Sustainable Furnishings Council grows through outreach, education

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 2/21/2012 3:06:10 PM

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — At its annual Board of Directors meeting at World Market Center Las Vegas earlier this month, the Sustainable Furnishings Council announced a number of accomplishments to date along with plans for the next five years.

Those present included Mitchell Gold, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; Steve Freeman, Room &Board; Christina Nicholson, Williams-Sonoma; Peggy Burns, Circle Furniture; Mark Comolli, Rainforest Alliance; and Kathryn Fernholz, Dovetail Partners.

The five-year-old nonprofit coalition of materials suppliers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and designers is dedicated to raising awareness and improving the sustainability of practices throughout the home furnishings industry.

Membership currently approaches 400, an all-time high, and includes 150 manufacturers, 120 design firms, and 75 retailers. In Las Vegas, more than 75 people attended a panel discussion of designers participating in the SFC's DESIGNINGreen national print campaign. Pam Jaccarino of Luxe Magazine led the discussion between Clodagh, Lori Denis and Randall Whitehead.

In education, over 600 participants have taken the SFC-sponsored GREENleaders Certified Sustainability Training course, the only professional accreditation in green home furnishings that is also qualified for continuing education credit by both IDCEC and LEED. The SFC delivers free education that over 1,000 people took via online webinars last year alone.

Future opportunities include partnering in delivering customized education with retailers, academic institutions such as Savannah College of Art & Design, and local design centers such as the San Francisco Design Center.

Membership is open to anyone meeting simple requirements for a basic corporate level with Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum Exemplary levels achievable based on proven performance against specified criteria.
For more information, contact susan@sustainablefurnishings.org.