Home Office Furniture For The Environementally Conscious: Top Tips

9 April 2015
 Categories: Home & Garden, Blog

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Furnishing your home office need not conflict with any concerns you have about helping the environment. You have various options available that allow you to fill your office space with furniture that is both functional and eco-friendly. Follow the key tips listed in this article to make your home office a place that both fits your work needs and shows respect for the environment.

Recycle

A great way to ensure that your home office is "green" is to use furniture made from recycled materials. For example, if you are looking for a wood desk or chair, choose one made primarily from reclaimed wood. This helps avoid cutting down any existing trees. If you prefer a metal or plastic desk, look for items made from these types of recycled materials as well. When plastic and metals are recycled, fewer resources are needed to produce more of each.

Disassemble

Choose furniture for your office space that is easy to disassemble into it's various component parts. Furniture that is easy to disassemble is more likely to be recycled. One type of furniture to avoid is hybrid furniture that is made of different materials that are cannot be easily separated. These items are likely to end up in landfills after they have outlived their usefulness.

Flame Retardants

Avoid office furniture, such as a couch or chair, that has been treated with flame retardant chemicals. These compounds are hazardous for both human beings and the environment, according to the Green Science Policy Institute. Flame retardants have a propensity for escaping from furniture and polluting your home's air. From the inside of your home, they can move into the outside environment and cause problems for wildlife and water systems.

Vintage

Buying vintage office furniture is another good idea for making your home office eco-friendly. Because it was made long ago, vintage furniture, in contrast to new furniture, does not require the allocation any scarce resources.

Craftsman

Obtaining your office furniture from a local craftsman is another possibility. These skilled artisans typically use less resources that large manufacturers to create their desk, chairs, cabinets and other items. Also, because the person is local, the negative environmental impact due to long-distance shipping is minimized.

Finding furniture for your home office that does not have a negative impact on the environment is not especially difficult and allows you to make an important contribution to the natural world. Just follow these top tips for best results.