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The Environmental Impact of the Upholstery Industry.
Worldwide, an area of forest the size of England is destroyed each year as a result of our insatiable demand for wood. The UK is the highest per capita user of industrial wood in the world. Tropical hardwoods, such as teak and mahogany, are often illegally sourced or from badly managed forests. Only certified products are guaranteed to come from properly managed sustainable sources.
Current stringent UK Fire Safety Regulations require all UK furniture manufacturers and upholsterers to comply with The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988 which has led to the wide spread use of chemical flame retardants. However, there is evidence that certain flame retardants can off gas and find their way into our bodies with potentially harmful effects on our health. Formaldehyde, found in MDF, other timber composites, chemical flame retardants as well as wood preservatives and glues, are known to cause symptoms such as nausea, coughing, allergic reactions and fatigue. According to the World Health Organisation, it can cause cancer in humans and animals. Environmental lobbyists are trying to encourage manufacturers to replace more problematic chemical flame retardants with non-toxic or natural alternatives. For further information follow the links:
Polyurethane commonly used in wood finishes and sealants is known to cause cancer in humans.
Animal welfare is an issue with regard to furniture and textile production. All chemical flame retardants have been tested on animals as have synthetic dyes, scotch guard, finishers and chemicals used in textiles and furnishing materials. Also much of the leather and wool used in furnishing materials and fabrics comes from unethical sources.
For further information follow the links:
should I give jumpers the cold shoulder?
The current trend for buying furniture with a short lifespan, rather than investing in furniture which can last a lifetime and be passed on to future generations creates the massive problem of disposal. Foam fillings and other upholstery materials currently used in upholstered furniture cannot be recycled and contain chemical flame retardants which can off gas and leach out into the surrounding environment and groundwater from furniture dumped in landfill sites, while incineration can also release toxins into the environment.
For further information follow the links:
greenpeace.org.uk/search/node/flame+retardants
Geese and Ducks Suffer for Down
Down is the soft layer of feathers closest to birds’ skin, primarily in the chest region. These feathers are highly valued because they do not have quills. Most products labeled “down” contain a combination of these underfeathers and other feathers or fillers. While most down and feathers are removed from birds during slaughter, geese from breeding flocks and those raised for meat and foie gras may be live-plucked. In countries where this cruel practice continues, up to 5 ounces of feathers and down are pulled from each bird every six weeks from the time that they are 10 weeks old until they are up to 4 years old.
Plucking geese causes them considerable pain and distress. One study of chickens’ heart rates and behaviors determined that “feather removal is likely to be painful to the bird(s),” and another study found that the blood glucose level of some geese nearly doubled (a symptom of severe stress) during plucking.
Typically, ducks and geese are lifted by their necks, their legs tied, and their breast feathers are ripped out. The struggling birds often sustain injuries during plucking. They are then returned to their cage until they are ready to be plucked again. This process begins when the animals are 8 weeks old and is repeated at 6-8 week intervals until the birds are slaughtered.
Feathers are often plucked out of ducks and geese raised for food. Those raised for foie gras, especially, suffer terribly. They are force-fed—a funnel is inserted into each bird’s throat, and up to 6 pounds of a salty, fatty corn mash is pumped into the stomach each day—until the bird's liver has ballooned to four times the normal size.
Eider ducks are a protected species, but their feathers are sought out for bedding and clothing. The females lay eggs and surround them with feathers plucked from their own breasts. Farmers in Iceland gather more than 6,500 pounds of Eider duck feathers each year. By taking these feathers, farmers are removing important insulation that the eggs need to hatch. It takes feathers from at least 80 nests to fill just one duvet.
- source PETA
We use ethically sourced, organic wool balls instead of feathers as we do not want to contribute in any way to the abuse of animals. The argument that most feathers are a by product of the meat industry does not satify us due to large scale intensive farming of birds for the meat industry where the welfare standards for these birds cannot be guaranteed.
Feather fillers are also treated with chemical flame retardants and will off-gas toxic gases which are known to cause symptoms such as nausea, coughing, allergic reactions and fatigue, and according to the World Health Organisation, can cause cancer in humans and animals.
Vinyl
PVC (both soft and hard) is one of the most widely used types of plastics. It is used for packaging in cling film and bottles, for consumer products such as credit cards and audio records, for construction in window frames and cables, for imitation leather, and around the home in pipes, flooring, wallpaper and window blinds. It is used by manufacturers for car interiors, in hospitals for medical disposables...and many more things.
During the production of PVC, dioxins, some of the most toxic chemicals known, are created and released. Over their lifetime, PVC products can leak harmful additives. Furthermore, at the end of their lifetime, PVC products must be either burned or buried. Burning creates and releases more dioxins and other chlorine-containing compounds that contaminate our land and waterways. Attempts to recycle PVC have proven difficult, so much of it ends up in landfills.
Chemicals, such as phthalates, are added to PVC to make it soft and flexible. Laboratory studies in animals show that some of these chemicals are linked to cancer and kidney damage and may interfere with the reproductive system and development. In addition, recent testing by several governments concludes that children can ingest hazardous chemicals from PVC toys during normal use.
Governments and industry are taking action to eliminate the PVC threat. The Danish and Swedish governments are restricting PVC use. Hundreds of communities around the world are eliminating PVC in buildings. And many companies such as Nike, IKEA and The Body Shop have committed to eliminating PVC from all their products.
