Using materials recovered from the waste stream typically results in less waste, pollution, and energy use than using virgin materials. From an environmental standpoint, post-consumer is typically considered preferable to pre-consumer recycled content because post-consumer recycled materials are more likely to have been diverted from landfills.
In some cases, we consider products with recycled content green but with some caveats regarding where they should be used. For example, rubber flooring made from recycled automobile tires should not be used in most fully enclosed indoor spaces due to the likelihood of VOC emissions.
Recycling can have downsides. For example, some studies show that curbside collection programs and some recycling processes use more energy than they save. Closed-loop recycling is generally preferable to “down-cycling,” in which a lower-grade material is produced—but due to contamination of waste streams and the difficulty of extracting high-value ingredients, down-cycling may be as good as it gets. At times recycling can re-introduce hazardous components. Some products, like copper and aluminum, include a high level of recycled content as a matter of course—which we applaud, but don’t consider justification for listing in GreenSpec. As more complete life-cycle information on recycled materials and processes becomes available, we use that to increase our scrutiny of recycled products.
Shetkastone
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Pre-consumer (also called “post-industrial”) recycling refers to the reuse of industrial by-products, as distinguished from material that has been in consumer use. The iron-ore slag used to make mineral wool insulation and the fly ash used to make concrete are examples of post-industrial recycled materials. While post-consumer recycled content is preferable, a product that uses pre-consumer content or recycles a seldom-used waste product, especially in an area where recycled products are hard to find, can be considered green.
Excluded from this category, by FTC definitions, is the use of scrap within the same manufacturing process from which it was generated—material that would typically have gone back into the manufacturing process anyway.
All Paper Recycling manufactures tables and countertops using a patented process and 100% pre- and post-consumer recycled paper. Shetkastone comes in four standard colors that use a water-based binder. Premium colors are also available and they use a 13% acrylic binder. All products made with Shetkastone that are damaged or at the end of their lifecycle can be recycled back into the manufacturing process, reducing waste. The material has a Class A fire rating without the addition of chemicals and a 400-pound screw test.
Countertops and other horizontal surfaces have to be able to withstand water, cleaning chemicals, abrasion, and other abuse. There is no perfect surface for every application and aesthetic sensibility, but whichever type of surface you choose, you can find products with raw materials, binders, and adhesives to minimize environmental impact.
High-pressure laminates (HPLs)—with Formica being the best-known brand—are inexpensive and are made from kraft paper and melamine (MF) or phenol formaldehyde (PF) binders crosslinked together into a thin thermoset plastic. The HPL is then adhered to particleboard or MDF panels. According to manufacturers, the formaldehyde in the MF and PF resins is transformed by the manufacturing process into an inert material, resulting in extremely low emissions from the final product. Products listed by GreenSpec contain FSC-certified content and meet CDPH Standard Method emissions requirements. No-added formaldehyde, biobased laminates are also listed.
Composite surfaces are also made from paper or wood fibers and PF or MF binders. They are available in different thicknesses and are not laminated to wood cores. There may not be as much paper or wood fiber in these products as you might assume, with resins sometimes comprising 50% of the final product by weight, but some contain biobased resins. Products listed by GreenSpec contain 100% post-consumer recycled or FSC-certified content.
Glass composites use pre- and post-consumer recycled glass and/or porcelain along with a portland cement-based binder. Some glass composites contain biobased resins, but avoid those that use epoxy, which contains the endocrine disruptor bisphenol-A.
Solid surface materials are made from either acrylic or polyester resins and conform to ANSI-approved performance standards. Non-porous and homogenous, they can be sanded and repaired if damaged and can be installed without seams. GreenSpec lists products that contain post-consumer recycled content and meet CDPH Standard Method emissions requirements.
There are plenty of wood and rapidly renewable surface products available. GreenSpec lists those made from reclaimed wood; FSC-certified wood; and rapidly renewable bamboo, wheat, sorghum, or hemp.
GreenSpec does not currently list natural stone countertops, pending review of new life-cycle assessment data produced by the industry.
You’ll probably be choosing furniture based on aesthetics, ergonomics, durability, and cost. In addition to that, make sure that furniture doesn’t introduce harmful emissions into the space. Also look for lower-impact materials and manufacturing processes.
Finding low-emitting furniture, along with other low-emitting building materials, is a must.
GreenSpec generally lists only furniture that meets California Section 01350 or more stringent emissions certifications such as Greenguard Children & Schools. In rare cases GreenSpec lists products that haven’t been tested to these standards, but that instead are made from inherently low-emitting materials with certified low-emitting adhesives, or are in subcategories where a less stringent certification (such as Greenguard Indoor Air Quality) is as good as it gets. Salvaged products also frequently don't have low-emitting certifications—check the certifications to be sure.
Furniture isn’t one-dimensional. It incorporates many different materials, and each material has its own environmental and health issues.
GreenSpec looks at furniture materials based on their key environmental attributes. For example, wood furniture must be FSC-certified, and upholstered products should reduce hazards from chemicals in fabrics and foams, such as halogenated flame retardants.
The attributes GreenSpec looks for in products listed here include salvaged material, pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled content, use of agricultural waste, certified wood, rapidly renewable material, material that is natural or minimally processed, or uses alternatives to hazardous components.
Comparing the many environmental claims for furniture products is challenging. Multi-attribute green product certifications like BIFMA’s “level” certification can provide an even playing field. However, you’ll have to dig deeper to get at a product’s tangible benefits. Ask the manufacturer for the certification scorecard or other comprehensive environmental disclosure.
GreenSpec lists BIFMA level 3 certified furniture because we think that level 3 sets a high, comprehensive bar. We list many BIFMA level 2 certified products, but we base those listings on additional disclosure of a product’s green features.
Although BIFMA’s level is a key industry standard, we sometimes find and list products with exceptional performance under other multi-attribute standards, or other clearly exceptional products that provide full disclosure of environmental and health characteristics, or products that stand out in a unique application for which there are few green alternatives.
In a residential setting, where there is likely to be lower air exchange and also children—a more vulnerable population—consider placing increased emphasis on occupant health over other environmental concerns.
For residential products in particular, GreenSpec seeks out products that, in addition to the emissions certifications described above, provide full disclosure of material composition demonstrating no content of high-hazard chemicals (according to the Pharos Chemical and Material Library).
Residential furniture products must meet the same overarching criteria that GreenSpec has established for all furniture products: products must be low emitting and exhibit multiple other environmental features, such as being made primarily from greener materials.
In a residential setting, where there is likely to be lower air exchange and also children—a more vulnerable population—consider placing increased emphasis on occupant health over other environmental concerns.
For residential products, GreenSpec places increased emphasis on occupant health over other life cycle concerns for the product. GreenSpec seeks out products that are certified low emitting and also provide full disclosure of material composition demonstrating no content of high-hazard chemicals (according to the Pharos Chemical and Material Library). As such products are few and far between, GreenSpec also lists other innovative residential furniture products that address a range of concerns.
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