Green, Eco-friendly, Designer Drapery Rods can make Beautiful Window Treatments

There are companies that your interior designer represents that are now providing the window covering industry with authentic, eco-responsible products. There are many absolutely beautiful products that anyone would be proud to show in their home or office that can be modified to fit any motif you select for your interior design. The eco-friendly rods come in many different finishes and styles. How do the LEED standards affect window treatment rods? In order to answer that, we should look at the environmental responsibility of the manufacturer and what they can produce from eco-friendly products. First, the manufacturer uses sustainable reforested wood rods, PCW (post consumer waste), up cycled aluminum rods, and hand tortoise shell bamboo rods. Are you excited at these choices? Well there’s more! These rods have low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound Paint) finishes instead of castings! They use recycled steel and there is minimum packaging. Can you imagine the steps that these companies are using to achieve this quality of product? Look for companies using the Forest Stewardship Council (www.fscus.org), which facilitates the approach to forestry practices, which includes a planned, rational, effective management and utilization of the forest resources. These companies must follow a consistent pattern with the green rules and maintain the forestry as a long renewable resource. Clear cutting is an example of what countries use to destroy plant and animal bio-diversity. Clear cutting takes the dirt product to a new wasteland with no live root, which will stop landslides. Here are some facts concerning forests. Did you know that the country of Tibet has massive deforestation and mining? This has accelerated the destruction of fragile untouched environments, which endangers rare species of animals in the Tibetan region.  Now, if they clear-cut the virgin, old growth forests, this destroys the lungs of the plant, which then affects our entire world. My motto is: Buy American whenever we can. Buying wood from China in rods, or furniture form, will only last a short time, as the wood is not kiln dried. Chinese wood also has water in it which makes it soft and soon you will find someone on the floor because of a broken chair or because your drapery rod sags and breaks. Findings reported in Tibet regarding environment issues state that the felling of 46% of pre-1950 forest cover has lead to a growing situation of flood disasters within the countries of South Asia and China. Aluminum hardware is recycled into a more expensive higher quality sleek look, and the finals can be glass balls, which are made directly from glass bottles. The tortoise shell bamboo rods are made with earth, fire and water. They use no paints or lacquer. Did you know bamboo products last hundreds of years? Note that bamboo products are from a grass which, when cut, grows back very quickly. As a matter of fact, bamboo is the fastest growing renewable resource for our products. Ask your interior designer for eco-friendly wood rods that are done in water stain base. Your new window treatments can have wood rods painted in low VOC finishes.  These are better for our environment than the volatile chemicals used in the casting process of the pole and finial. Packaging for the eco-friendly rods are now shipped in bubble wrap that are made from 100% recycled plastic and the paper boxes are 80% recycled. Hope you consider this alternative!

© BY DEBORAH OF DEH INTERIORS