What makes a sofa environmentally-friendly?
Nowadays, sofa buyers frequently ask far more than just "will this sofa look nice in my living room?" More and more people want to minimise their environmental impact and carbon footprint, and although a sofa is not necessarily the most fuel-intensive consumer item, there's still plenty of variation in the green credentials of designer sofas.
An eco-friendly sofa doesn't have to cost the earth, either - sofa manufacturers have invested in minimising their emissions and their polluting byproducts for many years, and this has led to downwards pressures on the overall cost of their furniture. These streamlined manufacturing processes mean many sofas are far more affordable than their predecessors, as they have been made more efficiently without any compromise on quality.
Sustainable timber
Sustainably-sourced wood is clearly the most responsible environmental choice. Go for European woods, or woods marked as coming from sustainable forests. These choices contribute to environmentally-sound practices, and are just as beautiful and as suitable for sofas as their competitors.
Natural and organic fabric
Synthetic fabrics can produce a lot of byproducts, some of which can be harmful for the environment, and even some natural fabrics require a lot of chemical treatments. Most materials also need to be coated with fire-resistant barriers to comply with EU and UK health and safety regulations. There are, however, a range of fabrics that are naturally fire-resistant.
Domestic manufacture
When you buy a designer sofa that was manufactured in England, you know it is likely that it required far less shipping and therefore has a significantly smaller carbon footprint. Furthermore, companies in the UK and other European countries must adhere to strict environmental standards, including waste management and pollution regulations. It's best to buy a sofa that was produced locally if you want to minimise the impact its production had on the earth.
If you want to find out about the materials in our sofas, or their production, then don't hesitate to get in touch! Our designer furniture specialists will be more than happy to tell you.