4 Tips to buy non toxic furniture.



I’m a mom, and I would like to buy furniture for our home that is non toxic and healthy. Also, I try to buy products that have little or no impact on the environment. But sometimes I feel insecure about my choices.



Read here:


- how to understand if a piece of furniture is healthy

- what labels to look for in non toxic furniture



Sustainability has become such a fashion thing - and it is not very transparent.


I personally find it super hard to understand if a product is sustainable, or just pretends to be. Sometimes I even feel enterprises try to confuse me on purpose with all the labels they are putting on. Eco? Green? Bio? Conscious? What is what and what is real?


My husband Davide helped me compile this list on what to pay attention to.


1 - What are the raw materials that you should expect in a natural and sustainable sofa?


Do you check on the content of our food, and identify its components? Home made is preferable to a microwave meal with all its extra ingredients, right?


As in foods, the composite materials contain a lot of additives. These may be chemicals and glues that we should avoid in our homes, because they impact the air in closed spaces.


As in foods, the more processed and complex, the worse for your health and the environment. Complex materials need more energy for manufacturing and processing. They also breathe more chemicals into your air.


We use only 100% natural and certified raw materials and no compounds for our sofas.


2 - Origin of materials in healthy furniture.



It is very interesting to understand where materials come from. But it can be hard to find out, especially when it comes to big furniture producers. They often outsource the production of their pieces. Then the sourcing of prime materials is done by subcontractors. 


Certain eco labels give a good control of origin, which means that harvesting, any pesticides, working conditions for example are documented and controlled. A furniture producer serious about these issues will use only materials with those labels.


3 - What Eco Labels are the most reliable?


4 - What is Social sustainability?



Where is the furniture assembled and under what conditions for the workers?


Many big furniture companies produce in countries where labour conditions are hard to control. Have a look if they have policies in place in order to control their suppliers, use codes of conduct and sanctions to prevent modern slavery and child labour in their assembly lines and production chains abroad. How often do they control, if at all?


The Free Guide on Living with More Nature and Less Toxins.

NATURAL HOME - A PRACTICAL GUIDE

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