High quality wooden furniture cannot be beaten when it comes to eco-friendly, sustainable office furniture solutions. However, some types of wood and the processes used to harvest them are more sustainable than others. Opt for wood sourced from sustainably harvested forests or tree farms, which are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). As well as boosting your eco-business credentials, this will ensure that your furniture has been made in accordance with controlled clear-cutting measures and that good working conditions have been provided for those involved.

Although durable, high quality furniture often comes at a higher price, the length of time you can expect to use it, as well as its superior appearance, outweighs the low cost of mass produced, inauthentic furniture. Quickly purchasing the least expensive options for your critical working environment, will most likely lead to it having to be thrown into landfill, repaired or replaced much more quickly than a long-lasting, quality investment. Even recyclable materials which cannot be repaired, require energy and resources to reprocess them and have them replaced. A durable, quality wooden boardroom table, desk or storage piece could last for decades and can be passed along if your business no longer requires it.

Eco-friendly furniture manufacturers may use recycled or reclaimed wood, brought in from other furniture pieces or from areas where it is not needed. Making use of existing resources is a great green option for furniture as less wood needs to be harvested. That your boardroom table has been made and sourced with care and converted into a stylish, functional office piece, is also a good talking point! At ACT Furniture we handcraft all furniture from recycled, reclaimed and sustainably harvested quality wood, and the waste from each piece is used to heat our workshop.

When choosing eco-friendly office furniture, you’ll also need to take into consideration its end of life cycle and how easily items can be repaired or dissembled and recycled. Pick items where the wood can be separated from metal components, to make the recycling process more efficient.

Authentic wood veneer furniture should use bio-based or water-based glues to adhere the surfaces and use non-toxic dyes or finishes that won’t release noxious odours.

Newer technologies and techniques have allowed manufacturers of traditional, wooden sustainable furniture to introduce modern elements for businesses adapting to digital needs. Choose furniture items that are versatile; a wooden table that includes options for plug sockets or cleverly made authentic furniture that can hide cables, to make your space safer and more presentable for meetings where screens, projectors or laptops will be used. Equally, easily foldable or wheeled tables are highly versatile furniture options which are available for those looking for greener pieces which can be used for a long time.

Supporting local manufacturers and suppliers, will not only help the local economy and perhaps more independent businesses, it could also massively cut down on the furniture’s carbon footprint. Shipping furniture from overseas will take up a greater amount of energy and resources to transport, contributing to increased carbon emissions and greenhouse gases.