Which U.S. retailers are best at sourcing wood sustainably? 

 

The National Wildlife Federation and Sustainable Furnishings Council ranked the country's 90 leading retailers on their wood sourcing practices, compiling the data into an online scorecard. With the annual scorecard, the Federation aims to encourage furniture retailers, big or small, to implement robust policies that drive responsible wood sourcing practices through their complex supply chains. 

 

Top retailers included Cisco Home, ABC Carpet and Home, Ikea, and Williams-Sonoma. 

 

"One thing to remember is that 65% of furniture in North America comes through independent retailers, not the chains,” the National Wildlife Federation's Barbara Bramble. “So that's why we've made the list of companies we score a wide variety."

 

Responsible wood sourcing is good for business, says the Federation. According to a poll by the Sustainable Furnishings Council, more than 80 percent of consumers surveyed said they are interested in buying furniture made from wood harvested from well-managed forests. Bramble said since the scorecard was developed last year, many companies already have made improvements. 

 

"The scores, even the top category for several companies, went up this year. And, a number of companies who were in the very low-scoring basket have raised their scores as well,” she said. “So, I think this scorecard is catching their attention."

 

Here's the full list: