Guide to Sustainable Furniture in Singapore
From propylene to sustainably sourced teak, decorating sustainably doesn't need to be complicated or expensive
Organic cotton and lyocell pieces may line your closet, but there are bigger ways you can shop sustainably at home. With the help of Soul & Tables, a leading online furniture retailer specialising in sustainably sourced oak and teak wood furniture, and For The Common Goods, a multi-brand retailer carrying sustainable, design-forward labels, learn how to navigate future-friendly furniture designs at home.
There are a few broad ways to support sustainable furniture design at home. Whatever you choose, the guiding principle should always be durability. Considering how long you will use the product before purchasing will ensure you decorate your home in a responsible fashion.
- Buy furniture pieces that are made from sustainably sourced materials.
- Use vintage pieces; buy secondhand or recycle and upcycle existing pieces.
- Look for pieces made with low-toxicity (low volatile organic compound, or low-VOC), or better yet, zero-VOC materials. Paint is a common perpetrator of VOCs at home and can be found on up to 80 per cent of surfaces from countertops to walls, doors, carpets and furniture.
Buying sustainably: certifying bodies to get acquainted with
Certifying bodies, often non-profit organisations, set international standards to ensure consistency and uphold regulations. Ethnicraft Online Singapore tells us the two most commonly observed international certifications available in Singapore are FSC and PEFC. Tommy and Angie of For The Common Goods also recommend consumers look out for Cradle to Cradle and GREENGUARD certification.
Certifying bodies, often non-profit organisations, set international standards to ensure consistency and uphold regulations. Ethnicraft Online Singapore tells us the two most commonly observed international certifications available in Singapore are FSC and PEFC. Tommy and Angie of For The Common Goods also recommend consumers look out for Cradle to Cradle and GREENGUARD certification.
- Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC): An international non-profit, non-governmental, umbrella organisation dedicated to promoting Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) through independent third-party certification. It works by endorsing national forest certification systems and tailoring them to local priorities and conditions.
- The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): The FSC uses internationally agreed FSC Principles of Responsible Forest Management to issue certificates for forestry operations that meet their requirements.
- Cradle to Cradle: The Cradle to Cradle Certified™ mark provides consumers, regulators, employees, and industry peers with a clear, visible, and tangible validation of a manufacturer’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and to their communities. Awarding criteria includes the assessment of material health and reutilisation, water stewardship, social fairness, and renewable energy.
- GREENGUARD: GREENGUARD Certification helps manufacturers create – and helps buyers identify and trust – interior products and materials that have low chemical emissions. All certified products must meet stringent emissions standards based on established chemical exposure criteria.
Ethnicraft Teak
Sustainable wood in Singapore
Where possible, sourcing for certified sustainable furniture is the best way to ensure a piece has been responsibly produced. But buying sustainable wood in Singapore doesn’t just have to be about certification.
A representative from Ethnicraft Online Singapore says, “In general, sustainable wood should reduce carbon footprint, preserve the ecosystem, and protect the environment. Teak and oak are the most commonly found FSC-certified hardwoods in Singapore. Common sustainable softwoods in Singapore generally come from fast growing species like pine and bamboo. Eco-certifications aside, sustainable wood can also mean buying locally, buying recycled/durable pieces, or buying pieces made from fast-growing wood species.”
Where possible, sourcing for certified sustainable furniture is the best way to ensure a piece has been responsibly produced. But buying sustainable wood in Singapore doesn’t just have to be about certification.
A representative from Ethnicraft Online Singapore says, “In general, sustainable wood should reduce carbon footprint, preserve the ecosystem, and protect the environment. Teak and oak are the most commonly found FSC-certified hardwoods in Singapore. Common sustainable softwoods in Singapore generally come from fast growing species like pine and bamboo. Eco-certifications aside, sustainable wood can also mean buying locally, buying recycled/durable pieces, or buying pieces made from fast-growing wood species.”
Ethnicraft Online’s tips on buying sustainable wood
- Softwoods like pine, cedar, and fir tend to grow faster than hardwoods like oak, teak, walnut, and beech, which makes their trees easier to replace and manage sustainably.
- While hardwood furniture is often more durable than softwood furniture, its trees (teak, walnut, oak etc.) have to be managed more carefully to achieve sustainable management. Look for certified sustainable sources when purchasing hardwood furniture.
- Purchasing fast-growing wood species ensures sustainable rates of forest extraction. Fast-growing wood species include bamboo, cane, mango and maple, which mature rapidly and can be continuously replanted. This ensures a balance of removal and renewal to sustain future generations.
- It is generally safe to purchase furniture made from wood from Europe. Forests in Europe are protected by laws which enforce a fixed cap on the annual harvest and a minimum requirement that harvested trees be replaced.
- It is generally harder to find sustainable wood from non-European sources, such as Asia, Africa and South America. However, this does not mean that all wood originating from countries outside Europe is unsustainable. There are existing international organisations that assess forests in such countries to help you make the environmentally-friendly choice.
- Be extra cautious when it comes to endangered wood species, such as merbau, sapele, wenge, ebony, Brazilian mahogany, and teak (especially Burmese teak). A list of all current endangered species can be found on the Friends of the Earth website.
- Opting for locally-made wooden furniture reduces the amount of energy consumed in the furniture-making process (like harvesting, processing, and transportation of wood materials).
Pretzel bench of Studiohiji, a Jakarta-based label by Abie Abdillah, available through For The Common Goods.
Know your rattan
There are plenty of upsides to rattan – when it is sustainably harvested. For The Common Goods tells us that as a naturally renewable palm, rattan can be harvested every five to seven years. In comparison, a teak tree takes about 25 years to mature before it is ready for harvest. The economic value of rattan also encourages the protection and preservation of forestland they grow in. Indonesia accounts for about 70 per cent of the world’s rattan, but there is a waning rattan industry that is affecting the livelihood of rattan farmers and skilled craftsmen.
Catch the rattan revival
Know your rattan
There are plenty of upsides to rattan – when it is sustainably harvested. For The Common Goods tells us that as a naturally renewable palm, rattan can be harvested every five to seven years. In comparison, a teak tree takes about 25 years to mature before it is ready for harvest. The economic value of rattan also encourages the protection and preservation of forestland they grow in. Indonesia accounts for about 70 per cent of the world’s rattan, but there is a waning rattan industry that is affecting the livelihood of rattan farmers and skilled craftsmen.
Catch the rattan revival
Embrace cork
Ikea may have only started tapping on cork in 2016, but the material began gaining popularity among homeowners and interior designers in the early 2000s.
Cork, which comes from the bark of the cork oak tree, is affordable, renewable, and recyclable. Because cork is the bark of the tree, the trees themselves are never cut down and can live for more than 200 years. The tree is the only one in the world that can regrow bark – it takes about 9 to 12 years to grow back before it can be stripped again. Cork oaks are grown without pesticides, irrigation, or pruning, and up to 90 per cent of the energy used in the production of harvested cork comes from burning cork dust.
Ikea may have only started tapping on cork in 2016, but the material began gaining popularity among homeowners and interior designers in the early 2000s.
Cork, which comes from the bark of the cork oak tree, is affordable, renewable, and recyclable. Because cork is the bark of the tree, the trees themselves are never cut down and can live for more than 200 years. The tree is the only one in the world that can regrow bark – it takes about 9 to 12 years to grow back before it can be stripped again. Cork oaks are grown without pesticides, irrigation, or pruning, and up to 90 per cent of the energy used in the production of harvested cork comes from burning cork dust.
PDM Brand indoor/outdoor mats are made with 100% polypropylene — hem and product label included — so the piece can be recycled into products. PDM Brand is available for purchase online.
Polypropylene
Most of us think that plastics = synthetic = unsustainable. However, in its production, polypropylene consumes the least amount of energy and produces the lowest amount of carbon dioxide (a key contributing factor to climate change) amongst other plastics. Its best characteristic, though, is that it can be recycled multiple times after its initial product lifespan instead of heading to the landfill.
Polypropylene
Most of us think that plastics = synthetic = unsustainable. However, in its production, polypropylene consumes the least amount of energy and produces the lowest amount of carbon dioxide (a key contributing factor to climate change) amongst other plastics. Its best characteristic, though, is that it can be recycled multiple times after its initial product lifespan instead of heading to the landfill.
Tips from For The Common Goods on how to be a more informed consumer
- Have a think about where your furniture comes from – did it travel all over the world to get to you or were efforts been made to reduce carbon footprint?
- Question the lifespan of the product and where it is going to end up. There are forward-thinking designers and furniture makers out there who take into account recyclability when they design and build furniture.
- Does the furniture piece contain any parts or pieces that come from naturally renewable, reclaimed, or recycled materials, and can it be disassembled into reusable or recyclable parts at the end of the furniture’s lifespan?
Shop sustainably at these stores
- Soul & Tables for sustainably-sourced oak and teak furniture
- For The Common Goods for sustainable lines such as Studiohiji, which produces rattan furniture, and PDM Brand, which produces indoor/outdoor mats that are 100 per cent recyclable
- Journey East for a selection of vintage and reclaimed teak furniture
- Arete Culture Outdoor Living for a selection of brightly coloured and patterned, 100 per cent recyclable indoor/outdoor rugs
- Chun Mee Lee Rattan Furniture for traditional rattan pieces (122 Bukit Merah Lane 1)
- Noden for Scandinavian-style vintage furniture
- Hock Siong & Co. for an always fresh selection of secondhand furniture and accessories
- Mobler for vintage Scandinavian furniture and accessories
TELL US
How sustainable is your home? Let us know the ways you’ve made your home earth-friendly in the Comments section.
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