There have been numerous discussions of being sustainable. This covers all aspects of our day-to-day lives and our purchasing habits such as the clothes we wear, the products we consume and spend money on, so on and so forth. Being eco-friendly encompasses the entire spectrum of our lifestyles. So without a doubt having sustainable furnishing is a huge bonus to include into our lives.

Embracing being sustainable has created a market for opportunity and growth. It is predicted that the eco-friendly furniture market is expected to be valued at around 59.8 billion USD (81.6 billion SGD, as at 30 Oct 2020) by 2027. Additionally, according to a survey conducted in 2015 which polled 30,000 consumers across 60 countries worldwide. 73% of Millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable goods.

What exactly do sustainable furnishings consist of?

Sustainable furniture consists of materials made from any source that is easily renewable. The materials may also be recycled or repurposed – these materials served other purposes previously before they were reused in the making of furniture. Sustainable furniture does not just encompass the materials, it also covers areas such as manufacturing, labour, logistics and consumption by consumers. 

Why do sustainable furnishings/ sustainable products in general cost more than regular ones?

The main driving reason for the very noticeable price gap is largely due to the fact that sustainable materials and ethical production/labour cost more.

Think of it in a way that reusables will cost more than disposables. 

A cheap product that you purchase such as a plastic water bottle but have to discard after every use will definitely cost less than a reusable water bottle that can last you for years in the moment. However those single use purchases eventually add up and cost more than the reusable option down the years.

Another crucial reason is that the demand is still considerably low for eco-friendly products. Producing and selling eco-friendly products is a relatively new process that has only just been recently introduced into the market. Thus, they have not reached the accessibility as the traditional competitions. 

However, you should still put your money towards sustainable products. As you not only get great quality items that will last for a considerably large amount of time. You are also contributing to the preservation of our environment and practising in fair trade.