This Company Just Launched a New Ethical Standard for Furniture Manufacturing — And, Recycled Velvet is Not What You Think
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The evolution of eco-friendly home furnishings has caught the eye of many consumers. From the shift towards embracing secondhand and vintage home decor, to mindfully selecting products manufactured through sustainable sourcing, we're all becoming increasingly aware of the influence of resources on global pollution and waste. Additionally, showing support for sustainable home decor products also promotes allyship with fair trade and ethical production practices, biodiversity, and helps combat climate change. Brands like Sabai Design are among the few who have not only committed to making a positive impact, but through the use of their own, proprietary eco-friendly materials, have engineered a unique solution that appeals to consumers. The company produces a range of home furnishings, from sectionals and sofas to chairs and ottomans for the home.
"Through our products, programs, and practices, Sabai Design strives to move the furniture industry toward a more sustainable and ethical standard," shares the CEO & Co-Founder of Sabai Design, Phantila Phataraprasit. "We wanted to make sustainable living the easy choice by creating a company that people feel they can trust, that is within their budget, and that makes them feel comfortable in their homes. We consider this impact at the design stage - designing around manufacturing practices, shipping constraints, ease of assembly, repairability, and using non-toxic, natural, recycled, and upcycled materials."
Elevate your interior design without compromising on sustainability.
These Programs Reduce Furniture Waste
"We have two waste-combatting initiatives that ensure every phase in our product’s life is considered and accounted for - Sabai Revive and Repair Don’t Replace," notes Phataraprasit.
- Sabai Revive: This is the first furniture buyback program in the U.S., and was designed to give Sabai Design's products a second life while reducing the amount of furniture that goes to landfills. Products that are bought back through this program are eligible for resale through the company's Open Box Return. When the timing's right, Sabai will ship secondhand furniture from customer-to-customer to reduce the overall carbon footprint and environmental impact.
- The Repair Don’t Replace Program: The company offers replacement components to keep furniture feeling fresh and in great shape. If something's damaged, they'll help supply parts to customers so they can repair their pieces (i.e. furniture legs, slipcovers, seat cushion covers, and more). "Sustainability is a continuous effort, and we plan to expand our preventative and regenerative efforts as we continue to learn and grow as a company," highlights Phataraprasit.
"I have a fun fact," she shared enthusiastically. "Since 2019, over 373,000 plastic water bottles have been recycled through our velvet material. We’ve also sold 1,393 replacement parts and 814 slipcovers since 2021. That’s over 2,000 purchases that extended the life of furniture and saved it from a landfill!" << we love this kind of data.
What is Recycled Velvet, and how does it compare to other recycled fabrics?
The use of recycled materials in sustainable furniture is increasingly common, and Sabai's approach to sustainable practices targets waste from single-use plastics. The stats on plastic bottle usage are staggering in the United States, and around the world it's estimated that over one billion are used every day. Engineers and environmentalists look at this waste with an eye for developing new sustainable materials. Sabai's Recycled Velvet material is just one of those innovations:
"Our Recycled Velvet has a buttery and rich texture and comes in a variety of colors, yet it's crafted entirely from 100% recycled plastic bottles," shares Phataraprasit. "The fabric contributes to a circular economy, meeting the Global Recycled Standard, where the entire supply chain is traceable and meets environmental principles and social requirements. The fabric is also OEKO-TEX compliant, which is a benchmark certification for testing fabrics for harmful chemicals and substances, and it is PFAS-free."
The company also produces a fabric called Upcycled Poly, which is made of 100% Olefin (a class of chemicals that includes propylene, ethylene, and 1,3-butadiene), as well as a smooth, breathable 100% hemp natural material – "this isn't the scratchy hemp you grew up thinking of," notes the website. No fabric produced by the company is subject to off-gassing, highlighting their commitment to environmental responsibility and making them among the safest interior fabrics you can use. Even some widely used vegan materials like "faux leather" a.k.a. polyvinyl chloride (PVC) leather are subject to airborne chemical release that affects indoor air quality. Pay attention to what synthetic materials you're bringing into your home.
Fabrics are available in a beautiful range of colors:
- Recycled Velvet: Indigo, Moss, Mustard, Sea Foam, Dusty Rose, Amber, Ash, and Chocolate
- Upcycled Poly: Oat, Moon, Farro, Midnight, and Shadow
- Hemp: Natural, Sand, Fog, Fir, and Thistle
Trends in Buying Secondhand Furniture
Circular business practices aside, consumers are fixated on opportunities to opt for secondhand or lightly used furnishings and vintage home decor.
According to a study from Redecor, 24% of respondents acknowledged that they rely on secondhand stores when it comes to furniture and decor. Of that segment, 50% of Gen X and 45% of Millennials cited having no problem with upcycled items. The research circulated as "Decorating Differently: A Study of Generational Sustainability in Home Design," also eludes that secondhand store pricing is a factor in decisions, as 20% of respondents said family, friends, or street finds comprised most of their décor and only 7% admit to purchasing products from local boutique stores.
As companies like Sabai Design continue to propel expectations of manufacturers in our evolving circular economy, expect to see a shift in business models and consumer behavior. We'll be watching.
