Sustainable Furniture - A Fight for a Greener Industry

Frustrated with furniture which starts wearing after a year of use? Concerned about the environmental impact of your furniture choices? You're not alone. Many consumers are seeking sustainable furniture that is durable, eco-friendly, and creatively designed. Discover how the industry is responding to this demand and explore inspiring examples of environmentally conscious home interiors.

The Furniture industry leaves a heavy carbon footprint. Each piece of furniture can generate as much greenhouse gas as burning 20 liters of petrol. It's time to take action and reduce the environmental impact of furniture production.

The global eco-friendly furniture market size was valued at USD 43.26 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6% from 2022 to 2030.

Demand for furniture with a better environmental life cycle assessment has been growing in Saudi Arabia with the launch of Saudi Green Initiative as well as the sustainability drive by the Mega and Giga projects including Red Sea Global, Diriyah Gate, Neom, Al Ula and Qiddiya . More recent figures show that the trend is unabated: This makes “green” furniture attractive to manufacturers and furniture retailers not just from an ideological perspective, but also from a commercial one.

As a Developer or Business Owner, How can you make Sustainable furniture decisions?

• Use Renewable raw materials. The major material used in Furniture production is Wood and specifying FSC Wood to your supplier reduces the environmental impact of your project. FSC is the "Gold Standard" for ethical furniture production. Bamboo, Cotton, PET are some other renewable options to consider depending on the product being made.
• Toxicity: A furniture may emit harmful substances over its life span; materials used in paint, glaze and other coatings need to be carefully monitored and should be free of harmful toxins.
• Durability and Recyclability: What is the life span of the furniture being made? Made to last furniture reduces your carbon footprint. Also, Upcycling and Recycling the product helps.
• Sustainability Goes Beyond the Environment: Choose furniture that supports good working conditions and fair wages
• Vocal about Local: Using local industry helps in upliftment of the economy as well as reducing carbon footprint by using local materials and suppliers.
• Packaging: When choosing recyclable packaging for furniture, look for materials such as cardboard, paper, and biodegradable plastics. Avoid materials such as styrofoam and non-recyclable plastics. Check with manufacturers to ensure that they prioritize sustainable shipping materials and offer eco-friendly packaging options for furniture delivery.