Industry makes strides on eco-friendly front
By Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, April 20, 2008
High Point — "Green" was the word at market as the industry continued to make strides on the eco-friendly front.
Among the developments:
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The American Society of Furniture Designers said it is developing a green product category for the Pinnacle Awards.
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Upholstery producer Cisco Bros. opened a 30,000-square-foot showroom at an old factory it remodeled in High Point, certified by the widely recognized LEED green building guidelines.
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Manufacturer Copeland introduced a host of Forest Stewardship Council-certified product, and green efforts by upholstery and fabrics producers also picked up steam.
At the market, Cisco also began a policy to sell only environmentally responsible fabric products. It had done so earlier with leathers, said Cisco Pinedo, president.
"What we're doing is just raising the bar. Our base doesn't have to choose between a green and a non-green product," Pinedo said.
Shoppers at market were better informed about the environmental angle, but they're still playing catch-up with the consumer, he said.
"The awareness of the public is much bigger than the industry," said Pinedo. "The industry has not responded. They're waiting for sales to kick in. They're not listening."
But he added that at the spring market, more retailers asked to see green product.
Susan Inglis, executive director of the two-year-old Sustainable Furniture Council, said the group has made big strides in membership. The SFC now has more than 200 members, compared with about 40 in 2006.
At market, SFC staff visited several member showrooms to provide training for sales staff on selling eco-product.
"There's an increased awareness of true sustainability and we provided a lot of education, true information for the many members who were showing. Unification for sustainability has been increased by the relationship building at this market," Inglis said.
Bill Perdue, vice president of environmental affairs, health, safety and standards for the American Home Furnishings Alliance, said he gave about 10 presentations on the AHFA's programs to help companies to pursue environmentally friendly products and procedures.
"The question they ask is, 'How do we do it? How do we get involved? What is this really about? How do we start the process?'" Perdue said.
"We're way early in this movement.... This is in the beginning stages but we have to be prepared for when the wave crests," he added. "This isn't going away. It's become more prevalent and it will become more important to figure out."
Also picking up steam was the Sample Waste Initiative for the Furniture and Textiles Industries, or SWIFT. The group seeks to reduce the amount of sample waste created by jobbers, retailers, upholstery manufacturers and fabric producers.
Sue Patrolia, who started the initiative and is product manager for Regal Fabrics, said the group is considering marketing to raise the profile of the organization. She met here with retailers and other industry groups.
"We really had a great conversation about it," she said. "I hope we can have further conversation about it at Showtime in June."
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