EKLA HOME a sustainable practice with a modern way of thinking.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Is the Sustainable Forest Initiative an Industry Sponsored Scam?
Fast Company
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is the world's largest forest certification standard and the fastest growing organization for chain of custody certifications. More than 181 million acres of land are certified by the nonprofit, which supposedly takes into account qualities like protection of biodiversity, wildlife habitat, sustainable harvest levels, and protection of water quality when awarding certification. But according to a recently released report from Forest Ethics, the whole thing is an industry-sponsored scam.
The report (PDF), entitled SFI: Certified Greenwash, offers up a number of troubling claims: Nearly all of SFI’s funding is from the paper and timber industries; the Fiber Sourcing Label (SFI's most popular label) doesn't require chain-of-custody tracking of a product’s origins or content; and perhaps most disturbingly, audits of 543 SFI-certified companies since 2004 failed to report any noncompliance issues related to soil erosion,water quality, clearcutting, and chemical usage.
According to Forest Ethics, the SFI audit team at one point spent five days evaluating a logging area larger than Pennsylvania--and came back with zero violations and no recommendations for improvement.
SFI's questionable ties extend to the non-profit's board. Members include Marvin Brown, a former Oregon state forester who resigned because of accusations that his department was involved in environmentally harmful forestry practices, and Mike Zagata, a controversial former NY State environmental commissioner who resigned, according to the New York Times, because of a series of actions favoring industry over environment.
This doesn't mean that every SFI-certified logging operation is a mess. Todd Paglia, Executive Director of Forest Ethics, explains in the Huffington Post:
Some logging companies, even those that are part of SFI, are beginning to clean up their act. They are adopting higher standards in some cases and seeking truly independent certification through the far more rigorous and not industry controlled Forest Stewardship Council eco-label. This is important progress and these companies should be encouraged to continue down that path. Using SFI to greenwash business-as-usual logging is a distraction to the more laudable work that some environmentally responsible companies are doing.
The problem is, of course, that SFI remains a giant in the certification standard world. So in addition to persuading companies to stick with the Forest Stewardship Council, we hope that organizations like Forest Ethics will force SFI to clean up its act--sooner rather than later.
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is the world's largest forest certification standard and the fastest growing organization for chain of custody certifications. More than 181 million acres of land are certified by the nonprofit, which supposedly takes into account qualities like protection of biodiversity, wildlife habitat, sustainable harvest levels, and protection of water quality when awarding certification. But according to a recently released report from Forest Ethics, the whole thing is an industry-sponsored scam.
The report (PDF), entitled SFI: Certified Greenwash, offers up a number of troubling claims: Nearly all of SFI’s funding is from the paper and timber industries; the Fiber Sourcing Label (SFI's most popular label) doesn't require chain-of-custody tracking of a product’s origins or content; and perhaps most disturbingly, audits of 543 SFI-certified companies since 2004 failed to report any noncompliance issues related to soil erosion,water quality, clearcutting, and chemical usage.
According to Forest Ethics, the SFI audit team at one point spent five days evaluating a logging area larger than Pennsylvania--and came back with zero violations and no recommendations for improvement.
SFI's questionable ties extend to the non-profit's board. Members include Marvin Brown, a former Oregon state forester who resigned because of accusations that his department was involved in environmentally harmful forestry practices, and Mike Zagata, a controversial former NY State environmental commissioner who resigned, according to the New York Times, because of a series of actions favoring industry over environment.
This doesn't mean that every SFI-certified logging operation is a mess. Todd Paglia, Executive Director of Forest Ethics, explains in the Huffington Post:
Some logging companies, even those that are part of SFI, are beginning to clean up their act. They are adopting higher standards in some cases and seeking truly independent certification through the far more rigorous and not industry controlled Forest Stewardship Council eco-label. This is important progress and these companies should be encouraged to continue down that path. Using SFI to greenwash business-as-usual logging is a distraction to the more laudable work that some environmentally responsible companies are doing.
The problem is, of course, that SFI remains a giant in the certification standard world. So in addition to persuading companies to stick with the Forest Stewardship Council, we hope that organizations like Forest Ethics will force SFI to clean up its act--sooner rather than later.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
EKLA HOME noted in The 10 Best Green Upholstered Furniture Companies Shopper's Guide
2 Ekla Home: Ekla home furnishings adhere to strict environmental standards. As members of the Organic Trade Association, Sustainable Furniture Council and Co-Op America and certified by FSC, Oeko-tex, KRAV, SCS Gold, and GREENGUARD, all materials are organic, non-toxic, and fire retardant-free, and pieces are made with low-VOC finishes, reclaimed or FSC-certified wood.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Reclaimed Furniture « HAUTE NATURE
Sustainable furnishings by Emily Kroll of Ekla Home are made with reclaimed wood and without harmful finishes. Ekla strives to make a difference with how furniture is made.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Green Business: From Niche to Mainstream - Mainstream Green Businesses - Entrepreneur.com
Green Business: From Niche to Mainstream - Mainstream Green Businesses - Entrepreneur.com
excerpt taken from Green Business article:
Funding a Startup
Prior to 2000, there weren't many tax incentives for entrepreneurs to green their ventures. Now, Matt Becker, the head of BDO's Green Energy Tax Practice, says President Obama's budget proposal for 2011 includes about $40 billion in loan guarantees for innovative clean-energy programs. Funding for solar and wind development has increased 22 percent and 53 percent, respectively. New Energy Finance estimates that clean-energy companies took advantage of $96 billion in venture and private equity funding from 2002 through 2008.
But before this rush of media attention and dollars to clean tech, small-business owners like Emily Kroll were bootstrapping to produce eco-friendly goods under the radar. Kroll started making sustainable furniture in the 90s, but incentives weren't available in her industry then.
Trying to raise capital for EKLA (eklahome.com) four years ago, Kroll was turned away by several venture capitalists who said hers was a vanity project because it wasn't part of the green energy movement. Yet with home furnishings among the top grossing industries in the U.S. economy from the 90s on, Kroll was determined to continue her eco-conscious manufacturing processes. She finally found a Swedish angel investor and got a first installment of funds just as the market was sliding. "I ended up having to launch my company on a quarter of my original angel funds and $25,000 in SBA guaranteed loans."
Undaunted, Kroll supplemented her initial funding with credit cards. Now, she says, "We are the cleanest sustainable furniture manufacturer in the United States, and my business grew by 200 percent in 2009. I feel that if people are going to buy new furniture, they buy sustainable if the price is right."
excerpt taken from Green Business article:
Funding a Startup
Prior to 2000, there weren't many tax incentives for entrepreneurs to green their ventures. Now, Matt Becker, the head of BDO's Green Energy Tax Practice, says President Obama's budget proposal for 2011 includes about $40 billion in loan guarantees for innovative clean-energy programs. Funding for solar and wind development has increased 22 percent and 53 percent, respectively. New Energy Finance estimates that clean-energy companies took advantage of $96 billion in venture and private equity funding from 2002 through 2008.
But before this rush of media attention and dollars to clean tech, small-business owners like Emily Kroll were bootstrapping to produce eco-friendly goods under the radar. Kroll started making sustainable furniture in the 90s, but incentives weren't available in her industry then.
Trying to raise capital for EKLA (eklahome.com) four years ago, Kroll was turned away by several venture capitalists who said hers was a vanity project because it wasn't part of the green energy movement. Yet with home furnishings among the top grossing industries in the U.S. economy from the 90s on, Kroll was determined to continue her eco-conscious manufacturing processes. She finally found a Swedish angel investor and got a first installment of funds just as the market was sliding. "I ended up having to launch my company on a quarter of my original angel funds and $25,000 in SBA guaranteed loans."
Undaunted, Kroll supplemented her initial funding with credit cards. Now, she says, "We are the cleanest sustainable furniture manufacturer in the United States, and my business grew by 200 percent in 2009. I feel that if people are going to buy new furniture, they buy sustainable if the price is right."
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