A kitchen made of wood. Copyright by Tischlerei+Wallinger

Green conscience: Furniture made of wood

Wooden furniture has a unique look and contributes to the comfort of interiors. However, the use of wood from sustainable forest management is also an important contribution to the protection of our environment. The Austrian Ecolabel also guarantees that other comprehensive criteria are observed in the production, use and disposal of the furniture.

A valuable resource

The forest fulfils many vital functions - from climate protection to the provision of drinking water and the preservation of biological diversity. It cools and has health-promoting effects for us humans.

The use of sustainably harvested wood for the construction of buildings, furniture or other commodities even contributes several times to the fight against climate change: Forests are a CO2 sink. The use of wood helps prevent CO2 emissions and can bind carbon for many decades. The biggest impact on the CO2 balance, however, is that the use of wood releases much less GHG than, for example, the production and use of concrete, metal or glass.

The Ecolabel - consistently sustainable

When furniture is awarded the Austrian Ecolabel, it is checked that the wood used comes from sustainable forestry. In addition, further criteria for environmental protection and worker protection must be fulfilled: The adhesives, varnishes and oils used may contain pollutants in minimal concentrations at most and only small amounts of solvents. It must be proven that the furniture does not pollute the indoor air; compliance with the limit values for air and noise emissions is also checked during production. For a sustainable product, however, it is also important that the quality is right: all standards for fitness for use must be met and durability must be proven.

Excellent!

Numerous carpentries, for example in the Salzburg area and Lower Austria, have decided to produce furniture according to the criteria of the Austrian Ecolabel. Furniture made by Team 7 has been awarded the label for 22 years now. Excellent office furniture is also available in Austria.