SUSTAINABLE FURNITURE

Sustainable Furniture is a Cornish family-run business headed by Margaret Larson. The company, founded in 2007, comes from Margaret's many years of experience in furniture retail combined with a love for all things sustainable. Margaret started with a vision to exclusively sell products that are ethically and sustainably sourced. The company ensures that throughout the supply chain, from sourcing of timber right through to delivery in the UK, that every aspect of the business is conducted in the most ethical of ways. The company cares about the impact humans cause on the planet through retail consumption and as a result, aims to minimize this effect where possible. Furniture is an item that is purchased and used on a daily basis and forms an integral part of our homes. Modern living has caused a shift towards an increase in disposable living and the use of flat-packed furniture that does not generally support a sustainable planet.

This furniture is often made from timber that is not replaced and held together using glue full of chemicals, and is generally done in an extremely cheap manner. Seeing these obvious shortcomings in this new upward trend, Margaret set about to readdress the balance with Sustainable Furniture. Utilizing her large knowledge of the industry, she went about procuring products sourced from forestry protected by commissions. These commissions prevent illegal logging from occurring while ensuring re-plantation does. Logging, when undertaken, happens in an eco-manner using techniques such as thinning to promote growth of the trees around it. The company also supports the removal of the roots of trees from previously illegally logged ground so that re-plantation can occur, an essential undertaking to create reusable ground. These roots now form the company's teak root tables. Sustainability means more than just supporting the timber supply chain; the company also supports local communities for whom this trade is their only source of income.

The company ensures fair pay and equitable wages for these communities to allow them to flourish. Closer to home in the UK, the company also supports Cornish manufacture from local sawmills using timber sustainably sourced from Devon and Cornwall, certified woodlands. All of the company's products, be they indoor or outdoor, are built to last. This in itself means that the investment in timber is not for a loss. All of the company's products are manufactured using traditional, tried and tested methods which will ensure longevity, meaning less replacement and less timber needs to be used. The company conducts itself in an eco-manner where possible; sustainability is an issue on the rise with the government now requiring procurement of furniture to be from sustainable sources.