Photo showing furniture

Before we start, here are some products that contain VOCs:

(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2017)

The below summarises the various ways in which consumers and manufacturers can take to reduce emissions from household furniture and products:

Consumers:
Source locally
Purchase products manufactured locally or materials that are sourced locally as they tend to produce less carbon footprint because it does not require the transportation of the furniture overseas. 

Otherwise, if products are sourced overseas, we can support companies that transport their goods efficiently which helps in reducing the carbon footprint (Abbas, 2019).

Use of recycled and reused goods
Furniture made of recycled products does not require going through the whole process of production which reduces energy and emissions such as VOCs coming from the use of coatings or chemicals on furniture.

Second-hand goods and vintage products are also relatively greener choices because vintage products are often handmade, long-lasting, and tend to use fewer chemicals as compared to contemporary products (Cynthia, 2020).

Manufacturer:
Sustainable, biodegradable, and durable materials
Sustainable materials such as bamboo are more recommended as it does not destroy the forest as much as wood since it grows faster than wood. Moreover, it doesn’t require as many harmful chemical finishes and it’s much more durable than other materials. As products are more durable, lesser waste will end up in the landfill and lesser emission will be produced from incineration. Consequently, lesser products will be produced with lesser demand, thus it will also result in lower emissions from the manufacturing process (Cynthia, 2020). Also, with lesser use of chemical finishes, there will also be lesser emissions from it. 

It would be ideal to use products like biodegradable paint which breakdown without the release of harmful pollutants. This will greatly reduce our exposure to conventional paint which releases VOCs (Construction Climate Challenge, 2019).

Minimize the use of chemicals
As much as possible, try to ensure that the furniture that you might be bringing home and will be using for decades have minimal chemicals as chemicals like VOCs, formaldehyde, and stain-resistant are unfavorable to our health. If the coatings on products are not water-based, most likely they are high in VOCs (Cynthia, 2020).

Since the quantity of VOC emitted is dependent on the amount of coating used, there have been pollution-prevention measures which include reformulating of the coatings and glues to higher-solids or water-based coatings by decreasing the amount of solvent in the coating. Furthermore, there are methods like UV-cured or powder coating that will reduce more VOCs emissions. However, such coatings methods and their associated application equipment are usually not cost-effective for small companies (Amy M., Jennifer L., & Julian W., 1999).

Personally, I think that it is the responsibility of manufacturers to produce sustainable green furniture and products because without their first green step, there would be limited green options for consumers to choose from. Thus, it limits consumers’ ability to contribute by adopting greener options. Hence, I thought of a way to help small companies to be able to enjoy such methods while ensuring its cost-effectiveness, which is to have a platform whereby manufacturers can come together and order in bulk, thereby enjoying bulk pricing which is usually lower than the original pricing. This way, the suppliers who offer better coating methods would be able to earn profits from small companies and the small companies can also gain a competitive advantage for using greener options, thereby sustaining their business. Consumers will then have a wider choice to choose from and it will be easier for them to switch to buying greener products.

Though at first glance my idea may seem unrealistic as bigger companies would want to profit more and would not lend a helping hand to small companies or their competitors, I think in today’s world, there are more collaborations between companies to innovate, stay relevant and be more environmentally friendly. Furthermore, especially now when we are hit with this pandemic, some companies unite and help one another to survive. Thus, the idea suggested is relevant to help companies who are struggling to sustain their business. 

Despite the important roles that manufacturers play, we as consumers should also start thinking seriously about the long term health effects that our furniture and household products have on us. Otherwise, even if there are available greener options, we might not leverage on its benefits and still continue our unsustainable ways of living which may threaten our health and our environment.

Lastly, to put things into perspective about our exposure to emissions from harmful chemicals, could you think of some furniture or household items that you own which have low VOCs? Because for me, it was a challenge to name products that are of zero or low VOCs, some of which that I can think of are stainless steel and glass dishes… Hence, this shows the criticality of this topic seriously and we should start making little actions to make a permanent switch. Step by step, the easier it gets! 😀

Your environmental buddy,
Zhi Yong

References:

Abbas, A. (2019, September 30). Here’s How to Practice Sustainability With Your Furniture. Retrieved from https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-sustainable-furniture-1391721

Amy M., M., Jennifer L., S., & Julian W., J. (1999, October 7). Reducing Furniture Industry Emissions. Retrieved from https://www.pollutiononline.com/doc/reducing-furniture-industry-emissions-0001

Brian, K. (2018, September 18). The Benefits And Disadvantages of Free Standing And Fitted Bed room Furnishings [Digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.homesyard.org/furniture/the-benefits-and-disadvantages-of-free-standing-and-fitted-bed-room-furnishings.html 

Construction Climate Challenge. (2019, February 19). Top sustainable technologies in green construction. Retrieve from https://constructionclimatechallenge.com/2019/02/19/top-sustainable-technologies-in-green-construction/

Cynthia, B. (2020, August 18). The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Furniture. Retrieved from https://www.mymove.com/home-inspiration/decoration-design-ideas/the-ultimate-guide-to-sustainable-furniture/

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2017, November 06). Volatile Organic Compounds’ Impact on Indoor Air Quality. Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-impact-indoor-air-quality