Where Can You Find Environmentally-Friendly Furniture in Canada?

You can find environmentally friendly office furniture in Canada at effydesk, whose Terra Standing Desk top is made from recycled chopsticks by Vancouver’s ChopValue. Thrift stores, secondhand shops and brands that use reclaimed or FSC-certified wood are good options too.

The need is real: office furniture makes up a HUGE part of landfill waste today. The US Environmental Protection Agency reports that over 8.5 million tons of furniture end up in a landfill every year. And that’s just in the United States!

In a fast-changing economy, businesses and home offices have had to adapt quickly to outfit their workspaces. That often means moving and re-furnishing many times over, and sometimes all the office furniture from the old building just gets tossed. It’s no wonder Canadians are looking for eco-friendly office furniture.

With so much wasted material, it’s worth asking whether your furniture and home decor are environmentally sustainable. Thrifted, recycled, and repurposed furniture feeds the global circular economy, which keeps as many items out of the landfill as possible.

Conscious consumption starts in the office, at home or in an office building. Below, we cover what makes a product eco-friendly, how to judge a company, and where to buy environmentally friendly furniture in Canada.

What Makes a Product Eco-Friendly?

A product is eco-friendly when it is made from recycled, repurposed or fast-renewing materials and produced with processes that create little waste or pollution.

When it comes to environmentally sustainable products, there are two factors to consider:

• Eco-friendly materials
• Eco-friendly processes

A product made from eco-friendly materials is usually made from recycled, repurposed, or post-consumer materials. Wood, metal, glass, and plastic can all be recycled and turned into material for new items. These products need very few raw materials (if any at all), which reduces the carbon footprint of the finished item.

Most of the time, these products can be recycled again once they’ve been “used up,” and the materials can go into another eco-friendly product!

Using sustainable materials also makes a product more eco-friendly. Bamboo, for example, is a natural fibre that is a great green alternative to raw wood. It grows much faster than trees do, which makes it a sustainable material. On top of that, bamboo products are easily compostable and recyclable!

Environmentally friendly products would be pointless if they were processed in a way that created huge amounts of waste or harmful by-products. That’s why sustainable processes are a big part of making an eco-friendly product, and why the company behind a product matters as much as the product itself.

How Can You Tell if a Company Is Environmentally Friendly?

An environmentally friendly company sources recycled, reclaimed or FSC-certified materials and uses clean manufacturing that avoids harsh chemicals and wasted water.

Companies that manufacture eco-friendly products have a high standard to live up to. They are responsible for sourcing sustainable, earth-friendly material, and they also have to make sure their manufacturing processes are “clean” and don’t produce any harsh chemicals that might harm the environment.

You can also tell if a company is environmentally friendly by finding out where it gets its materials. In office furniture, many earth-conscious companies work with reclaimed wood or FSC Certified Wood (wood that the Forest Stewardship Council has deemed to be harvested sustainably). Responsibly sourced material means you can support the company and enjoy your furniture without worrying about the environmental impact.

What Are Microfactories?

A microfactory is a small, local production site that uses advanced technology to make products with less time, energy, transport and waste.

This is why microfactories like ChopValue’s have become more widespread in recent years. Smaller factories close to their customers, like ChopValue’s closed-loop microfactories, use more localized manufacturing processes and resources, which generates less waste.

Take ChopValue’s hot-resin sanitation, for example. The process kills bacteria on recycled chopsticks, and it produces no water waste at all. According to ChopValue, its entire manufacturing process stores more carbon than it creates, making every piece of furniture and home decor carbon-positive.

What Should You Do With Old Office Furniture?

Donate usable desks and chairs to thrift stores or secondhand shops, and recycle broken furniture through your local recycling department’s large-item program.

Make sure to donate desks and chairs that are still usable and in good condition. You never know, someone else might find your old desk to be just the one they wanted!

Donating items to thrift stores gives them a second life in someone else’s home. Before going to a landfill, these pieces of furniture could be upcycled or reused by someone else.

If your old desk or chairs aren’t in good condition anymore, recycle them properly. Most furniture can’t go into curbside recycling programs, so check with your local recycling department to find out where to recycle large items.

Which Companies Sell Eco-Friendly Furniture?

effydesk and ChopValue sell recycled-chopstick office furniture in Canada, while Thuma, The Citizenry and VivaTerra sell sustainably sourced bedroom furniture and home decor.

Here are some eco-friendly companies to support when you’re in the market for sustainable furniture.

effydesk x ChopValue

With the launch of the Closed Loop Collection by effydesk x ChopValue, it's easier than ever to shop for environmentally friendly furniture. This sustainable collection of office products is made from recycled chopsticks collected and repurposed by ChopValue.

What Is Closed-Loop Production?

Closed-loop production turns used material, here restaurant chopsticks, back into new products, so the process needs almost no new raw material.

During the closed-loop production of effydesk and ChopValue’s eco-friendly home office products, the amount of raw material used is virtually zero, and ChopValue reports that its manufacturing process stores more carbon than it creates. That makes the Closed Loop Collection a great, sustainable choice for office furniture.

The collection includes upcycled office accessories such as Laptop Legs, a Phone Stand and a Tablet Stand. Its centrepiece is the Terra Standing Desk, whose tabletop is made from about 10,854 recycled chopsticks. The dense, durable material brings a minimalist style to your office.

The Terra starts at $1,294 CAD, adjusts from 23" to 50", lifts 310 lbs with dual motors, and has wireless charging built in. Like every effydesk standing desk, it carries a 20-year warranty on the frame, motors and electronics.

Both effydesk and ChopValue are based in Vancouver, so Canadians can support local companies and enjoy free shipping. Shopping from the US? Shipping is free there too.

Thuma

Thuma is an eco-friendly online store (based in San Francisco) that specializes in bedroom furniture. Its furniture is made from repurposed rubberwood from sustainable tree plantations. Each piece is shipped to your door in recyclable packaging, and Thuma also plants a tree with every purchase.

The Citizenry

The Citizenry is a globally inspired home decor brand that invests in artisans worldwide. From Mexico to Mali, this company sources high-quality handcrafted goods made in limited quantities, from dining room furniture to pillows and tableware.

The small-batch production makes every item unique, and fair trade standards mean items are produced in a safe working environment. Worldwide partnerships make it easier for artists to use ethically and locally sourced material. The Citizenry uses 10 percent of its proceeds for entrepreneur development grants, which gives back to the artisan communities it works with.

VivaTerra

VivaTerra blends global inspiration with modern design to bring you an eco-conscious line of furniture and home decor. This company sources items from family-run businesses around the world, working closely with people who use sustainable methods to create beautiful furniture. Most of its pieces are handcrafted with recycled glass, vintage fabrics, salvaged metal or responsibly sourced wood (either FSC-certified or reclaimed wood).

Where Should Canadians Start With Eco-Friendly Office Furniture?

Canadians can start with the Terra Standing Desk, which pairs a ChopValue recycled-chopstick top with a 20-year warranty on the frame, motors and electronics.

At effydesk, we design and deliver electric standing desks for professional or personal use.

Our ergonomic office chairs help office workers avoid desk job damage and keep up efficiency and morale at work, wherever that may be for you.

Browse our Standing Desks, Office Chairs, and Monitor Mounts, designed to help you get more done, more comfortably. Every desk and chair comes with a 100-day trial.

To learn more about effydesk’s products and services, check out our FAQ page or browse our blog for more helpful articles on ergonomics in the workplace.