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Project Green - Introduction

By Nicole Liang

To surviver in the increasingly regulated trading milieu, one plays by the rules of the game, which differ from one country to another. More enterprising fighters devise game plans to gain foothold in the global playing field.

The dominant regulation in the furniture trade today is precisely about preserving those fields, and keeping them green.

In the world’s largest market field, the green responsibility has become a red-hot issue. Never mind the grey clouds of economic gloom. Imports into and exports out of the US will now face more challenges posed by the newly expanded Lacey Act.

To be enforced from May 1, 2009, the amended Lacey Act legislates it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase a broader range of plants taken or traded in violation of the laws of the US or in a foreign country. It also made it illegal to fabricate or submit any false record, account or label for any false identification of this broader group of plants covered by the Act. Finally, it introduced the requirement for an import declaration for plants entering the US and provides for both civil and criminal penalties for failure to comply.
What this means for raw material and furniture suppliers to the US is that any wood sawn or chipped lengthwise, sheets for veneering, and wood continuously shaped, as well as products made using these wood, are liable for declaration of lawful origins. American importers on the other hand, have been encouraged since April 1, 2009 to start live testing the electronic submission system on the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website at www.cbp.gov.

Several suppliers who are ahead in this game already have impressive offerings to take on the eco playing field. From the use of certified to discarded wood, from creating substitutes for timber to inventing technologies that reduce the use of petroleum in mattress foams, this special eight-page feature brings the vanguards of green R&D into the “lime” light.

In addition, Rick Hilton of the Rainforest Alliance, which helped establish the Sustainable Furnishings Council in the US, maps out the first steps to take for others who are just beginning sow the green seeds (pg 26-27).

Finally for pioneers and novices alike, green is the new design paradigm and green design must be aesthetical, say Cradle-to-Cradle guru Dr Michael Braungrat and award-winning eco-friendly furniture designer Peter Danko. Read their manifestos on pages 10-12 and 16-17 in this issue of Office & Contract International.