Lagging behind the push to shrink Carbon Footprints is the maritme industry. In an article in the New York Times this week on December 5, 2010 "Shipping Faces Calls to Lower Its Carbon Footprint" James Canter, re-iterates how important it is for progress to happen. Retailers will soon have the ability and responsibility to choose more efficient and environmental friendly ships than not.
This pertains directly to furniture as most furniture is manufactured over seas and shipped on a container vessel to America, but it even goes further than that. Many manufacturers will ship the wood and raw materials from America to the country that it is to be manufactured in and then the final product is shipped back to the good ol' USA. It is true!
Though it is important to lower carbon footprints, it would be much better to not have them at all. One way to do that is to buy domestically, as we all know, but in the world of furniture, most everything is shipped from overseas. The execptions are products produced by local, commissioned craftsman and pre-owned furniture.
It doesn't make sense to purchase pre-owned furniture that you don't like for the sake of protecting the environment, but it adds to the tremendous value that you get from buying consignment furniture. You get a great deal, better quality and can feel good becuase by recycling; you are helping to protect and preserve our world.
