Selecting furniture with a conscience

When the time comes to shop for a new bed or sofa, there are a few acronyms to look for — and avoid — on the hang-tag. The first is HDF or MDF, which denotes either high- or medium-density fiberboard. Manufacturers bind together sawdust using formaldehyde resin to make the paneling that is common in discount furniture. Over the course of months, the toxic and allergenic formaldehyde will gradually offgass into your home, which isn’t exactly our idea of “service after the sale.” Instead, choose furniture made with solid wood; better still, look for furniture made with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood if it’s an option.

Then there’s polyurethene foam, which puts the cush into most couches and mattresses. Though its petroleum base components are highly toxic at the factory, unless you have unusually high chemical sensitivity, the foam is pretty much inert by the time it gets to you. A greener furniture option if you can find it — and if your budget permits — is 100-percent-natural latex foam, which is sustainably harvested by hand from trees in Indonesia. Avoid so-called “soy foam,” which is polyurethene foam plush a dash of soy; it’s basically greenwash.

When it comes to lighting, it’s all about the bulb, and LEDs are poised to replace compact fluorescents as green lighting for the home. This hilarious site explains why they’re worth the extra bucks.

The Vivetique Eco-Luxe mattress (about $3,700) is hand-stitched in California using more that 60 pounds of certified organic cotton, about 30 pounds of merino wool sourced from Northern California ranches and a two-inch layer of natural latex. Each is made to order, and can be customized according to the customer’s wishes. They’re pricier than department-store brands, but are better for the planet, and last roughly two and a half times as long. When the time comes to retire your dreamy Eco-Luxe — in about 2035, give or take — the company will pick it up, shred it and give it a second life as carpet padding.