apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

good to know!! hopefully, if the demand for greener upholstery & other green items goes up, the prices will drop a bit. also, as consumers we should become aware & critical of advertisers' dubious use of terms like "green," "all natural," "non-toxic." corporations have been spewing these terms like crazy lately. disney claims on its website, it's at the forefront of the environmental challenge!

I think this is a good discussion - and understand the difference in methods and materials...

However, what about soy-based foams that retailers such as Crate and Barrel are touting in their "green" upholstered furniture? How expensive are those - and isn't that a good step towards choosing "green" materials?

And isn't it true that springs, etc. really ARE non-toxic as well as recyclable? How can we find out of these are made from recycled metals rather than newly-mined ores?

I get the thing about nylon threads and zippers - IMO, it's ridiculous to not include them in one's overall assesment of whether an item is "green" or not - Surely there are natural threads (Hemp, perhaps?) that are just as durable and wouldn't add too much cost.