How to Buy Green Upholstery

When you buy green upholstery, it's not the color green that you look for but the environmental impact of the upholstery. Not all material is friendly to the environment or renewable.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. See if the Forest Stewardship Council or another organization for conservation certified it as being eco-friendly.
2. Look for the type of material it covers. Foam cushions are either petroleum products or made from corn foam fibers, soy or other alternative eco-friendly fibers.
3. See if the fabric is a natural material. Synthetics like nylon contain petroleum. Cotton and other natural fibers are eco-friendly. Look at the fiber contents.
4. Consider the "cradle-to-cradle" life cycle for the product. Recycled plastic pop bottles make fabric and fleece. Look for a tag that says the fabric is recycled, such as "recycled polyester," when you buy green upholstery.
5. Hunt for synthetic material that comes from natural ingredients. Two of these are Seacell from seaweed and Modal from beech trees.
6. Look for the way the company prints or dyes the fabric. Find companies that use water-based ink that is nontoxic. See if the company minimizes the use of water, an natural asset becoming more valuable each day. Rubie Green, a green textile manufacturer, uses methods that conserve water.
7. Investigate whether the company uses chemicals to finish the fabric. If the company uses only heat and pressure, the upholstery is eco-friendly. When you buy this type of green upholstery, fading may occur so you'll need to dry clean the fabric and won't be able to use it outdoors.