FIRA, the Furniture Industry Research Association, has pointed out the carbon benefits of wooden furniture at a time when energy suppliers are being encouraged to burn wood to produce power from biomass.
According to FIRA, just 25% of the potential energy stored in wood is successfully used in generating power when it is burnt, while 75% is lost.
This makes the fuel relatively inefficient for use in biomass power generation - but just as carbon is released when wood is burned, it can also be locked away in wooden furniture and other timber-based products.
"Chopping down vast forests will reduce biodiversity and damage the environment as forests take a long time to renew," argues FIRA.
However, using proper forest management techniques, an adequate supply of timber for use in furniture can be maintained.
FIRA adds that the best overall solution could be to use waste timber from the manufacturing process as a source of biomass energy in power stations.
However, it also points out that wind, water and solar energy are all eco-friendly options that are much more 'renewable' in the short term.
We see no signs of wooden furniture losing its enduring popularity - and our bentwood furniture range highlights the versatility of this natural resource that is so hard to match using manmade materials.