Protect Tropical Forests when Purchasing Garden Furniture
You can make a difference for wildlife when purchasing garden furniture.
Tropical forests are rapidly disappearing. Wildlife are pushed to extinction as habitat is fragmented and lost. Human communities are displaced when the forests are no longer available. Ongoing deforestation of tropical forests contributes an estimated one quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, and sacrifices their critical role in carbon sequestration.
Tropical forests can slow global warming. Trees trap or "sequester" carbon. They are natural cleaners for our atmosphere.
The Garden Furniture Scorecard
We contacted some of the largest U.S. garden furniture retailers to ask:
Where did the wood in the products come from?
Were the products Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified or moving toward FSC certification?
We wrote, phoned and visited stores. We made every effort to verify responses.
It's not a simple effort to change to FSC-certified wood. We commend all the retailers making an effort. We'll track their progress and let you know how it's going. And we need your help to ask for FSC-certified garden products.
Major Retailers That Carry FSC-certified Garden Furniture
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Companies
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Score
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FSC-certified Furniture Collections
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Notes
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Crate & Barrel
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5 stars
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Arbor Dining Collection (4 pieces); Arbor Lounge Collection (9 pieces)
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Crate & Barrel gives preference to vendors offering certified products where price and availability allow. They have some items that are moving to FSC certification - the Trovata Dining Collection (6 pieces) and Trovata Lounge Collection (14 pieces).
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Pier 1
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5 stars
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Natural Wood Outdoor Furniture Collection (4 pieces)
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They have a line that is moving to FSC certification - The Pier Painted Wood Collection (7 pieces).
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Gardener's Supply Company |
4 stars |
Champlain Furniture Collection (5 pieces); Savannah Furniture Collection (3 pieces)
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They have a line that is moving to FSC certification - Reflection Bench; Reforest Teak (12 pieces)
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The Home Depot |
4 stars |
Hampton Bay Amazon Teak (15 pieces), Thomasville Nature's Retreat Collection (7 pieces); Eucalyptus Collection (6 pieces)
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The Home Depot has a wood purchasing policy giving preference to certified products where feasible.
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Wal-Mart |
4 stars |
Delahey Collection (23 pieces); Home Trends (3 pieces); Metro Outdoor Collection (5 pieces); Milano Eucalyptus Wood Collection (7 pieces); Outdoor Cambride Chair; Unique Arts Outdoor Rrelaxing Chair; Unique Arts Milan Sundbed; Hardwood Chaise Lounge Chair; Grampian Weather-Resistant Armchair; Grampian Weather-Resistant Bench; Birmingham Weather-Resistant Bench; Lido Weather-Resistant Bench |
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JCPenny |
3 stars |
Highland Teak (16 pieces) |
They have a line that is moving to FSC certification - Woodridge Outoor Dining Collection Collection (2 pieces); Madero Outdoor Furniture (4 pieces) |
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Pottery Barn |
3 stars |
Saratoga Sling Chair; Chesapeak Four-pole Hammock; Chesapeake Hammock; Chesapeake Cabana; Regular, Round, Square and 6' Round Market Umbrellas; Sail Canopy; Chesapeake Outdoor Furniture Collection for Kids (2 pieces); Chesapeake Safari Collection for Kids (8 pieces); Round Tilting Umbrella; Large Square Tilting Umbrella; Adirondack Collection for Kids (2 pieces) |
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Target |
3 stars |
Smith & Hawken Marlton Collection 2008 (13 pieces); Meraseine Collection (5 pieces); Beresmond Collection (5 pieces); Sean Conway Adirondack Collection (5 pieces) |
They have a line that is moving to FSC certification - Smith & Hawken Marlton Collection 2007 (10 pieces); Smith & Hawken Glensheer Collection (4 pieces) |
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Frontgate |
2 stars |
25% of the Gloster teak furniture products are manufactured with FSC-certified wood, but the products are not labeled with FSC |
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L.L. Bean |
2 stars |
Market Umbrella, Wood Frame |
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Lowe's |
2 stars |
3-Piece Folding Bistro Set |
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Smith & Hawken |
2 stars |
Best of Market Umbrella Collection (3 pieces); Sprouts (Childrens) Collection (4 pieces); Occasional Bar Stool; Nantucket Island Chaise; Avignon Double Chaise; Teak Serving Cart; Teak Ice Chest; Del Mar Chaise
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Additional Retailers
- Ikea - 1 star
- BJ's Wholesale - No Response
- Costco Wholesale - No Response
- Cost Plus/World Market - No Response
- Kmart - No Response
- Land's End - No Response
- Menard - No Response
- Restoration Hardware - No Response
- Room & Board - No Response
- Sears - No Response
Key:
- 1 star - Company responded to NWF survey
- 2 stars - Company has limited offerings (up to 35%) of FSC-certified wooden outdoor furniture or products sourced from forests working toward FSC-certification.
- 3 stars - Company has a moderate range of offerings (36% to 70%) of FSC-certified wooden outdoor furniture or products sourced from forests working toward FSC-certification.
- 4 stars - Company has substantial offerings (71% to 99%) of FSC-certified wooden outdoor furniture or products sourced from forests working toward FSC-certification.
- 5 stars - Company carries 100% FSC-certified wooden outdoor furniture or products sourced from forests working toward FSC-certification.
"Forests working toward FSC-certification" are those involved in a third-party verifiable program such as Tropical Forest Trust, World Wildlife Fund’s Global Forest & Trade Network, and Rainforest Alliance’s SmartSteps program.
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