The term sustainability can be difficult to define for the
contemporary furniture designer/manufacturer. Sustainability can
mean social responsibility, use of non-polluting technologies
and certified materials, employment fairness and more. Though
these "manufacturing with a conscience" ideals cannot be argued
with, often they are difficult to implement on a regular basis.
To encompass these practices we need to be responsible for the
production cycle from raw material acquisition through to
manufacture, end use and final disposal. Take-Back Laws: More
than 28 countries, primarily in Europe, have already passed
product “take-back” laws that assign the responsibility for the
disposal of end-of-life products and packaging to the
manufacturer. (source) In the 1970s, E.F. Schumacher and George
McRobie originated the concept of designers using "appropriate"
technology to develop products to meet the needs of local
communities and economies. Despite their pioneering work, forty
years later our use of technology rem