The Future of Furniture: Biodegradable

Green building is gaining popularity, but how about what goes in those buildings... the furniture? It turns out that there is an emerging market in furniture that actually biodegrades

The furniture and housing goods production process involves a significant amount of chemicals. They're used to treat, process and preserve the woods used, flame retardants are applied to textiles, plastic derivative polyester goes into cushions. In general, home furnishings can be pretty toxic stuff. But some textile and design entrepreneurs are focusing on ways to eliminate toxins, opting instead for neutral chemicals and more natural fabrics.

Designer Michael McDonough set the standard in 2002 when he wrote Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, articulating the implications of cradle-to-grave impacts on furniture. Other designers have followed suit, putting significant effort into ensuring that the processes we use in home furnishing are as careful as the ones so many builders apply to green building.

Despite what appears to be faux controversy about what these advances might do to heirlooms, biodegradable furniture would not immediately break down. But wouldn’t it be cool to be able to toss a broken chair into the compost heap rather than into the trash? There aren’t LEED standards for furniture yet, but it looks like that's the direction on the horizon. Watch out Ikea!

Read more at the New York Times.