Sustainable practices have been fundamental to our company since our founding in 1980. In 2022, we deepened our commitment, setting ambitious and measurable sustainability goals. As we pursue ways to make our furniture more sustainable, bio-based design is one of the innovative ways we’re challenging the status quo. 

How Bio-based Furniture Makes a Difference

We believe the furniture industry should pursue creating more bio-based designs that include materials made from renewable resources like plants and microorganisms. Why? It’s better for the planet. A 2025 study analyzing the life cycle of furniture found that material selection has the biggest potential for reducing environmental impact. This means bio-based furniture could help solve some of our industry’s sustainability challenges.

As for the other end of the life cycle, in 2018, Americans sent 9.6 million tons of furniture to the landfill. If bio-based furniture ends up in a landfill, it degrades naturally into the environment instead of making a long-term, “forever” impact like we’ve seen with chemicals or plastics. 

Room & Board’s sustainability director, Emily McGarvey, shares, “We’re focusing on three pillars to prioritize our time and resources: Better Products, Better for People and Better for the Planet. Within Better Products, we are committed to more sustainably designing and sourcing products through improved materials and practices. A simple way to think about a more sustainable product is to use as much renewable or recycled materials as possible.” Our newest design does just that. 

Designing Sustainable Furniture 

Understanding the potential, our team took the the opportunity to reimagine what sustainable upholstered furniture could look like. The result is our Renew lounge chair, made from 99% bio-based materials. 

Room & Board product designer Liz Brown shares, “Our goal was to create something fresh and distinct, drawing on classic Scandinavian design references. Through rounds of sketches, renderings and product samples, we arrived at a clean, sculptural silhouette with soft curves that blends refined upholstery with reclaimed urban wood. Every element was thoughtfully considered to show that sustainability and great design go hand in hand.” 

Renew’s Bio-based Construction

Crafted by our manufacturing partners at Precedent in North Carolina, Renew’s bio-based composition is achieved by using a combination of innovative and time-tested materials.

Reclaimed and sustainable wood frame

Renew’s exterior frame is made from reclaimed oak sourced by our partner Cambium. This organization locates trees around the U.S. being removed due to storm damage, construction or canopy maintenance. Instead of these trees being turned into mulch, Cambium diverts them to lumber mills to be processed for furniture and other applications. Renew’s interior wood frame meets our stringent sustainable wood sourcing policy. 

Wool and natural latex cushioning

Rather than the typical polyurethane foam, Renew’s cushions are made from wool and natural latex. Our manufacturing partner Precedent worked with fiber supplier ENKEV to create this special cushioning just for us. As with all of our upholstery, Renew meets mandatory flammability standards without the use of added flame retardant chemicals. 

Cotton-wool blend fabric

Renew’s fabric is made from a new cotton-wool blend. Our mill partner De Leo created this unique fabric from 47% wool, 34% cotton and only 19% nylon; a hybrid of sustainability, comfort and performance. Terra is also OEKO-TEX certified to be free of more than 100 chemicals considered harmful to human health.

The proof: third-party certification

We sent Renew to a third-party lab who verified Renew is made from 99% bio-based materials. We’re proud to have created a beautiful and comfortable chair that is kinder to the planet.