Furnishing your home sustainably is rarely simple — it can be tricky to find the perfect item that matches your style and vision, while also ensuring that this new addition to your home is green-minded — and eco-friendly bookcases are no exception.
But, we’re here to help! Below, we’ve compiled a list of brands that design sustainable shelves and beautiful, eco-friendly bookcases.
What Makes a Bookshelf Sustainable?
When looking for sustainable shelves or bookcases, a great sign is if it’s handcrafted- or made to order. They should also be durable, and built to last a lifetime. Some sustainable furniture brands may even have warranties or lifetime guarantees!
These items will be made from sustainably sourced solid, reclaimed, or salvaged wood. If the piece is made with engineered wood (common in more affordably priced furniture), ensure it’s free from formaldehyde, which is a probable human carcinogen.
If the company sources and manufactures in the US, look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification. Sustainable shelving and bookcases may also feature additional natural, recycled or upcycled materials.
The furniture should be free of VOCs, volatile organic compounds and have natural — or at least non-toxic, low-VOC — finishes. [Learn more about non-toxic furniture.]
Additionally, any company that produces sustainable shelves or bookcases should be using fair labor. Whether they partner with artisans and craftspeople, produce their furniture in-house, or use global manufacturers, look for transparency that they’re paying fair wages and ensuring healthy working conditions.
Where to Find Sustainable Bookcases and Shelving
A great place to start looking is at second-hand or thrift stores! Alternatively you can find gently used pieces on online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, AptDeco, or Kaiyo. Reusing or repurposing furniture that would otherwise go to waste is always a sustainable option!
If you can’t find something you love second-hand, then the next best choice is to shop from one of the sustainable brands below. Not only do these brands design eco-friendly bookcases and shelves, but they also have a wide selection of home goods to meet all your furnishing needs.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links which helps us continue to run this website and create resources like these. As always all brands meet strict sustainability criteria and are brands we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Medley
Inspired by their eco-minded parents, Medley was founded by two brothers based in California. Their all-natural, bio-based beeswax finish is even named after their dad. Medley creates sustainable bookcases and other storage furniture from locally sourced, 100% solid wood from FSC-certified forests.
Price: $1,995-$2,895
Materials: Solid Hard White Maple, American Walnut Wood
Conscious Highlights: Custom Made, Locally Made, FSC-Certified, Family Run
2. Greenington
Based out of Washington, Greenington is a furniture company with pieces crafted from sustainably hand-harvested Moso bamboo. Greenington sources mature bamboo for maximum strength and durability. The brand makes sustainable bookshelves and bookcases, as well as a full collection of bamboo furniture.
Price: $132-$5,289
Materials: Moso Bamboo
Conscious Highlights: Zero-waste Production, ISO certified factories, Handcrafted, BIPOC owned
Check out Greenington @ Lumens Light + Living | @ Modern Digs
3. Emeco
Emeco handcrafts their durable, sustainable furniture locally, in Pennsylvania. They use recycled aluminum and responsibly-harvested wood for their sustainable shelves and bookcases and their furniture is free of VOCs and toxic chemicals.
Price: $3,871-$4,883
Materials: Recycled Aluminum, Sustainably Harvested Walnut, Ash, or Acoya
Conscious Highlights: FSC Certified, Cradle to Gold Certified, Vegan
4. Masaya & Co
Masaya & Co has a stunning collection of sustainable shelves and bookcases handcrafted by artisans in Nicaragua. Their shelves are made to order from responsibly-harvested wood and feature a low-VOC finish. Masaya & Co originated as a reforestation project in Nicaragua, and continues to embody that ethos by planting 100 trees for each item they sell.
Price: $1,600-$2,800
Materials: Royal Mahogany, Teak, Rosita Walnut
Conscious Highlights: Handcrafted, Plants Trese, Vegan
5. West Elm Sustainably Sourced Collection
West Elm’s sustainably sourced collection is a great place to find an eco-friendly bookshelf or bookcase. Among this collection, you’ll find furniture that is made from FSC-Certified wood, pieces made in Fair Trade Certified factories, and items with the Greenguard Gold seal.
Price: $90- $2,399
Materials: Solid Wood, Reclaimed Wood
Conscious Highlights: Fair Trade, FSC Certified, Greenguard Gold Certified
6. Crate & Barrel FSC-Certified
Crate & Barrel’s FSC-Certified collection features bookshelves made with materials like solid oak, mahogany wood, teak, and rattan. And you can find a range of styles and finishes in their collection, from natural oak to espresso and driftwood.
It’s worth noting that the company’s bookshelves do contain veneer and engineered wood as well, like most furniture with shelving or drawers. Some products do indicate low-emissions engineered wood.
Price: $799 – $3,200
Materials: FSC-Certified Wood (with some parts made with engineered wood)
Conscious Highlights: Natural Materials, Responsibly Sourced
7. Burrow
Burrow’s modular storage systems — which can be used as bookshelves — are designed to grow with you. Add units to expand your bookshelf or media center storage or separate units to create several pieces of furniture
Price: $299 – $2,189
Materials: Engineered Wood and Steel
Conscious Highlights: Modular and Adaptable, Durable
8. Vermont Woods Studios
Vermont Woods Studios has gorgeous solid wood bookcases sourced from sustainably-managed forests in Vermont. They offer a lifetime guarantee and even allow you to order samples of their wood to ensure you’ll love the final product. They also partner with 1% for the planet to support reforestation of the Amazon Rainforest.
Price: $1206-$9648
Materials: Cherry, Walnut, Maple, and Oak Hardwood
Conscious Highlights: Custom Made, Local Sourcing, Gives Back, Woman-Owned
9. Green Cradle
Green Candle is a family-run company that specializes in solid wood furniture, including wood bookcases and shelves. They craft each eco-friendly bookshelf from trees harvested sustainably and locally and use an all natural flaxseed oil finish free of toxins.
Price: $1,295-$1,395
Materials: 100% Solid Wood
Conscious Highlights: Locally Sourced, Locally Made
More Guides to Browse:
Sustainable Tables and Coffee Tables to Gather Around
12 Non-Toxic Furniture Brands for a Healthy Home
Sustainable Storage Furniture: Dressers, Media Consoles, and More
The post 9 Eco-Friendly Bookcases & Sustainable Shelves to Showcase Your Latest Reads (2024) appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
9 Eco-Friendly Bookcases & Sustainable Shelves to Showcase Your Latest Reads (2024)
There’s something undeniably special about wearing uniquely handcrafted, fair trade jewelry that you can know was made slowly and thoughtfully with care. Equally special is wearing an elevated set of jewelry crafted with recycled materials and sustainable processes.
Whether you’re looking for an investment piece or more affordable pieces, there are options for any budget on this list. The aesthetics of these fair trade and sustainable jewelry brands also vary, so you’ll also be able to discover an ethical brand that matches your unique style.
What is Fair Trade Jewelry?
Fair trade can both be a general term used to describe a brand’s sourcing practices — like direct relationships with artisan cooperatives, wages above local standard rates, and safe working conditions — or a third-party “Fair Trade” verification through an organization like Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade USA, or World Fair Trade Organization. When a brand doesn’t have a certification, we verify a brand’s practices by their own published information.
In the cases where brands do go the extra mile and get a third-party verification for their fair trade practices, we’ve noted it directly in their entries.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links and partners. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for responsibility we love, and that we think you’ll love too!
2. Ana Luisa
Best for: affordable everyday jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Gold, Lab-Grown Diamonds, Small-Batch Production, Direct-to-Consumer
Ana Luisa creates stunning, elegant jewelry from responsibly-sourced materials including 100% recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds. The sustainable jewelry brand also produces in small batches to minimize waste.
By using a direct-to-consumer model, Ana Luisa is able to provide luxury, high-quality jewelry at accessible prices.
3. Monica Vinader
Best for: recycled demi-fine jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Founded, Recycled Silver & Gold Vermeil, Traceable Gemstones, Lab-Grown & Conflict-Free Diamonds, Supply Chain Transparency
Price Range: $85 (studs) – $2,495 (diamond ring)
British jewelry brand Monica Vinader was one of the first brands to meet the gap between fashion jewelry and fine jewelry with their “demi fine” jewelry. The women-founded brand has necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings crafted from 100% recycled sterling silver and gold vermeil, fully traceable gemstones, and lab-grown or conflict-free diamonds. Monica Vinader also launched Product Passports, taking an active effort towards full supply chain transparency.
4. WorldFinds
Best for: unique statement jewelry with a story
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Verified, Upcycled Materials, Artisan-Made
WorldFinds provides sustainable employment and just wages for hundreds of women artisans in India and Bali. These artisans handcraft both sleek metal fair trade jewelry and unique recycled Kantha pieces. WorldFinds is Verified by the Fair Trade Federation, which assesses members against fair trade principles including fair wages, safe conditions, and transparent supply chains.
Plus WorldFinds’ signature Kantha jewelry is made from upcycling materials: wood scraps from a furniture factory and locally sourced Kantha fabric remnants.
5. Astor + Orion
Best for: drop earrings and charm necklaces with symbolism
Conscious Qualities: Certified Ethical Factory, Recycled Materials, Designed for Recyclability, Repair Program
Ethical jewelry brand Astor + Orion sources their jewelry from a factory with multiple certifications ensuring worker safety, fair production practices, and responsible environmental management. Astor + Orion’s stunning jewelry is made from recycled materials and designed in a way to make it easily recyclable! Their pieces also come with a quality assurance — the brand will repair any piece within 6 months of purchase.
6. Laura Elizabeth
Best for: non-toxic jewelry in organic shapes
Conscious Qualities: Locally Sourced Recycled Metals, Woman-Owned, Fair Wages, Safe Working Conditions
Price Range: $45 – $330
Crafted from recycled metals sourced locally in LA, Laura Elizabeth creates stand-out sustainable jewelry. All of the brand’s jewelry is sourced ethically from a small, woman-owned studio in Los Angeles that ensures reasonable working hours (35 hr/week), fair wages, and safe working conditions (such as proper ventilation). Check out more on Laura Elizabeth in this post!
The jewelry is also non-toxic, free of cadmium or lead.
7. Ten Thousand Villages
Best for: giftable fair trade jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Production, Artisan-Made
Price Range: $6 – $175
Founded in 1946, Ten Thousand Villages is one of the fair trade pioneers and a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), the global network that verifies fair trade practices across its member organizations.
They’ve developed relationships with artisans around the world, providing valuable economic opportunities for thousands of makers in 30 countries around the world. Their marketplace has handmade necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings, along with a variety of other fair trade goods.
8. Edge of Ember
Best for: gemstone jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Gold & Silver, Artisan-Made, Ethical Production
Price Range: $49 (ear cuff) – $2,730 (diamond tennis bracelet)
Edge of Ember’s timeless jewelry is responsibly crafted by makers working in artisan groups and small-scale factories. Their delicate necklaces, bracelets, rings, and other pieces are crafted by skilled artisans in India, Hong Kong, Germany, and Thailand. The brand carries out independent social audits to ensure ethical working conditions and environmental responsibility.
Edge of Ember has a wide selection of recycled gold and silver rings, bracelets, and necklaces adorned with stunning gemstones, including many birthstone jewelry options perfect for gifting.
9. Aurate
Best for: ethical diamond fine jewelry
Conscious Qualities: 100% Recycled Gold, Lab-Grown & Conflict-Free Diamonds, Vintage Collection
Price Range: $18 (stainless steel chain) – $19,000 (diamond tennis necklace)
Responsibly-sourced quality jewelry — that’s Aurate’s promi