Last Updated on January 26, 2023 by Kimberly Crawford
There are a lot of factors to consider when buying furniture. You want a piece that is durable and reliable. Amish furniture certainly fits in that category, but, in a world on fire, you probably are also thinking about pieces that are environmentally friendly.
Well, if you were thinking of buying Amish furniture, you can do so confident that not only are the pieces carefully crafted works of quality, they are also extremely ecologically friendly.
Sustainable solid wood
Amish furniture is hand crafted from solid wood, and that wood is sustainably harvested to ensure the supply never runs out. It also helps that Amish furniture is made in small production batches as opposed to mass produce.
Considering how long it takes a tree to grow, that’s pretty beneficial. With low production and sustainable wood, Amish furniture is not only built to last, but will also help ensure that the trees it’s made from will last.
While lumberyards have devastated groves over centuries, the Amish are still making their pieces from the same and even new sources as they did three hundred years ago.
No chemicals
Since Amish pieces are made with traditional tools and methods, they don’t add extra chemicals like varnishes. Such chemicals are often administered via spray, which can impact air quality and, in large quantities, cause further environmental damage. Worse, when the wood is recycled, the chemicals can seep into soil and contaminate water supplies.
Forgoing the use of such chemicals means less aerosol spray effect in the air, which means cleaner air, soil, and water. The same is true for other chemicals that are administered via a brush.
Avoiding such chemicals also means lest waste is produced, further helping the environment with fewer buckets and spray cans about. While those can be recycled, the chemicals themselves are still a concern. With Amish furniture though, the wood is the star, and that means no varnishes.
Local production and transportation
Amish furniture is made in America, obviously. This means that the pieces don’t have to travel as a far to reach your home or the store. Less time in transit means less fuel used, less wear and tear on transportation vehicles, and less damage to infrastructure from those transportation vehicles.
While a handful of desks and beds being sent from one remote Amish town to a furniture store down the road might not seem like much of a difference, it all adds up, especially when you factor in the greater scope of the business.
Since Amish furniture is made in small production batches, it uses less resources overall, which is better for the environment. Amish settlements have spread across the country, and those who produce furniture tend to be close to distribution points, or even ship directly to customers from a storehouse.
With smaller production, fewer products produced, and lower transportation and infrastructure, Amish furniture is environmentally friendly not only because of its sustainable production, but also the limited wear and tear on roads, buildings, and vehicles.
A robust secondary market
Amish furniture lasts, and because of that, it tends to be passed down for generations. Sometimes, though, people can’t keep the pieces, so they sell them online, at consignment stores, or estate sales. This helps keep production low, which means fewer resources used in the manufacturing process.
The same is true for inherited pieces. Furniture that is passed down is furniture reused and repurposed, which means less manufacturing, less energy used in recycling, and fewer resources used in repurposing or relocating pieces.
Whether it’s handed down or sold on the secondary market, the highly desirable nature of Amish furniture ensures that the pieces will not languish in landfills or lumber piles.
Lack of mass waste
This has been brought up before, but it’s worth repeating. Since Amish furniture is not mass produced garbage, it doesn’t fill up landfills or recycle centers like cheaper pieces. Though some furniture, like particle board, can be recycled and is in fact made from recycled wood leftovers, it still uses resources being recycled and eventually tossed.
The same can be said for plastic and metal furniture, except more so. How many broken plastic lawn chairs and cheap metal stool are wasting away in landfills? Thanks to the lack of mass demand and use of non-recyclable or reusable materials, Amish furniture is, overall, extremely environmentally friendly. You won’t see Amish pieces rotting away in landfills, and not just because it’s made from wood.
From start to finish, Amish furniture is very ecologically friendly. The pieces are made from locally grown, sustainable wood harvested from nearby sources. This prevents deforestation and reduces resources from material transportation.
The pieces are also made without modern chemicals and materials, so less waste and air pollution is created. Further, since Amish woodwork is made from solid wood of quality, the shavings and leftovers can be recycled to make things like wood chips and particle board.
The pieces are made in small batches using traditional tooling. That means fewer utilities are used and fewer resources put into production. The pieces are made with local distribution in mind, so transportation exhaust and wear are reduced.
Amish furniture is made last, which, combined with the small production, means the pieces don’t pile up in landfills. In fact, thanks to the high quality and desirability, furniture no longer desires is passed down to other family members or sold on the secondary market. This keeps the pieces in use, which means less production and fewer resources used.
Whether it’s from the small production, traditional craftsmanship, highly active secondary market, or their quality preventing mass production, Amish furniture is some of the most eco-friendly furniture available on the market. You can rest assured knowing that when you buy an Amish piece, you’re not only supporting an American enterprise, you’re also helping the environment.
Rather than buy some cheap piece that will snap in a few years and end up in a landfill, it’s worth the initial cost of Amish work to invest not just in quality furniture, but also in the future of the planet.