Ask yourself this - Do you own any eco friendly furniture, or anything that is made from an ethical source or bought from an ethical retailer? The majority of Western consumers may say they don't, and probably most of them are not even familiar with the concepts. So what is eco friendly furniture, an ethical source or ethical retailer and why should you consider buying such products?



Increasingly we find ourselves beset by problems that seem beyond our control; global warming, GM Foods, animal testing, the spread of factory farming, the arms trade and human rights abuses, to list but a few. Shoppers are often left feeling helpless, the typical response being ‘there's nothing I can do'.

But you can by shopping in an Ethical way. Put simply, this is buying things that are made ethically by companies that act ethically. Buying ethically means buying a brand or from a company which doesn't exploit labour, animals or the environment.

Eco friendly furniture is defined as furniture made by nontoxic, sustainable, renewable materials. An example is garden furniture made from recycled wood. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international network to promote responsible management of the world's forests. FSC brings people together to find solutions to the problems created by bad forestry practices and to reward good forest management.

Why buy ethically?

Due to a world population of 6 billion and the demand for wood that follows, forests have been clear-cut throughout the equatorial regions of the world. From Indonesia to Africa to the Americas, deforestation has robbed the world of nearly half of the original tropical forests. Often this deforestation has been fueled by multinational timber companies who came in, cut everything in sight, and moved on.

Although we are beginning to hear the term Carbon neautral more and more. (What this means is that in terms of timber, for every tree they cut down. They plant another in either the same place or a different place. That way they remain neutral) Everyone needs to go shopping in one way or another. As an ethical consumer, every time you buy something you can make a difference by choosing an ethical furniture product or by buying from an ethical business.

For example, when you buy from a company that doesn't exploit its workers and provides them with decent working conditions, you are giving the company the funds to continue its ethical behaviour. At the same time, you are no longer buying from a company that exploits its labour with poor pay and often a dangerous working environment. That company then loses business, which may encourage it to change its ways and to look after its workers.

Shopping for ethical and eco furniture has never been easier with companies such as GuideMeGreen that lists 100s of relevant companies.