Green and local are not new ideas at Vermont Woods Studios. They are part of our ethos. We were born green with a mission that has always focused on building a sustainable, vibrant economy. Join us and feel good about the quality of your furniture and its impact on the world around us.
Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.
Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the environmental, social and economic requirements of present and future generations.
Our mission has always focused on the triple bottom line: people, planet and profit.
In 2005, we saw that the furniture industry did not meet many of those requirements, and we realized that there was an urgent need for change. Now.
We believed that we could help build a better future for tomorrow by building a better kind of business today. See what we're doing to try to lead the furniture industry to a more sustainable future on all three fronts.
People Matter.
Vermont Woods Studios was founded when a talented group of world-class furniture makers, working independently from small studios scattered across Vermont, came together to share their passions both for excellence in craftsmanship and for sustainability.
The tradition of fine, handmade furniture in Vermont is something that we are very passionate about preserving. We care about our community, and are always looking for ways to help strengthen it.
It's important to know who's behind your furniture. Here you'll never find a factory with poor working conditions or illegal labor practices. Instead, you'll find hard working and passionate people who want to bring you furniture that lasts a lifetime
Learn about the craftspeople who make our furniture and the local Vermont communities we serve below.
All of our furniture makers receive fair compensation for their considerable talent and are paid a living wage, in a safe and healthy work environment.
Scattered across rural Vermont are workshops large and small where the tradition of crafting fine, solid wood furniture continues to be handed down from one generation to the next. A couple furniture companies have grown larger over the years but we continue to strive to provide the gifted independent furniture makers, who are unable to afford conventional channels for marketing their goods, access to the fine furniture market. We do the marketing, they focus on the craft that they are so passionate about.
Our furniture makers workshops range in size from a single artisan to a couple dozen craftsmen to the larger companies (Copeland Furniture and Lyndon Furniture) that employ about 75-100 craftspeople each. Some furniture makers craft ultra luxury artisan custom furniture and each of their pieces is unique, made in a small studio, usually by a single artisan, with the occasional help of an apprentice or a family member. Other craftspeople produce more classic handcrafted wood furniture designs which they make routinely at affordable prices.
We are proud, and very fortunate to be able to work with such a talented and passionate group of people.
Giving Back
It's important for us to be involved and active members of our local community, and we try to get involved in service projects frequently.
We often take on a project out of a staff member's concern for a cause they are involved with or a request they've received from an organization to which they belong.
Below is a list of some of the local community outreach activities we've supported:
We donated a Cherry Moon bed to the students at Middlebury College who entered a national contest to build the best solar, energy efficient, sustainable house.
We sponsored a sale during which we donated 100% of our profits along with an ongoing campaign to plant 1 tree for every order. So far, we have raised almost $2000 for the Nature Conservancy's project so far.
We contribute to our local newspaper's initiative that supplies warm winter coats, mittens and hats for area children in need.
Morningside Shelter
We donate to our local homeless shelter, which provides outreach, referrals, interventions, and transitional housing services.
Feed the Thousands
We contribute food and much needed funds to this local charity working to alleviate hunger across southeastern Vermont and southwestern New Hampshire.
VT Youth Services
We donate to our local Youth Services, which is helping and empowering children, young people and their families to confront and overcome difficult circumstances.
Harvesting rainforest woods and moving manufacturing operations to regions with fewer environmental regulations seems like a shortsighted way of doing things to us.
By sourcing locally, using sustainable materials and crafting practices, as well as through our activism, we hope to minimize our impact on the resources that we must all share and protect.
Want to make your purchase part of the solution (to environmental conservation) rather than part of the problem? Learn about where your furniture comes from and how it's made:
Vermont Woods Studios works exclusively with Vermont furniture makers who source their lumber from North American forests (usually in Pennsylvania or New England) that have forest management plans in place to protect the integrity of the forests.
Responsible forest management takes into consideration long term timber production, while addressing water quality, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, forest aesthetics and recreational opportunities.
The predominant method for harvesting is Single Tree Selection where trained foresters select individual trees. This creates openings in the forest canopy that allow more precipitation, sunlight, and nutrients to reach the forest floor, which helps ensure the health of surrounding trees along with the long term health of the forest.
We try to source our hardwoods within 500 miles of our studios. This reduces carbon emissions from transportation and ensures that the wood comes from a well managed forest within the U.S., where the volume of hardwoods in forests has doubled over the past 50 years, according to the American Hardwoods Export Council.
By educating people and providing an environmentally sustainable alternative, we hope to do our small part to help preserve and protect one of our planet's most valuable resources.
Our Woods
All of our furniture (with the exception of our Outdoor line, which is made from recycled milk jugs) is handcrafted in Vermont using real, natural hardwoods. We do not work with inferior substrates like Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), particle board, or flimsy faux wood veneers.
We work mostly with cherry, maple, oak and walnut. Each board in your furniture is selected by hand, and inspected for quality, strength, straightness, grain and color. When requested, we use FSC green-certified lumber, although there is still a premium for FSC certified wood. Sometimes our artisans harvest lumber from the woods on their own property, a sustainable approach that adds another dimension to the story of your furniture.
Many of our furniture makers continue to use traditional oil and wax based finishes, but even those that use more modern finishes ensure that they are non-toxic, formaldehyde-free and eco-friendly with little or no Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs).
As concern over indoor air quality continues to grow, many of our furniture makers are moving towards water based finishes. Conventional petroleum based solvents contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are harmful to the atmosphere. While most of these VOCs are released at the time of manufacturing, a small amount remains on the product and can off-gas in the home. Many of our collections can now be requested in a non-emitting water-based finish.
Plastic waste is a serious environmental concern, particularly when it comes to protecting the health of our oceans and marine life. When researching outdoor furniture we decided to introduce our customers to PolyWood recycled plastic furniture. Besides being a high quality, American made product (that we can guarantee for a lifetime) Polywood helps us implement a win/win strategy for the environment. Recycling plastic containers leaves trees and forest habitats unharmed while at the same time, removing plastic from the waste stream.
We support the Ocean Conservancy's efforts to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is estimated to cover an area twice the size of Hawaii. It is critical to reduce the amount of plastic we consume and recycle or reuse what we do use. Made from recycled materials and built to be durable enough to ensure that it won't end up in the oceans anytime soon, we hope that our Polywood line is doing its own small part to alleviate the stress on our oceans.
Polywood is created from recycled plastic lumber (RPL) using a process that replicates the beauty and texture of real wood. We use RPL that is more than 90% post consumer recycled HDPE containers such as milk or detergent jugs. The result is a super durable and rigid board stock that replicates solid wood and will endure in all weather. No more painting, staining, or reapplying protective overcoats. You can keep your outdoor furniture looking good as new with regular soap and water.
From forest to furniture: How is it made?
We work exclusively with Vermont's finest, independent quality oriented furniture makers. Many workshops are small, family owned operations. Some have grown over the years into larger, manufacturers like Copeland Furniture and Lyndon Furniture.
We work with furniture makers, real people, who are just as passionate about sustainability as we are. Every workshop faces different obstacles to environmental sustainability, and they are always striving to confront the next challenge head on.
Below are some of the ways that a few our furniture makers are striving for excellence.
Copeland Furniture is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, holds Silver Exemplary Status from theSustainable Furnishings Council and has also been awarded the Sage Award for environmental excellence by the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA).
While the environmental impact of their factory and the environmental cost of the furniture they build for us is among the lowest, they're not standing still. They've continued to work to reduce VOC emissions. They've reduced packaging material purchases with the installation of a box making machine that allows them to make only what they need. They recycle all packaging waste and have reduced their reliance on landfill disposal. They also heat their building completely with wood waste from their manufacturing operation, further reducing their consumption of fossil fuels.
Another fellow SFC Member, Lyndon utilizes advanced technology and responsible manufacturing to maximize yield and minimize wood waste. They make every effort to ensure that all by-products are put to some use. Their sawdust is no exception, which is recycled as a biomass heating source for their building as well as by local farmers for animal bedding.
All of their cardboard boxes are made in New England with 100% post-consumer material. They work with cardboard vendors who promise them a "closed loop" system in which they can return used and waste cardboard to be recycled into new boxes.
Lyndon has also made significant investments in energy efficiency to reduce their costs and, more importantly, their carbon footprint.
Not bored yet?
We're so flattered! Because we work with so many furniture makers scattered throughout the state it would be impractical to list all of them and their respective sustainability credentials here. Lyndon and Copeland are two examples that are representative of the passion that all of our furniture makers share for the conserving the environment. If you'd like to know more, feel free to contact/grill us for more detailed information any time!
Who we support.
Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center
BEEC is a local, environmental education non-profit that leads important community-based environmental research and conservation programs including watershed stewardship, reptile and amphibian conservation initiatives, and biodiversity planning and protection initiatives.
Vermont Center for Eco Studios
VCE is a conservation research non-profit that, among many other things, works to conserve Vermont's migrating bird populations. We feel especially connected to their mission because we are both working to preserve the rainforest, which is the wintering habitat for many of Vermont's birds, including the Bicknell Thrush.
World Wildlife Fund
Peggy has been a WWF member for decades and has followed the plight of the rainforest through their efforts to save endangered species. The conservation strategies brought to light by WWF over the years greatly influenced the creation of Vermont Woods Studios.
The Nature Conservancy
Through TNC's Plant a Billion Trees Project, we plant one tree for every order. This project is working to bring the Atlantic forest back from the brink and restore 1 million acres of rainforest.
Certifications
The Sustainable Furniture Council evaluates companies regarding their conformance to accepted criteria for "sustainable furnishings". We are a founding member of the SFC and we have been evaluated as exemplary based on the following criteria.
98
We currently design, specify, make, sell, import, source, and/or distribute this percentage of sustainable product.
We pay a living wage rather than minimum wage and extend that around the globe.
We have a written Social Equity Code of Conduct as a baseline for employee relations.
We and our partners meet or exceed all local health and safety codes and can document our health and safety working conditions in all our facilities/stores.
We have participated in or sponsored in-store, community and/or regional educational events on sustainability and the environment.
We investigate and mitigate any negative environmental impacts from our operations.
We regularly ask for verifiable chain of custody documents (legal logging certifications) before buying wood products.
We are eliminating unsustainable virgin materials from our product offerings while increasing our percents to total of rapidly renewable resources, reused/reclaimed components and recycled content. We factor disassembly, recyclability and product reclamation.
We have decreased our use/acceptance of known toxic chemicals for treatments, binders and finishes, replacing compounds that harm indoor air quality and are carcinogenic.
We are asking our vendors for organic cotton in place of conventionally-grown cotton and for textiles that are Oeko-Tex certified.
We extract, manufacture and distribute for consumer use within a 500 mile radius for at least a portion of our product line.
We use recycled or recyclable packing/packaging materials, offer blanket-wrap transportation arrangements for customers and have a carton return/reuse policy.
We hold third party certifications for some of our products/as a store, we promote and educate the consumer on the meaning of various third party certifications.
We take responsibility for sharing our commitment to sustainability up and down our entire supply chain, rewarding our vendors with increased business for partnering with us on this path to sustainability.
We save reams of paper with our policy expressing a tree-free approach to excess written documentation.
We have had an energy specialist/utility company audit to measure our conventional energy usage and are on track to reduce it, replacing a portion with certified renewable energy, either directly or by contacting Green e-Power.
We have replaced outdated and inefficient equipment, identified and changed wasteful resource procedures and implemented tighter operational controls.
We have increased the use of daylighting and instituted a fluorescent bulb exchange policy for direct cost savings.
We make only verifiable sustainability claims in adherence with FTC mandates against greenwash and in support of their Environmental Marketing Guides. Authenticity and adoption of one credible standard reduces confusion in the marketplace, driving sales.
We conduct training in-house and in the broader community about global climate change and our partnership with the SFC.
We have written and distributed a Supplier Equity Code of Conduct for our vendors and conduct training at our partner facilities on the adoption of same.
We offer a product reclamation/product reuse policy.
Another example of a place where we can defend ourselves and/or offer more information about each credential.
We are getting quotes on doing a Life Cycle Analysis and/or are applying for SMaRT certification.
Sustaining the Economy
Historically, places like North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maine and Vermont were well known for handcrafted, American made furniture and the artisans and woodworkers that crafted it. Over the last 30 years, a lot of companies have moved their manufacturing operations to regions where they don't have to treat their workers as well, leaving many communities of furniture makers to struggle to compete on their own, often against their own former employers.
We're working to restore some of those jobs and help ensure that talented furniture makers are able to earn a liveable wage while maintaining the tradition of fine, handcrafted furniture in America.
Through our efforts, we hope to aid a growing movement towards more sustainable economies at the local, state, and national levels.
As a small business ourselves, we support our local economy by working with sustainable local partners and other small, locally owned businesses whenever possible.
Built in the early 1800s, Stonehurst was a small ski slope in the mid 20th century, and we are very excited to be opening our new showroom there in Summer 2013. The acquisition and renovation of Stonehurst has contributed over $1 Million to our local and state economy.
Fun Food Fridays
Every Friday we treat our office to lunch at one of our favorite local hotspots. It's a fun and delicious way to thank our Green Team for another hard week's work while supporting all of our favorite local restaurants.
Vermont Wood Manufacturers Association
We are proud members of the Vermont Wood Manufacturer's Association. The VWMA is an organization of over 100 small businesses in Vermont's wood industry that employ about 6000 people who produce wood furniture, bowls, toys, carvings, flooring, windows, doors and much more. VWMA's mission is to "support the industry in Vermont and promote its long-term viability." All of us who produce wood products in Vermont need the services that the VWMA provides. None of us are big enough to do the work they do on our own. Organizations like the VWMA that foster collaboration and synergy are going to play a huge role in making America great again.
Revitalizing Vermont's Rural Economy
We've been working with the Vermont Working Landscape Partnership to develop an Action Plan to create a rural renaissance in Vermont that focuses economic development efforts on our working landscape. We have a tremendous opportunity to restore our working lands economy (farming, forestry, and value-added processing like furniture making) to it's former glory as the cornerstone of job creation and rural revitalization in the state.
Many of the pieces are already in place to make this happen. More and more Americans in our regional market are looking for sustainably produced products, such as our Vermont Made Furniture. Vermont stands ready to serve them.
By the time Diane Sawyer and ABC News established the "Made in America" series, we had already begun to notice that many of our customers were finding us through searches for American made furniture. They wanted to know where their furniture came from, and where their money was going.
Inspired by the TV series, our staff member Dennis Shanoff recognized an opportunity to challenge people to buy American made during the holidays when they were buying the most. In the office, we committed to having an American made holiday party and were surprised to see the difference that such a small group of people could make. So, we reached out to our friends, neighbors, and customers across the United States and we were amazed by the response!
ABC calculated that $46 Billion in back to school spending this year created over half a million jobs. Following ABC's logic, the $462 Billion that Americans will spend this holiday season according to the National Retail Federation could generate more than 4.6 million jobs if it were spent on gifts made in the USA. Join us this holiday season and we can really make a difference!
Sustainability Facts
The world is losing it's rainforests at a rate of 1 acre per second (or 60 acres/minute. That's 3600 acres/hour or 86,400 acres/day and >31 million acres/year!) By encouraging people to avoid buying furniture and flooring made from rainforest woods, we hope to help conserve the precious resource. See why below.
Environment
A typical four-square-mile patch of rainforest contains as many as 1,500 flowering plants, 750 species of trees, 400 species of birds and 150 species of butterflies.
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Environment
One-fifth of the world's fresh water is stored in the Amazon Basin.
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Environment
More than 2,000 tropical forest plants have been identified by scientists as having anti-cancer properties.
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Environment
Each day 50 to 100 species of animals and plants are driven extinct by human influences.
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Social
Before 1500 A.D., there were approximately 6 million indigenous people living in the Brazilian Amazon. But as the forests disappeared, so too did the people. In the early 1900s, there were less than 250,000 indigenous people living in the Amazon.
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Green Tip
Try switching to cold or warm water when doing laundry. 85 - 90% of the energy consumed in washing your clothes is used to heat the water.
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Environment
At the current rate of tropical forest loss, 5 - 10 percent of tropical rainforest species will be lost per decade.
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Environment
Covering less than 2 percent of the Earth's total surface area, the world's rainforests are home to 50 percent of the Earth's plants and animals.
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People
Planet
Profit
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