WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, the National Wildlife Federation and the Sustainable Furnishings Council have released the 2019 edition of the Wood Furniture Scorecard, a comprehensive assessment of wood sourcing policies at nearly 90 furniture retailers across North America. Published on a dedicated website and available through both organizations, the scorecard covers publicly available information on how companies source virgin wood. It also evaluates company use of recycled and reclaimed wood. 

Almost 90 companies were assessed in 2019. Twenty-one of those earned Top Scores and several others earned Honorable Mentions.  A few earned nearly perfect scores and are truly leading the way in sustainability for the furnishings industry: Cisco Home, ABC Carpet & Home, and IKEA.  

An additional 18 companies earned Top Scores, including national brands Williams-Sonoma Group, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Crate & Barrel, Costco, Room & Board, Target, Bob's Discount Furniture. 

“Sustainable Furnishings Council is committed to helping consumers find the more eco-friendly products they are looking for as they furnish their homes, and to helping furniture companies reduce their environmental footprint, despite the complexity of their supply chains,” said Susan Inglis, Executive Director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council. “It’s exciting to see companies moving the needle and offering a greater selection of sustainably-made products.  We are delighted to work with the National Wildlife Federation to keep forests healthy."

“At the National Wildlife Federation we have studied the negative impacts of deforestation on wildlife, climate and water security; and we are committed to helping consumers and companies shape a more sustainable future,” said Barbara Bramble, Vice President of International Conservation and Corporate Strategy at the National Wildlife Federation. “We have seen the power of market forces to shape industry practices, and we know that consumers appreciate transparency. During this project several companies have improved their scores by responding to the demand for responsible wood sourcing. We are thrilled to continue this collaboration with SFC.”

Top Scoring companies in more regional markets include: mebl transforming furniture, RC Willey, Plank & Coil of Oregon, urbangreen furniture of New York City, City Furniture in Florida, CounterEv based in New York, LaDiff of Richmond, Belfort Furniture of Dulles, VA, Circle Furniture of Boston, Green Haven Living in Ohio, and Sklar of Boca Raton.  All of these businesses have made commitments to a healthy future for everyone.

The Wood Furniture Scorecard was developed in 2018 to promote good forest management.  Members of the furniture industry might unknowingly be contributing to the loss of forest cover, which is a more and more urgent issue.  Deforestation and poor forest management are threats to wildlife species throughout the world, as well as to clean water and climate security. Furniture consumers are worried about the planet. Eighty-four percent of those surveyed by the SFC described themselves as “very concerned” about global deforestation.

The Wood Furniture Scorecard website gives consumers sustainability information on their favorite retailers and offers guidance and tools for companies to improve and implement their wood sourcing policies.

Read more on Responsible Wood Sourcing and view the Wood Furniture Scorecard.