Sustainability in Focus at Las Vegas Market

August 2, 2007  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in on August 2007 With many furniture shoppers expressing a preference for home products created in a more environmentally friendly way—with wood from sustainable forests—a group of retailers and manufacturers at the Las Vegas Market focused on how to fill those needs Tuesday during a panel discussion.

The event was presented by Home Furnishings Business and co-sponsored by Foamex Reflex Natural, World Market Center and the Sustainable Furniture Council. Amy Chender of New York’s ABC Home said rising awareness of sustainability issues is making it easier to get suppliers to cooperate with the retailer’s green initiatives. “The vendor community is starting to take green much more seriously because of its growing importance to their customers,” she said.

Mike Italiano of Market Transformation to Sustainability urged the audience of about 75 retailers and manufacturers to embrace sustainable practices, saying there is a growing list of resources to assist companies in becoming more eco-friendly. “The climate is right. People want to make the shift and suppliers are eager to do it. It’s not as daunting as it might seem.”

Steve Freeman of Minneapolis-based Room & Board cited the Sustainable Furniture Council as an organization that is helping the industry move to more eco-friendly practices. “Room & Board strives to apply manufacturing and business principles that are environmentally responsible and ethical, and we see the Sustainable Furniture Council as a great opportunity to further such practices throughout our industry and put more players on the same page,” he said.

Evidence of the attention the issues are receiving is a new 15,000-square-foot Living Green Pavilion at the Las Vegas Market that highlights some of the more than 35 manufacturers at the show that have committed their companies to sustainable products and practices.