Tables are one of our most used pieces of furniture. At Mojo Boutique, we perceive dining tables as a sacred furniture item that welcomes special moments between loved ones. Many assume that a table is simply a place for eating, but we recognize that it is a platform for you to bond with family and friends over a delicious meal, nourishing both your soul and body.
Buying sustainable furniture offers many benefits for our society and our Earth. By being a conscious consumer, you will be reducing your carbon footprint, supporting the livelihood of craftspeople, and helping to make the world a safer place for future generations.
When searching for sustainable dining tables, it is important to understand the specific features that make a table truly eco-friendly. Aside from a low environmental impact, it is important to ensure the item is also ethically handcrafted with natural materials.
In a market saturated with greenwashing, sustainable furniture can be hard to come by. We have thoughtfully composed this article to help you search for a genuine sustainable dining table for your abode.
There are many alternative ways that you can source sustainable furniture. Here are our top 3 suggestions for finding an eco-conscious dining table:
You don't always have to buy a brand new piece if you are in search of a table for your dining room. Buying an antique item is a fab way of incorporating some shabby-chic style into your home. Perhaps you are looking for a table that embodies more of a modern design.
If this is the case, it will please you to know that second-hand does not always mean vintage. There is an abundance of second-hand stores that stock new furniture, some of which are in the original packaging! In most cases, people leave new items at vintage stores because they inherited it or no longer need it.
Buying from second-hand stores keeps items in rotation, which can help to lower waste and overproduction. You will also be purchasing low depreciation furniture, meaning that the item you buy once had a high value that has since lowered, so you will be acquiring a high-quality piece at a cheap price.
Support an independent and eco-conscious boutique, such as our own! Buying from a sustainable small business means you are strengthening your local economy, unlike buying from mass-manufacturers.
Buying small is a win-win as it means you are positively affecting the livelihood of your local community, and keeping a low carbon footprint which has a positive impact on our planet.
If you are looking to get a bit more hands on, try crafting your own dining table. DIY projects can be incredibly rewarding (and cost-effective). Of course, you will still need to source sustainable materials. There are a few fantastic ways you can consciously do this:
Use Salvaged Wood: It is a tremendous shame when perfectly good wood goes to waste. We often see this happening during over-production, or in natural cases, when a tree simply gives and falls down. Repurposing wood pieces for your project is both a cost-effective and eco-friendly way of crafting your own unique piece.
Upcycle An Old Table: This is a less intense task, with fewer steps as you won't be crafting from scratch. Upcycling is a terrific way to get into the swing of DIY projects. Instead of contributing to waste, try to give your old table a new life.
In light of the climate crisis, many companies have started to adopt eco-conscious customs. There are a few qualities that make a business sustainable. Familiarizing with these attributes will enhance your search for a sustainable dining table, and any other sustainable furniture, for that matter. Here are several key components to be aware of during your search:
Carbon Offsetting: If a business truly cares about its impact, it will employ various efforts to positively give back to our planet, such as initiating reforestation projects.
At Mojo Boutique, we have partnered with South Pole to launch a variety of offsetting projects, in order to effectively compensate for any carbon dioxide we emit during the transportation of our items. Discover more about our exciting projects here.
Responsibly Sourced And Sustainably Harvested: Consciously crafted items are always made using sustainably harvested and responsibly sourced materials.
Our craftspeople make every single piece using 100% sustainable materials. We work closely with harvesters to ensure that stems aren't cut too young, so that they may re-sprout and effectively renew.
Slow Production: Ideally, sustainable tables should be made-to-order. This keeps production low and helps to reduce unnecessary waste.
We slowly craft all of our tables at Mojo Boutique, and even offer pre-order discounts on selected pieces to reward you for purchasing a sustainable item.
Honesty And Transparency: A legitimately eco-friendly retailer should always be completely honest about their manufacturing process by having a transparent supply chain. This makes a company trustworthy as they are not hiding any unpleasant information (such as sweatshop production).
Certified B corporation: Look for brands that are a 'Certified B Corporation'. This means that the company you are buying from is verified for its practices that meet high standards of transparency, accountability, and social/environmental performance.
If you are new to conscious consumerism, searching for sustainable furniture can be overwhelming and tricky. Don't worry! Mojo Boutique is here to help alleviate your uncertainty.
The greatest benefit of buying a sustainable table is that you are making a climate-friendly purchase, while receiving an item that is made from natural materials that are safe for everyday use.
Recycled and reclaimed wood is frequently incorporated into the production of eco-friendly furniture. Reclaimed wood pieces are derived from items that once served as a furniture piece. By recycling wood, fewer trees are cut down - limiting carbon emissions, and the amount of waste is effectively reduced.
If you are struggling to find recycled and reclaimed wood, the next best thing is consciously harvested solid wood. To ensure you are buying a wooden table that has been manufactured responsibly, search for FSC certified wood.
If wood isn't your thing, try searching for pieces crafted from recycled metal. Search for recycled steel and recycled aluminum, as these resources are commonly used to forge sustainable dining tables, and are phenomenally durable.
A Useful Note: If you are unsure of whether the item you are interested in purchasing is genuinely eco-friendly, check the product description and see what percentage of the table is created with recycled materials.
Eco-friendly items are intended to be kind to both humans and Earth. Some brands may deem their products as 'natural', but this doesn't always mean safe. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are chemicals found throughout nature that have seriously dangerous effects on both our health and our environment.
Purchasing a table that has Zero VOC Finishes means that you are welcoming a food-safe, non-toxic item into your home that everyone can enjoy without any nasty risks. We never use any harmful procurements when creating our pieces, so that we may confidently promise all customers a table which is 100% safe to eat off.
Aside from dining tables, our gifted artisans also handcraft a spectacular variety of bedside tables and coffee tables, using nature's most robust offerings, including both recycled and reclaimed wood, rattan, and much more!
We embody minimalist, contemporary design with each piece so that they fit perfectly into your retreat. From solid hardwood to bamboo, we can ensure you that all materials used to craft your unique piece will both gracefully and safely serve your home for a lifetime. We warmly welcome you to explore our rich variety of handcrafted tables.
