September 08, 2007 | Filed under: Material Features

Green is the New Black

Blame it on Al Gore. Blame it on the snowballing information phenomenon, but however you see it, looks like the trend is here to stay. With their increasing preference for all products environment-friendly, customers are now dictating a furniture revolution where not just the outcome but the means of manufacturing matters.

Vendors are taking customers seriously. Sustainability is the buzzword right now for furniture meccas such as the Las Vegas Market, where the 15,000 square feet Living Green Pavilion officially kicks off a style and substance approach to creating, selling, and buying furniture.

In the Cebu scene, eco-friendly manufacturer Nature's Legacy leads the charge in green furniture, with products that are made from cast-off leaves and twigs (sold under the brand name Nature's Cast). The manufacturing process involves the employment of local gatherers to collect the organic "waste" and the treatment of these materials to achieve a compact form—they are moulded into beautiful shapes and are turned into attractive home accessories and furniture.

The company has revolutionized furniture marketing as well, capitalizing on this sustainable process as its main competitive advantage. The leaves and broken twigs typically comprise organic compost and gathering these materials does not interfere with the natural ecosystems and does not involve the cutting of trees. These facts appeal to retailers and consumers. And for the first time, the rest of the Cebu furniture industry is listening.

The use of sustainable material has many implications, not just in terms of redirecting the focus of R&D, but in the area of design as well. Design is stimulated by the discovery and popularity of these materials.

This is an exciting new area of opportunity which more Philippine furniture companies should explore. The availability of a myriad of resources and a skilled labor force which allows for a cleaner, greener manufacturing process open the doors for new designs and marketing concepts.

Nature's Legacy has built its success on a trend that has been confirmed to hold its own in terms of niche marketing, but the real promise comes as the rest of the world catches on.