Seeing Green?

Green has never been so chic. Everywhere we turn, we hear talk about the importance of being eco-friendly. Maybe the sudden wave of bad weather has awakened something in us; or maybe it was just Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth that shook people up. Whatever the reason, these days Green is the way to be.

Of course, it isn't the first time that saving the planet has had cachet. For generations, Americans have expressed concern for the environment. In fact, Green product has found its way onto the pages of GDA many times over the years — though not always by that name.

What's new is show producers' efforts to highlight eco-friendly product with special sections and divisions. This past summer, gift shows from across the country featured sections dedicated to Green product. And with good reason: According to a survey conducted by the American Home Furnishings Alliance, 76 percent of the population believes it's important to purchase earth-friendly home products, and 72 percent would pay up to 10 percent more for an environmentally-friendly piece of furniture.

Those are pretty solid numbers, and retailers should take note of how they could affect sales.

While some have always been Green, many more manufacturers are now making a conscious effort to become environmentally friendly in everything from sourcing to packaging of product. At Vancouver-based Now Designs, a group of employees who had an awareness of the environment stirred things up, particularly Vice President Jeremy Braude. “He was in charge of the massive switch to reuse packing boxes. From there, we saw we had to change our product line,” explains Andrea Brown, design department manager.

The company now offers tea towels and napkins made of 100 percent organic, unbleached cotton. But it didn't stop there. Now Designs works to assure that the entire process — from growing the cotton to weaving and spinning — is also eco-friendly. “We worked really hard to do this,” notes Brown.

Now Designs has also started a major campaign for its One Less tote bag, a product — and program — that emphasizes reuse as an environmentally sensitive strategy. “Plastic grocery bags end up in landfills, and can take hundreds of years to decompose. This is a way for retailers and consumers to learn about conserving the environment,” says Brown.

Lunares, in San Francisco, is also on its way to becoming a Green company. “More than 50 percent of the product is Green,” says President and owner Nima Oberoi. “It's made from metal scrap that's made into alloy. The tabletop [we manufacture] is not Green because of the lead content. But we're working on our packaging, looking at options that don't cause harm to the environment.” Lunares has also begun to reuse its shipping containers, and is looking into switching from Styrofoam peanuts to air-filled plastic pillows for packing. “It costs more than peanuts, but those aren't good for the environment,” notes Oberoi.

Danielson Designs in Trinidad, Colorado, has been earth-friendly since its founding 15 years ago. “Maybe it's because of where we're from — [we're] a bit closer to the earth here in rural Colorado,” says Jeanne Haffeman, director of marketing.

The company started by using locally harvested pine. Yet as the line evolved, demand for materials grew beyond what could be sourced locally. For the last 10 years, Danielson has used 100 percent recycled wood, along with sustainably harvested pine. “We had to find new American sources as we outgrew our local source,” Haffeman explains. As the company continues to evolve, plans are to replace some of the pine with 100 percent recycled BonanzaWood, a solid wood material with a smooth, finely textured surface.

Haffeman notes that Danielson Designs also pays close attention to its packaging. “We switched from peanuts to air pillows to protect product in shipping,” she explains. “It's not only 'greener' material, but for us there's a bigger picture. We're located far from a major city, and our peanuts were trucked from miles away. With the air pillows we've eliminated the need for transportation, saving fuel, time and resources.”

Before offering product that is labeled Green, retailers should do some research. If possible, visit the vendor's website and talk to them about what specifically makes their product earth friendly. “It's hard to call a product 'Green' if what it is made of is shipped from all over the world, over-utilizing resources including water, fossil fuels, labor and other energy. It's like labels on food; one must know how to decipher,” says Jeanne Haffeman.

Nima Oberoi agrees: “It's important that things are made in a manner that's not harmful to the environment. Not only that it's a recyclable product, but also the emissions — are we adding to it or taking away from it?”

Companies like Ratzer in Denmark use 100 percent Australian biodyanamic merino wool certified by IVN, Germany. That means the sheep are bred under biodynamic control, the soaps and spinning oils are bio-degradable and dyes do not contain heavy metals. In addition, the textile is woven and milled without soap in cold water only.

Now Designs is also taking steps to ensure their product is truly Green. In addition to using 100 percent organic cotton, the company has switched from more toxic standard inks (which were used in illustrating its line of paper napkins) to water-based inks.

Now the company's products are certified by the Control Union World Group in The Netherlands — a great advantage in determining Green bona fides. “Find out where the company is shipping from and if they are certified,” advises Andrea Brown. It will be a great help when explaining to eco-conscious customers just how Green your products are.

These are just some things to look for when purchasing Green products. Many companies are just getting started and have a long way to go, but the steps they're taking are significant. As Andrea Brown says, “It seems like a small thing, but it's the small things that can make a big difference.”