Question from deanna96
Debra,
Many mainstream companies are claiming to be less toxic and eco-friendly. Two that I have been researching are Rowe
http://www.rowefurniture.com/about-us/eco-rowe.html
and Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams (see their final option for the eco-down cushion)
http://www.mgbwhome.com/mgconstruction.asp
I am having a hard time finding any non-toxic sofas for less than $10,000 and was wondering what you thought of these.
Debra’s Answer
Both of these have a lot of good features, but the problem from a toxicity viewpoint is the filling material for the cushions. Though some of the polyurethane foam is replaced with natural materials, it’s still basically polyurethane foam. You might ask them about emissions and see what they are.
Another possibility would be to get them to encase the cushions in some material that would block any fumes from the foam. This might be cotton barrier cloth, a sheet of polyethylene or foil encased in polyethylene, which would block the fumes for sure, if there is such a material. Of course, this would be inside the cushion, around the filling but inside the cover.
