The Green Idea

14 October 2011,
“We are always looking for ways to do our part, here are five ways you can help make the world a greener place while furnishing your new, state-of-art and (we hope) eco-friendly pad.”

Geographically, we’re one of the luckier nations. Malaysia is safely covered by Indonesia on the east and west, while Cambodia and Vietnam hovers atop north. Rarely do we feel the shakes and turmoil of quakes, tsunamis, monsoons and other natural disasters. But how long can we stay protected? In actuality, not long at all. The fact is, our planet’s temperature persists on climbing, affecting our ecology and global resources. According to U.S. Census Bureau, the world’s population is multiplying at a stupefying rate—estimated to reach well over 9 billion by year 2050. It is predicted that sometime in the near future, the natural resources available per person will be reduced to one-fourth of that what was accessible to people in 1950.

The amount of natural resources the earth contains is fixed, which means our planet is not invincible, immortal or infinite. In order to protect and preserve what few resources are left, green campaigns have spruced up world-wide in combined efforts to save clean air, water, fuel and soil for the future. The biggest contributor to global warming and resource depletion is human being. The products we use and dispose of everyday, often unthinkingly and out of habit, are leaking dangerous chemicals into local landfills and into our waters, which eventually taints the earth’s soil. But strange enough, we are also the ones helping Mother Nature along—by recycling, reducing unnecessary wastages and designing innovative day-to-day technology to conserve and simplify our lives.

Go Low Toxicity
Everything breathes. Well, not the inhalation bit, but the exhaling. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are the most common chemicals found in homes and are linked to birth defects, endocrine disruption, and several types of cancer. Numerous studies have shown that air quality within a house (or car) is more toxic and dangerous than the outdoors; and that’s a bit alarming since we spend most of our time indoors. An example of VOC is formaldehyde, a chemical which has high vapor pressure in room temperature; furnishing, office equipment, wall coverings, and paints are man-made products that off-gas VOCs into the air.

Solvents are a major source of man-made VOCs, frequently found in paints and coatings. Chances are the paint that covers both outside and inside your home is emitting an odorless form of toxin. Due to environmental concerns, regulations and cost-efficacy, paint companies have shifted towards aqueous solvents (water-base) which has become a great investment to dodge toxic chemicals and lead poisoning—such as Nippon’s Green Choice Series (www.nipponpaint.com.my), which has a comprehensive range of water-based, near-zero VOC and no lead or mercury additives. Its patented technology uses active carbon technology that, as the paint is applied, converts harmful formaldehyde into water vapor. Talk about a smart paint job!

Nippon was award with the prestigious Green Excellence Award by renowned research and consulting firm, Frost & Sullivan, and the series is certified by the Green Label Certification Singapore Environment Council and Eco-Labeling Certification License from SIRIM QAS Int’l Sdn Bhd.

Go Earth-Friendly


The less of the world we rummage through and take apart, the more of it we’ll have. And at the rate our rainforests are being replaced with palm oil trees, it’s only a matter of time when we’ll be setting up tents in a field of wet barks rather than luscious greens. Thanks to extensive research and technology, and visionaries with ideas of recreation, we now have an array of materials known as ‘synthetics’. Synthesis is the combination of two or more entities, forming a new matter. Before synthetic fibers were introduced, artificially manufactured fibers were made from cellulose, which derives from plant extracts. Luckily, science has improved light years since then and synthetics are now being made from non-toxic and fully recyclable materials, such as polyethylene.

However, when it comes to home and outdoor furnishing, we all want the sturdy stuff: wood, metal, concrete, marble, etc.—all of which threatens the environment in its own way. Furniture made with synthetic fibers couldn’t possibly hold up the test of time, could they? The answer: Yes, they can.

Specialized textile companies like DEDON (www.dedon.de) are geniuses when it comes to innovative production. Using the ecologically sound polyethylene, founders of DEDON were able to melt, weave and reproduce a type of synthetic resin fiber that is long-lasting, reliable and versatile—perfect for outdoor furniture. And so that is exactly what they did: Now available to an open market, DEDON’s furniture range from indoor to outdoor pieces, from birch to white in color, from residue resistance to toxin-free and earth-friendly.

DEDON’s NESTREST Hanging Lounger and PLAY were awarded Good Design Awards for the 2011 Good Design “Green Product” Awards at The Chicago Athenaeum.

Go Bamboo

If you didn’t already know, bamboo is one of the world’s fasted growing plants, making it highly economical. On average, it is capable of reaching 100cm per day and varies in thickness and size. In recent time, it has become the unofficial poster material for environmental designers and constructors. A building that incorporates bamboos can earn the architects and builders LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) points. Although some growers do use pesticides and other chemicals to prevent soil depletion, bamboo is certifiably the greenest material earth provides.

Bamboo has the versatility and flexibility to be flattened into floorboards, pressed into veneers, sliced into blinds, molded into furniture, or shaped and sanded to build an entire house. Even though it is structurally competitive, it lacks a certain aesthetic feel to compliment modern homes. However, if one is adamant about supporting the green movement and don’t want to compromise beauty, one can choose to go with small accessories—like Alessi’s Blow-Up Bamboo Collection (www.alessi.com).

Alessi’s Blow-Up Bamboo Collection was designated the Good Design Award for the 2011 Good Design “Green Product” Awards at The Chicago Athenaeum.

Go Recycle

Recycling is nothing new, but in Malaysia, the recycling system is just as impossible to tolerate as our city’s traffic jams. However, we reckon more people should get into the habit of it as recycled materials require less processing and fewer resources. Plastic is one of the most difficult materials to recycle since the process of sorting the many different resins and chemical structure is extensive and costly; furthermore, upon every reuse cycle, the plastic becomes less and less valuable. When compared to glass and metal, plastic polymers are definitely the black sheep, though they are the least toxic and most durable of all recyclable goods.

Advancing technologies have allowed recycled plastics to climb in quality. Not only are the compounds stronger and
eco-friendly, they are also great hybrid materials for designers to shape into contemporary furniture. Take Cohda’s RD Legs Chairs (www.cohda.com) for example, hand woven in 100% recycled plastic waste, the design uses no glues or additional fixings; all that was applied is heat and skills. And let’s face it: its’ amazing craftsmanship does not give off any inkling that these chairs were once milk bottles, detergent bottles and food trays.

Cohda’s RD (roughly drawn) Legs Chair is recognized as an iconic ECO products and short listed in the category of “Innovation” in the House and Garden Classic Design Awards at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

Go Latex


For a bit of humor, latex has saved many households lucrative sums of money and the population rate from escalating even more rapidly. Natural rubber latex has astonishing elastic properties—stretching at an excess of 800% before breakage—so it is the number one material used in condom production … and mattresses. More than 21 million tons of rubber is produced each year, with 95% or more supplied by Asia; Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia accounting for more than 70%. Due to the nature of latex, its usages are boundless, stretching from industrial products to household goods. It is also the fiber in which most of fabrications are weaved with, for that stretch effect.

Natural latex is the most resilient foam known to man. It has the ability to respond to any contour and requires no support to hold its shape. That is why mattress giants have hound in on the technology to address problems often occurring with spring mattresses. Getha’s Eco Kingdom series (www.getha.com.my) took full advantage of Malaysia’s number one resource and developed a range of sleep-friendly, green and economical mattresses. Whether or not one finds sweet dreams, anyone who owns a bed made of this adaptable material is bound to rest easy.