Altra Furniture offers eco-friendly RTA line
Panels include no virgin forest material
Gary James -- Furniture Today, July 6, 2009
 This entertainment console and pier unit are part of Altra Furniture’s new eco-friendly SmartPanel line. |
Introduced at the April High Point Market, the new line features a panel product consisting of 70% post-production material and 30% sawdust.
According to the company, these are materials that otherwise would be categorized as waste. Unlike typical RTA furniture, the boards contain no virgin forest material.
"Consumers have a lot of interest in going green, and so do retailers, but in today's economic environment, they're not willing to pay extra money," said Kelli Criswell, product development manager. "The SmartPanel line offers a range of green furniture products that are stylish and affordable."
The line includes home office, entertainment, storage and occasional furniture. Price points are at the promotional end of Altra's line, with a console designed for a 42- to 46-inch TV priced at $99 retail and a desk at $69 to $79.
"They're offered at a similar price as their non-eco counterparts," said Criswell. "Most consumers are still not willing to ‘go green' if it is going to cost extra ‘green.'"
Altra currently sells the line through Canadian Tire, a mass merchant in Canada, and is in discussions with many of its current U.S. retailers, including Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, Office Depot, Staples and Best Buy.
"We expect the line to be available in U.S. stores starting in the fall," said Criswell. She added that the company plans to expand the line with other pieces, styles and finishes, perhaps as soon as the October High Point Market.
"This type of design is a particularly good fit for storage pieces, such as laundry storage," she said. "We'll be doing more in that area, as well as in office and entertainment."
Altra says it buys the panel product from offshore sources, with quality control procedures in place to make sure that it lives up to its eco-friendly claims.
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