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Interest in ‘green' fabrics pales

Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, January 16, 2012

HIGH POINT - The troubled economy has reined in the use of eco-friendly fabrics in upholstery from slow to slower, several industry executives say.
     Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood for frames, soy-based foam and recycled steel are holding their own, but eco-friendly fabric sales have fallen off in the residential end of the upholstery business.
     "We still hear a little buzz about eco-friendly trends and we do not think it's going away," said Donna Marecle, president of Gum Tree Fabrics. "However, organic raw materials are most expensive and price points will continue to be a factor in our industry."
     Holly Blalock, the marketing director for upper end producer C.R. Laine, said mills aren't promoting green fabrics as much, and the Made in America movement has overtaken green as a concern of consumers.
     "Are they looking for it?," she said of the eco-friendly attribute. "I think they're looking more for feel and texture."
     Zack Taylor, vice president of sales and marketing for Valdese, said the eco-friendly trend is weak in some markets, strong in others. In the contract market, for example, "earth-friendly practices have become the standard," he said.
     "We use the same responsible practices and processes in all our brands - Valdese Weavers, Valdese Weavers Contract, Home Fabrics and Circa 1801," he added. "Regardless of whether our customers define their interest as eco-friendly or not, there is a newfound awareness of how and where products are produced."
     Many manufacturers note, however, that the economy has forced them to be ultra cost effective.
     Bob Patton, national sales manager for P/Kaufmann, said the interest in green "is still there but in a very casual way due to the cost of being real eco-friendly. It is not a 100%. It is used sparingly."
     Likewise, Walter Rothschild, president of fabric mill David Rothschild, said, "Eco-friendly fabrics have not been important to most of our customers that make residential furniture."
     He added, "An argument can be made that it is not important since a majority of upholstery fabrics are imported, and the thought of importers asking about the environmental impact of the fabrics is humorous."
     Carrie Bleile, Flexsteel's vice president of merchandising, said the company "has never fully embraced" the green movement, partly because there are so many levels of green. More important, "The price level (of using green) is way up over something similar. The price/value thing is enough of a problem right now. We don't need to inflate it any more."
     A mill recently showed her samples of a bamboo product that was $14 a yard. "It didn't look that much different from a $5 or $6 fabric. Are we going to spend $14 a yard just to say it's bamboo? I don't think so."
     Susan Inglis, executive director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, said consumers are aware of FSCcertified woods and bio-hybrid foams through logos and hang tags, but awareness of green fabrics isn't as great. If they're pushed by the salesperson - and it can add to a "feel-good" purchase - consumers will buy them, she said.
     But right now, "Our perception is that consumers are so concerned with keeping a roof over their heads and businesses are concerned with keeping the doors open, their concerns (about the environment) are not as great," Inglis said. "They're just not as worried about the climate crisis as they are about the economic crisis."

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