Environmental Responsibility

The process of building furniture necessarily requires wood, paint & packaging. We at Dust works very hard to handle these resources & materials responsibly.

Domestic birch is the wood used for construction, both solid trim and panel veneer. This wood is preferred due to its North American sources rather than threatened rainforests. The panels used contain sustainable MDF cores with very low formaldehyde emissions, currently meeting the CARB Ph.II requirements. The previously mentioned CNC router also enables us to conserve wood by nesting small parts into sections of wood that would have been wasted otherwise.

All of our paints are water-based & environmentally friendly. These paints do not require solvents to use nor does it require solvents to clean the equipment. This is fantastic for both our employee health & the environment! Dust is especially proud of the clear coat used to protect the furniture. This water based, industrial grade clearcoat is water resistant, durable and still meets the following standards: EPA 40 CFR (Parts 9, 59 & 63), SCAQMD (Rule 1136) & USGBC LEED (EQ Credit 4.2).

Dust uses all recyclable and/or biodegradable packaging. Shipping cartons are made from recyclable cardboard. Pieces are wrapped in recyclable plastic wrap & shelves are wrapped in recyclable foam. Furniture is cushioned with special recyclable bags filled with biodegradable packing peanuts. The worst use of resources would be to use the wood, paint & packing only to have a piece damaged in shipment; consequently,  we pack very carefully and have very few instances of damage each year (making you, the environment, the shipping company & Dust happy!).