Knu Contemporary Furniture: Some Thoughts on the Eco-Friendly Thing
I just received a press release from Kn?? Sustainable Contemporary Furniture today. They’re showing off its new line of eco-friendly contemporary home office and dining room furniture at the Las Vegas Market, which opens on January 29th. Kn?? is a newly formed subsidiary of Industrial Woodworking Corporation, a company that manufactures office and hospital patient room furniture.
I like to support any company from Michigan, but is Kn?? really green? It seems that nowadays everyone and their brother claims to be eco-friendly. Their description of Round Table #2, shown above, states that it’s, “made of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood whenever possible.” What about when it isn’t possible? Is it still green?
And how do they justify the $879 price tag? That’s a princely sum of money for a veneered table with no design, much less a designer name attached to it. Is the up-charge the price one pays for the privilege of being eco-friendly? Sorry for being so grouchy, but in my humble opinion Kn?? should know better.
One Response to “Knu Contemporary Furniture: Some Thoughts on the Eco-Friendly Thing”
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Good Morning Jennifer,
Knu’s facility is carbon neutral, meaning all emissions from electricity, natural gas, executive air travel and vehicle use are offset using Green-E certified renewable energy credits. We partner with CarbonFund.org to offset.
We also use low-VOC finishes and non-formaldehyde plys. We use PVA adhesives to laminate, which contain no toxic VOC’s.
The price of FSC-certified Baltic birch, which Knu furniture is made from, has skyrocketed due to demand for FSC material. This species can only be harvested in the winter when the ground is frozen to prevent erosion. Last year was a very warm winter – the ground no longer freezes in some mountain areas – and the overall harvest was much lower due to poor conditions for the loggers. The cost of FSC Baltic birch, which is an incredibly strong, long lasting material, has nearly tripled in the past year.
Since there is not a reliable supply of FSC material, we do not lie to our customers and tell them that we have it. Truth in advertising, we won’t always be able to get the FSC material and at some point we will have to make do with non-FSC material. If consumers do their part and only buy FSC-certified products, then the timber industry will be forced to change its practices.
Knu has pledged to the National Arbor Day Foundation that we will plant a tree in a wind or fire damaged national forest here in the United States for every piece of furniture we sell.
Frankly, the longevity of a product makes it greener, but also the simplicity in design is green. We use a minimum amount of material, recycle or reuse all waste, and everything ships direct in recyclable packaging.
If you’d like to come to the factory and check us out, we’d be happy to give you a tour.