The wonderful Organic Connections magazine introduced Jeff Hiller, the President of the non-profit coalition and reminded us that the ‘furnishing industry utilizes an enormous amount of wood from our forests as well as materials that off-gas and cause health problems, and substances that eventually find their way into waste dumps and do not biodegrade.’

Hiller explains that the council was founded in 2006 and has grown to a membership of over 400, making it the largest organisation of its kind in residential furnishings. Their primary mission is to provide standards for exemplary performance within the industry whilst also providing education, promotion and networking opportunities for those producers and retailers interested in putting the planet and people on equal footing with profits – otherwise known as the Triple bottom line.

In the beginning, the council set about establishing a basic standard called the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) which has been largely adopted and covers areas such as material extraction, transportation, use and final disposition or reuse.

Hiller maintains that “20 years ago there were aesthetic problems with sustainable furniture. The number of options that were available was fairly limited….That’s simply not the case anymore.” Hiller goes on to mention the variety of sustainable products now available to the green consumer including organic textiles, bamboo furniture, linseed oil paints, recycled glass and metal products, bio-hybrid upholstery foams, water-based dyes for fabrics and leather and of course reclaimed timber.

At Gecco Interiors we revel in seeking out and sourcing newly created sustainable products for the home interior. The range of products out there grows more and more diverse and there is simply no reason to furnish our homes with toxic materials with a short life-span when we can protect the planet and have a beautiful home at the same time.

Is it time for a UK based Sustainable Furnishings Council?

The Observer listed their top 20 Green Heroes this weekend. Check out the entries and find out how these green giants are changing the way we tackle climate change around the world. We find it very inspiring, hope you do too!

For more check out P.110 of the magazine here

The Ska-Rating lists 99 measures of good practice ranging from upgrading lighting schemes to how to dispose of the old carpet – or even if you should! Older, more established schemes such as those provdied by LEED and Breeam covered the entire building and transport beyond, which was difficult for those simply renovating an office in one or two floors of the building. The Ska rating scheme was launched in November of 2009 and is currently being explained to the industry through a series of trade seminars. Having attended one such seminar last week, I was encouraged by the desire and now ability to measure the carbon footprint of an office refurb. The online tool is very easy to use and can be seen as a guideline that will assist in any project whether or not the client wishes to have the full assessment made once it is complete.

The Ska rating committee are looking to expand the remit beyond office refurbishment into retail and hospitality and eventually into the domestic arena. Then it will become really interesting! Best of luck to RICS and Ska!