Furniture Design: Material Alternatives

Products offered by Design Within Reach include: a media credenza (solid walnut frame, walnut veneer over masonite); a 5-drawer cabinet (ebony & oak veneer); and a coffee table (solid walnut frame; solid ply tabletop with walnut veneer).

http://www.dwr.com/

http://www.dwr.com/

http://www.dwr.com/

In looking at the sustainability and environmental impact of the materials used in these products, here is an itemized analysis:

• solid walnut - Good material choice in terms of minimal off-gassing and/or toxicity. Can be a sustainable material if farmed/harvested responsibly or reclaimed from another use, which I'm guessing isn't the case here.
• walnut veneer - Same environmental and sustainability characteristics, although an ever better alternative to solid walnut in that there is less material needed to accomplish a similar look. This can only be a better alternative though if the substrate used is a green product.
• masonite - I can't seem to located any reliable information of sustainable qualities that it might have or its composition. It does contain formaldehyde which is a health risk. It is not recyclable or easily reusable and therefore contributes to landfill waste.
• ebony & oak veneer - Same qualities of all veneers in using less wood resources although oak is relatively plentiful, especially when farmed for harvesting purposes. Ebony is a much more endangered species, so even used in a veneer application is unsustainable.
• plywood - Unless otherwise specified this most likely contains formaldehyde. Plywood is in another sense fairly sustainable as it is comprised of scrap wood and pulp.

 An armoire offered by Copenhagen Furniture is apparently constructed of either teak or cherry wood veneer over an unspecified backing material with an acrylic lacquer finish.

http://copenhagen.dyndns.org/

In looking at the sustainability and environmental impact of the materials used in this product, here is an itemized analysis:

• teak & cherry wood veneer - Again, veneers in general are a good choice but these two species of wood are not the most sustainable option, especially teak wood.
• acrylic lacquer finish - Most likely a high VOC based finish and therefore will off-gas for a considerable amount of time and release toxic chemicals affecting indoor air quality.

 Products offered by IKEA include: a bed frame (particleboard, fiberboard, ash veneer, and acrylic paint); kitchen cabinetry (solid pine, stain, clear polyurethane/acrylic lacquer, particleboard, melamine foil, fiberboard, and acrylic paint); and a children's table (solid pine, stain, clear acrylic lacquer).

http://www.ikea.com/

http://www.ikea.com/

http://www.ikea.com/

In looking at the sustainability and environmental impact of the materials used in these products, here is an itemized analysis:

• particle board - Not a good choice at all, full of formaldehyde, very high indoor toxicity, and not recyclable.
• fiberboard - Again, generally full of formaldehyde as a binding agent, but certain types of fiberboard can be considered "green" building products. Consisting of bio-based, secondary raw materials (wood chip or sugarcane fibers) recovered from within 100 miles (160 km) of manufacturing facilities, the binding agent used in this type of fiberboard is an all-natural product, consisting of vegetable starch containing no added formaldehydes.
• ash veneer - A good choice for a veneer species. Highly abundant and easily accepts stains.
• acrylic paint - A synthetic product that requires heavy reliance on natural resources and produces much waste. Relatively high VOC ratings which affect indoor air quality.
• solid pine - Abundant species of wood but can produce low level off-gassing of toxins.
• polyurethane - Most likely an oil-based urethane and therefore has a high VOC rating. 
• melamine - A formaldehyde-based resin used as a laminate generally over particle board or fiber board. Not good.

Materials that might serve as more sustainable and environmentally sound alternatives to the ones used in the furnishings listed are:

• Any hardwood listed as "FSC-Certified" and therefore grown and harvested sustainably. Most U.S. domestic hardwoods have no to low levels of off-gassing. Veneers do consume less wood but the trade-off might be in the production energy needed to manufacture it. As with all products, keeping the production and transportation needs close to the farms is a better option.
• Formaldehyde-free plywoods that use soy-based or other organic binders are now becoming more readily available and the cost of these products is in some instances competitive with conventional plywood. There are FSC-Certified hardwood species that can be applied as veneers and bamboo in particular is a very sustainable grass/wood that can be used. Bamboo is also available in a variety of sub-species that are unique and attractive.
• Water-based urethanes and natural polymerized finishes are becoming more available also. Drawbacks are that the price of these products is quite a bit more than oil-based substitutes and the curing times can be significantly longer.
• Textile options were not shown above but there are good, sustainable options for those applications as well. There are fabrics for upholstery, fibers for lattice, and carpeting and flooring options that can be much more environmentally friendly. Many use high percentages of post-consumer recycled content and have a lessened impact on natural resources.