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• Logging & lumber industry

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2003:

EPA steps up study of Teflon chemical risk to humans [USA] - An unregulated chemical used in furniture, carpet and Teflon could be a serious health risk to the public, prompting the Environmental Protection Agency this week to launch an in-depth assessment to determine its safety. (Reuters, 16 Apr. 2003) 

new book: Buying into the Environment Experiences, Opportunities and Potential for Eco-procurement -...Many initiatives have been undertaken in OECD countries, most successfully in Japan and Denmark where green public purchasing has been proven to be workable and highly effective, while, in other countries, city municipalities have successfully pioneered the development of sophisticated public environmental purchasing policies...The book, organised under the auspices of the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) analyses national approaches already tested, and provides in-depth surveys on the pioneer cities such as Hamburg, Malmö and Zürich...The most relevant product groups for eco-procurement such as construction, transport, energy, information technology, furniture and food. are also analysed. (Edited by Christoph Erdmenger, International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives, Mar. 2003)

Leading Furniture Manufacturer Gets Green Certification - Leading furniture manufacturer and designer Knoll Inc. recently received Forest Stewardship Council chain-of-custody certification for three of its manufacturing plants. (GreenBiz.com, 26 Feb. 2003)

2002:

Mexico Exporting Prison-Made Products - Prison officials in northern Mexico say their inmates are manufacturing furniture bound for Texas — despite U.S. laws that ban the importation of goods made with prison labor...Del Riego [prison director for Tamaulipas state, Manuel del Riego] said 150 foreign companies, including many in the United States, had expressed interest in setting up production lines at the 11 prisons in Tamaulipas. (Julie Watson, Associated Press, 3 Dec. 2002)

Striking Vietnamese 'hit with bars' - At least four Vietnamese men have been taken to hospital after a group of factory managers allegedly attacked striking workers with metal bars...The general manager of the Taiwanese-owned furniture factory, Chen Chung Hoan, has apologised and promised to rectify the breaches of labour law within a fortnight. (Clare Arthurs, BBC News, 29 Nov. 2002)

Congress assails use of prison labor [USA] - Congressmen on Thursday criticized a government-run corporation that uses prisoners to make products, saying it puts other Americans out of work. Federal Prison Industries Inc. makes 150 products, including office furniture, electronics and textiles, and its entire product line is sold exclusively to federal agencies. (Nedra Pickler, Associated Press, 22 Nov. 2002)

Rent-A-Center to Pay $47M to Women [USA] - A judge approved a $47 million settlement Friday for thousands of women who claim they were unfairly denied or driven out of jobs with the nation's largest operator of rent-to-own stores. (Associated Press, 5 Oct. 2002)

• Sex discrimination settlement approved [USA] -...Dozens of Indiana women will share in the $47 million settlement of multiple sexual discrimination lawsuits against Texas-based Rent-A-Center. A federal judge in St. Louis approved the settlement Friday, resolving pervasive claims that the national lease-to-own furniture and appliance dealer treated women like second-class citizens. (Gregory Weaver, Indianapolis Star, 5 Oct. 2002)

IBM Tops List of 100 Best Corporate Citizens: In a survey by Business Ethics magazine, some corporations shine in their commitment to diverse stakeholders - A new survey from Business Ethics magazine ranks public companies based on their relationship to...four groups of stakeholders [shareholders, employees, customers, and community]...The top five companies, IBM, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Procter & Gamble, and Herman Miller... (SocialFunds.com, 18 Apr. 2002)

Forest laws not worth the paper they're written:...Vast areas of remaining intact forest on four continents have been degraded because of poor enforcement of existing forest protection laws, according to researchers at the Washington-based World Resources Institute...Jim Strittholt, head of Global Forest Watch USA, pointed to a number of companies and banks - such as IKEA, the world's largest home-furnishings company, and ABN Amro, one of Europe's leading banks - that were using the research to ensure that their wood supplies or investments were not promoting deforestation (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, in Asia Times [Hong Kong], 5 Apr. 2002)

Court rules against seizure of Amazonian timber: Greenpeace says its bid to force the [UK] government to impound an imported cargo of Amazonian mahogany has failed in the High Court...The importing agent in Britain, Alan Thomas Craig, declined to comment on the case. (Stefano Ambrogi, Reuters, 7 Mar. 2002)

Tackling risky chemicals on the high street [UK]: Ikea, the Body Shop, Co-op, Marks & Spencer and B&Q are top of the table when it comes to tackling risky chemicals in their products [worst scores: Hamleys, Focus, BHS, Somerfield; companies that did not reply: ASDA, Kwick Save, Morrisons, Toys 'R' Us, Toymaster] (Friends of the Earth, 26 Feb. 2002)

Stop the Chop - new guide to buying wood without wrecking forests:...The new edition of the Good Wood Guide, published by Friends of the Earth and Fauna & Flora International, provides expert advice on where to find reclaimed wood and wooden furniture - as well as tips on finding Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood products which come from sustainably managed forests. (Friends of the Earth, 8 Jan. 2002)

2001:

Bolivian forests get green appeal: Over the last five years Bolivia has responded to the growing demand for ecologically sustainable wood products by becoming the world leader in certified management of natural tropical forests. The development has opened new markets for Bolivian tropical woods in Europe and the US and has turned one company, The Roda Group, into a leading supplier of garden furniture to the UK's largest home improvement chain B&Q. But concerns exist that the lack of price premiums on certified woods may prove the weak link in a business that perhaps more than any other could protect the bio-diversity of the world's tropical forests. (Andrew Enever, BBC News, 13 Dec. 2001)

Mahogany Buyers Stumped: The Brazilian government announced the cancellation of virtually all mahogany timber cutting operations in the Amazon in early December (Charlie Cray, Multinational Monitor, Dec. 2001)

New report details global trade in illegal Amazon mahogany: Brazilian government suspends all mahogany logging and transport -...illegalities include logging in Indian lands, which is strictly prohibited...The mahogany is given the appearance of being legal by falsified paperwork, then is exported by these companies to international markets, predominantly in the USA and the UK, Netherlands and Germany. Just four importers - DLH Nordisk, Aljoma Lumber, J Gibson McIlvain Co Ltd and Intercontinental Hardwoods Inc accounted for more than two-thirds of the mahogany export trade from Moisés and Ferreira...Mahogany is used largely in luxury goods such as yachts, high-class furniture, musical instruments and coffins. (Greenpeace, 25 Oct. 2001)

EPA Partners with Businesses to Promote Green Power [U.S.]: Voluntary program has enlisted companies, cities, universities and others with the aim of boosting the market for renewable energy. The [U.S.] Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched the Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program to increase the use of energy generated from renewable sources. Fortune 500 companies such as 3M, Ford, General Motors and office furniture manufacturer Steelcase have signed on as founding partners, along with several cities, universities and federal government offices. (Mark Thomsen, SocialFunds.com, 27 Sep. 2001)