MBDG: Insights

Green, certified organic, made of recycled content, LEED certified, low VOC – just a few of the terms I spy in our resource library. There are so many certifications and terms being tossed around these days to refer to products that are better choices to help protect the environment and consumers. I admit that I find it confusing and overwhelming.

Fortunately, there is a group headquartered in Chapel Hill to help make sense of it all. The Sustainable Furniture Council is dedicated to promoting sustainable practices within the home furnishings industry and raising awareness among manufacturers, retailers, designers and consumers. It is their belief that sustainable practices are those that promote a healthy balance between the environment, local economies and social equity.

So many new products are coming onto the market that are not only beautiful, but, are healthier for you, too. Bamboo and countertops made with bits of recycled glass are just a couple of the products creating a lot of buzz. You may be surprised to find out about other materials that have been around for hundreds of years that are just as worthy of the label “sustainable”, too.

I hope to share with you over the coming weeks several of the new materials and products and make the ‘green’ world easier to navigate.

Fact: 80% of home furnishings end up in landfills! Quality is a key component of sustainability.

www.sustainablefurniturecouncil.org

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Perhaps the most dangerous Market find this year is a certain chocolate chip cookie. Our very last stop last week took us to a vendor we have enjoyed working with for many years. Not only does this furniture maker create beautiful pieces, but the people that we work with are truly a delight. So, when we jumped on their plate of cookies and devoured every last one, it was with great generosity that our friend Elsie offered up the remaining cookies from the bag. When we saw the bag we were surprised to see that these cookies can be obtained at our very own Harris Teeter, here in Meadowmont. HT Trader brand chocolate chip and pecan cookies -Yum!

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