I’ve always been a bit of an environmentalist, even before it became fashionable. When my friends were driving gas-guzzling muscle cars in the 1970s, I was getting from point A to point B in a fuel-efficient Datsun. I continued to request paper grocery bags when plastic bags became the norm. (I now keep reusable bags in my car.) And I’ve always tried to find new homes for gently used clothing and furnishings, rather than discarding them.
So I’ve been heartened, this past year, to see more green products—everything from laundry detergent and compact fluorescent light bulbs to area rugs and home furnishings—entering the marketplace. Hopefully, easy access to eco-friendly products will prompt more consumers to start going green, even in small ways.
And maybe increased product availability will encourage retailers of home-related merchandise to give green goods a try, too. Many of the trade shows covered by Furniture Style’s editors just this year devoted floorspace to green products and/or technologies.
The 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show, for instance, debuted a TechZone dedicated to environmentally and economically sustainable technologies. For a look at the power-saving TV that won Best in Show in CNET’s Best of CES awards, turn to “21st Century Home” on page 36.
Las Vegas Market teamed with the Sustainable Furniture Council and Design Green Alliance to again offer the Living Green Pavilion during the winter 2008 market. The display featured sustainable furnishings. Programming and seminars focusing on environmental responsibility also were offered during market. A number of mattress manufacturers also unveiled eco-friendly products at this January event. Some of the new models can be seen in Sleep Shop on page 24.
The International Builders’ Show held its first-ever Green Day, which celebrated all things green in the building industry. In addition, the National Assn. of Home Builders officially launched the NAHB National Green Building Program and the Certified Green Professional designation.
The International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago featured “Design Directions: Going Green,” a display that focused on eco-friendly materials in product design and sustainable packaging. Among the products showcased were picture frames, cutting boards, soy candles and eco-friendly, nonstick cookware.
And the list of trade events at which to learn more about and shop eco-friendly home furnishings is sure to grow this year. So, like consumers, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to become as green as you (and your customers) want.
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