Eco Furniture | Advantages & Types

Dwindling forests and raising global temperatures have led people to realize the need to save the environment as. An increasing number of people are opting for eco-friendly furniture, as a gesture toward environmental protection because of its advantages and a different types to choose.

Advantages of Eco Furniture

Eco Furniture is Good for Your Health

Normal furniture has a surprisingly high number of chemicals that may be harmful for your health. Children are particularly sensitive when it comes to chemicals, so eco-furniture is a great solution in this sense. The most common chemical is formaldehyde, which has been scientifically linked to some forms of cancer. Other chemicals cause irritations, breathing problems and hormonal changes. Opting for eco-friendly furniture will solve these issues and it will keep you and your family healthy.

Eco Furniture is often More Affordable

Contrary to popular belief, eco-friendly furniture is often more affordable than the regular type of furniture. The main reason is that sustainable furniture is often made of recycled materials, which are much cheaper than the processed ones. Besides that, eco-friendly materials have a different texture that might give your home a very interesting touch. Therefore, an eco-friendly furnished house can be both affordable and stylish.

Eco Furniture Prevents Deforestation

Deforestation is the process of transforming the forest to clear land to make way for industrial properties like shopping malls and mining sites. Moreover, huge quantities of eco furnitrure are used to make furniture every year. Environmental organizations are fighting to promote the responsible use of eco furniture. If you care about the environment, you can start helping through simple things like opting for eco-friendly furniture and being more responsible when it comes to recycling.

Eco Furniture has Minimum Impact on the Environment

Eco-friendly furniture is created in a way that has minimum negative impact on the planet. When eco furniture is used, it comes from renewable sources, whereas chemicals used in the process are not harmful for the environment. Moreover, some types of sustainable furniture are made exclusively of recycled materials, which is ideal if you’re a true environmentalist.

Eco Furniture Looks Great

Eco-friendly furniture is actually a popular trend at the moment. Numerous celebrities have opted for this type of furniture and interior design magazines increasingly promote sustainable furniture. Bamboo, old wood and plastic furniture looks amazing and if it is combined with the right colors and accessories, it will give your house an original look that will impress all your guests.

Types of Eco Furniture

Bamboo

It is an ideal alternative to wood. Bamboo, though it grows in forests, is technically not a tree. It is a tall grass, which is also one of the fastest growing plants. Some bamboo species can grow up to three feet in a day.

Furniture made out of bamboo possesses strength that rivals any wood. It is resilient to weather conditions and does not succumb to breakage or damage easily. Its tensile strength and high compressive strength makes it an ideal construction material. Moreover, it is light in weight. Although it has a high shrinkage rate, it stabilizes once it has adjusted to the ambient moisture content. Bamboo swings and reclining chairs are popular. Bamboo sofa sets, coffee tables, lamp shades, shelves and bookcases, beds, baskets, and fabrics, too, are available.

Reclaimed Wood

Lumber, which was one used as building material for old factories and warehouses, is nowadays being reused for making furniture. Usually, wood which has lasted for decades, can last a few more years. It has surpassed the test of endurance, as it would have experienced various humidity levels and extreme climatic conditions. Wood fished out of rivers, flawed wood, trees, which were infested by insects and had to be chopped down, are some of the sources of reclaimed wood. Recycled wooden barrels and railway sleepers make interesting beds for children. Teak, rosewood, sal are some of the woods that are resurrected as flooring, walls, tables, and shelves. Reclaimed wood provides aesthetic beauty, since the antique finish provides a hint of rich mysterious history.

Rattan & Wicker

Rattan is also a type of reed plant similar to bamboo. It is a naturally renewable palm species, which grows robustly in rainforests. Cane extracted from rattan is light, durable and flexible. Wicker is a woven fiber made from reed and swamp grasses. Natural wicker is known for its strength and durability.

Rubber Wood

Rubberwood is a sustainably harvested wood extracted from mature rubber trees, which have served their full term. Old rubber trees are usually burnt after their harvest, but reusing them as furniture has made it an environmentally wise choice. They are also known as plantation wood.
However, rubberwood is susceptible to pests and fungus. Pesticides can be infused by the process of kiln drying to prevent such attacks. Kiln drying is done by controlling temperature, air circulation, and humidity. Rubberwood does not shrink easily and is a reliable material. Its dense grain can be controlled in the kiln drying process. However, due to its delicate nature, rubberwood is not suitable for outdoor furniture as overexposure to sun and rain can ruin the chemical protective layer.

Stone

Providing a monolithic landscape, furniture is set in stone. For outside furniture, stone slabs are a beautiful choice. Set against gardens, stones blend well with the natural setting. With grass growing between the gaps and vines intertwining against the surface, the naturalness of this furniture are a sight to behold.

Indestructible, water proof and safe from pests, stone furniture is the best choice for outdoor locations, since they are long lasting. Naturally set stones can be used for outside furniture. More refined and well cut stones can be used to create a posh look inside the house.

Lantana

Lantana is a countryside weed plant that produces beautiful flowers. However, this non-edible ornamental plant brought into india has become an invasive species, spreading across the forests and suffocating local plants. Now an NGO Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) has innovated on utilizing Lantana stems for furniture and handicrafts. ATREE is providing Lantana Craft Centre in Malai Mahadeshwara Hills in Karnataka to train Soliga artisans for creating these items. Lantana wood is an inexpensive alternative to cane and bamboo, since it is a close match in quality. Its hard stem is not vulnerable to termites and could have the same glimmer and smooth surface if treated with varnishes. Lantana lends itself easily to bending, twining, splicing, interlacing and nailing. It could be used to produce tea-picker’s basket, sofas, chairs, teapoys, book and shoe cases, and all that can be produced out of Rattan cane.