Let’s clear the air about “green” furniture!

by Julie Boton
The word “Green” is everywhere and on everything these days. Like me, perhaps you’ve been wondering how to tell the difference between truly “green” furniture and furniture that is merely “greenwashed.” For example, I’ve been concerned about all the toxic things that all the little things that make a house a home can outgas. If we are what we eat, we also are what we breathe. Yet most affordable furniture is made from particleboard or MDF (medium density fiberboard), typically the largest sources of formaldehyde in the home environment.
So, when it comes to needing affordable furniture, but wanting to avoid formaldehyde and toxins, how do we get ourselves out of the hot seat?
Luckily there are some budget-friendly options, even in hard-to-find upholstered sofas and loveseats. Here are some key things to look for in all-natural upholstered furniture…

Quest for the green sleeper sofa
My search for a non-toxic sleeper sofa began when I moved from Chicago to the west coast. I was moving in advance of my family and most of our possessions, including the organic cotton mattress I had shared with my husband for over a decade. Intent on avoiding sleeping on a urethane foam mattress, we set about finding an organic cotton sleeper sofa.
I soon learned there are many considerations when shopping for “green” furniture in today’s market. For example, is that chair produced with sustainably harvested, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) wood? Does it contain reclaimed or recycled materials that help save energy and reduce resource waste? Are any paints and varnishes used low VOC?
And I learned that some furniture companies, eager to capitalize on the latest trend, engage in “greenwashing”, painting a “pretty” green picture of items that are really not so environmentally friendly.

Green that walks the walk
After searching around I discovered that Bean Products in Chicago, IL (www.beanproducts.com) handcrafts a line of stylish and truly eco-friendly sofas, chairs, loveseats and ottomans—their “B” Organic Home Furnishing Collection.

I was impressed by the choice of styles and huge choice of eco-friendly upholstery fabrics offered by Bean Products. These are heirloom-quality pieces designed to last a lifetime, and yet each is 100% biodegradable when its life is through. Bean Products customizes each order to your specifications and handcrafts each piece one at a time utilizing terrific materials including pure hemp, organic cotton, viscose, wool, recycled polyfiber from soda bottles, buckwheat hulls and natural latex foam rubber.

Best of all, I found the sleeper sofa I was seeking, with a wonderfully firm all-organic cotton and natural latex foam sleeper mattress.

Woodn’t it be lovely…
…if you could be sure where the wood that was used to make your furniture came from?
With Bean Products, you can. Frames are important; they’re the beginning of any sofa or chair. All “eco-friendly” wood frame furniture typically uses Forest Stewardship Council wood.
Bean Products takes this consciousness to the next level by creating their furniture using lumber from old-growth trees felled from urban parkways. These “recycled” trees yield healthy, strong and beautiful frame lumber that otherwise would be destined for the mulch pile. This benefits the ecosystem because fewer healthy forest trees are cut down. Only non-toxic stains, finishes and glues are used in the Bean Product “B” Organic Furniture line.

It’s important to note that not all manufacturers who claim to be “eco-friendly” use solid wood. There are many manufacturers who claim their furniture is “non-toxic”. But on closer inspection one sees that they while they use some recycled components, or soy foam, their furniture still contains plywood, Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) or particleboard. All of those options outgas toxic formaldehyde—making them a major “Greenwash.”

With Bean Products’ “B” Organic sleeper sofa I knew I was getting solid wood from “the urban forest”. Wood that is carefully milled and kiln dried, and finished only with natural glues, non-toxic stains and varnishes.

What’s in a cushion?
Cushions are, let’s face it, what make a couch a “home.” So I was very focused on non-toxic cushions. Cushions are problematic since most are manufactured using polyurethane foam. And polyurethane foam is loaded with carcinogenic toxins that are hard to pronounce and even harder for me to feel good about sleeping/sitting on (like toluene diisocyanate and air-polluting VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Some “greenwashing” manufacturers advertise inexpensive “eco-friendly” sofas. The cushions on these sofas are primarily “soy-based foam.” In these, soy replaces a portion of the petroleum-based cushion ingredients, called polyol, with soy-based polyol. These cushions ARE more environmentally friendly than petroleum-based foam. So we can call “green lite” because soy is a renewable resource and they do help reduce our dependence on imported oil.
However, chemicals and the outgassing of toxins into the air you breathe are NOT eliminated in soy foam. Flame retardant chemicals may also still be present, making these sofas just another chemical cocktail even if they have some “green” elements.
Cushions that are eco-chic and comfortable
Good news—Bean Products’ “B” Organic cushions are a cushy eco-dream. Bean Organic line cushioning is made from 100% natural latex foam. Natural latex foam does NOT outgas; it’s the longest lasting and least toxic cushioning material, outlasting urethane foams by 20 years or more. It’s also a renewable resource that supports rain forest farmers.

Bean takes care to use durable natural hemp or jute covering for their high-quality recycled steel base springs and tight back springs. The layer of natural latex foam is next, and then several layers of pure organic cotton batting with a barrier wrap of organic cotton sheeting.

The last step is the one you see each day, the upholstery.
Upholstery options in designer colors and rich textures abound at Bean Products. From hemp to recycled and organic cotton to vegetable tanned, 100% biodegradable leather, you can choose from their selection of earth-friendly options, or provide your own fabric. That’s one of the best things about this manufacturer: because they handcraft each sofa one at a time you have real options for customizing the fabric.

A happy ending
Bean Products “B” Organic furniture is priced very much in line with other manufacturers offering real “green” furniture. Overall I feel the many choices in upholstery and the quality of workmanship is superior. The sleeper mechanism is top-notch and pulls in and out effortlessly. The natural latex foam mattress, my bed for nearly 4 months, is firm, comfortable and yielded healthy, sound sleep. Guests rave about how comfortable the bed is, and the sofa is very attractive in our home office/guest bedroom.

When looking for a large piece of furniture, personal service can really make the difference, especially if you are busy with work, life, etc., (and who isn’t?) The great personal service I received from Bean Products really reduced the stress level of my move. And it felt good to know I was supporting a company from the USA. It’s “bean” a great experience!