Green Push

The international furniture industry is experiencing a paradigm shift as manufacturers rethink their designs, materials, and processes to get ahead in the sustainability cause.

- Joseph Lim

In the recent United Nations Environment Programme, new data points to the global furniture industry accounting for about 1.5% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions. The cause of it is wood processing, the use of adhesives, and more, as being major contributors to the dilemma. As the world’s temperature continues to climb, many industries such as the furniture industry must look at how they manufacture their products. Getting into the granularity of the entire process such as sourcing for FSC-wood (Forest Stewardship Council), jettisoning the use of adhesives, setting up water conservation programmes, encouraging waste reduction, and using sustainable materials such as bamboo, reclaimed wood, or recycled plastic, must be considered.

Renowned product designers, architects, and interior designers share their insightful opinions on how they are gearing up for the furniture industry to become greener as the world is witnessing higher ecological awareness for sustainable initiatives.

a fair start

The world’s largest furniture fair – Salone del Mobile – held annually in Milan during spring is a force to be reckoned with. This year the fair reclaimed its usual springtime slot, where more than 400,000 attendees were welcomed from 18 to 23 April 2023.

There were more than 2,000 exhibiting brands, with almost a third of them being foreign. China returned as the nation with the best representation after Italy, followed by Germany, France, the United States and Spain. Compared to last year, attendance increased by 15%, with roughly two-thirds from outside of Italy.