CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—This past October was a landmark month for the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC). It was then that the nonprofit turned five years old. SFC is a nonprofit coalition of materials suppliers, manufacturers, retailers and designers committed to promoting sustainable practices in the home furnishings industry. While focused on home furnishings, different elements of SFC cross over into hospitality—e.g., suppliers, designers, and the criteria by which furnishings are deemed sustainable.
“Many of our manufacturer, supplier and designer members also work in commercial,” says Susan Inglis, executive director and founding member of SFC. “All of our members are companies that have made a justifiable commitment to sustainability and continuous improvement.”
Inglis says SFC now has almost 400 members. They represent companies ranging from Victor Group to Lazar Furniture to The Comphy Co. Members are categorized and are searchable on the SFC website.
SFC’s impact is particularly strong in the designer community. More than 600 participants, many of whom are designers, have graduated from the SFC-sponsored GREENleaders Certified Sustainability Training program. GREENleaders focuses on furnishing the interior and consists of six one-hour modules: The Case for Sustainability, Knowing Green Consumers (based on consumer research), Sourcing Green Products, Selling Green Solutions, Designing Green Interiors, and Operating Green Showrooms. The modules are part of the LEED curriculum and account for six continuing education hours.
“[GREENleaders] is the only certificate program in the home furnishings industry,” Inglis says. “Those who complete the courses are designated ‘Green Accredited Professionals.’”
Different Membership Designations
SFC members all join as standard members. Membership is open to those companies with a verified intent to improve their sustainability. Those members implementing best practices in sustainability can qualify for Exemplary membership. Based on specific levels of proven performance, these members can qualify for Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum membership levels. A furniture manufacturer earning Silver status, for example, must have in place a Social Equity Code of Conduct followed by all suppliers and prove that 15 to 25 percent of all wood products meet certain sustainability benchmarks.
In 2008, SFC launched a public advertising and in-store tagging program for consumers to identify retailers and products which exceed its threshold sustainability standards.
Those who join SFC benefit from exposure on the SFC website, the use of the SFC Member Seal on their own sites, training on green selling, trade show publicity at events such as High Point Market and Las Vegas Market, and participation in the DESIGNINGreen program. DESIGNINGreen is a media campaign reaching publications ranging from Boutique Design to House Beautiful. One recent campaign called “why green?” was intended to associate media partners with designers such as Clodagh, Monica Pedersen, Alexander Julian, Thom Filicia, and others with the sustainability movement in home furnishings.
Trade Market Attendance
SFC does not currently have chapters. Organization representatives attend all major residential trade markets: Las Vegas Market, High Point Market, Architectural Digest Home Design Show, International Contemporary Furniture Fair, and Dwell on Design. “At Las Vegas Market we have three different events going on,” Inglis says.
There are many reasons why an organization such as SFC is needed.
“Illegal logging is such a problem in the world,” Inglis says. “It is responsible for most of the deforestation that is happening. Knowing where your wood comes from—having a chain of custody—is important. Forest Stewardship Council certification should be top of mind. In the United States, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative label is also very common. The most credible is Forest Stewardship Council.”
Inglis says there is also a concern that the furnishings industry has a large environmental footprint. Oftentimes, the gathering of raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, and retail all take place in vastly different locations.
“There is the concern of so much carbon emissions with so much transportation,” Inglis says.
SFC was launched formally at High Point Market in 2006. Among its notable founding members were Harden Furniture and Gat Creek among manufacturers; Room & Board and ABC Carpet & Home among retailers; and Home Furnishings Business and Furniture Today among major media companies. The group also included ranking staff of World Wildlife Fund, Rainforest Alliance and one of the two co-founders of the U.S. Green Building Council.
“[Reaching the five-year mark] was tremendously gratifying,” Inglis says. “So many businesses don’t make it that far. The same is true for nonprofits. We are proud to have made this milestone.
Go to the Sustainable Furnishings Council.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
